Culture

MTV Asked to Cancel 'Jersey Shore' by Italian-American Group

by Blaine Metzgar | November 26, 2009 at 10:43 am

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MTV was asked by Italian-American group UNICO to cancel their latest reality series Jersey Shore citing it as "trash television" for its misrepresentation of Italian-Americans in a decidedly offensive manner. Premiering on December 3, Jersey Shore follows the lives of "guidos" who, "keep their hair high, their muscles juiced and their fists pumping all summer long[,]" according to the promotional ad at least.

UNICO National President Andre DiMino declared the show offensive after promos with the tagline "hottest, tannest, craziest Guidos" aired. Outraged at the use of the term "guido" as a promotional device, National Italian American Foundation president Joseph Del Raso stated,

"We find this program alarming in that it attempts to make a direct connection between 'guido culture' and Italian-American identity."

MTV contends that Jersey Shore, as with the network's other reality programming, documents young people's rights of passage and asserts, "the Italian-American cast takes pride in their ethnicity."

What do you think? Is Jersey Shore any more offensive than other MTV programs?

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Fiona77 (not verified)

at 14:56 on November 26th, 2009

I think UNICO should do more to educate some of these foolish kids who walk around not having a clue what it means to be of "Italian" heritage. There is such a thing as a "Guido", and movies like Goodfellas and shows like Sopranos (and now MTV) glamorize it. But, really, it is just uneducated white trash. 99% of Italian-Americans laugh at, and do not identify with, these idiots.

gunslinger (not verified)

at 07:19 on December 2nd, 2009

Does there really need to be another pathetic show like this on MTV? It's a very irrelevent subject to broadcast to already ill-educated people who watch irrelevent rubbish such as The Hills or The City. Does it not cross MTV's mind that it should probably broadcast something that's interesting, relevent and well directed ? instead of broadcasting a life style thats based upon shallow and unhealthy values.