Double standard. Its a self explanatory statement. In fact, its the statement you look to when you witness an inequity between people. One group gets treated in one manner, while another gets treated in an opposite manner regarding the same thing. Of course, this website being called, ItalianAware, you all know where this is going. However, for a change in tempo, I figured I'd depart from the Jersey Shore.
The NY Daily News wrote a two page article on Lady Gaga just the other day. Lady Gaga is an Italian American (she was born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta). Her being Italian isn't derived solely from her name- she has openly stated several times that she is an Italian American woman and enjoys cooking Italian and keeping Italian traditions. As the article progressed, there was an interview with a person familiar with her who stated that before Lady Gaga made it big:
“She was a little overweight. She looked like something out of GoodFellas - like she was ready to make pasta any minute.” (link)
What is wrong with that statement? Well... everything. While I stated above that this article was to depart from Jersey Shore, it seems as though this is directly related to it. Now, before you say calling an Italian a Guido is different from saying an Italian looks like he makes pasta- that's not the point. The way that this is the same to Jersey Shore is that, you could not make the above statement about any other group, much the way you couldn't openly call another group by a derogatory name- except for Italians. What the person did with that statement was devalue Lady Gaga's worth as a highly skilled (and popular) performer to the point where she was nothing more than a 'pasta eater' because she's Italian.
Many Italians want to continue to believe that if they keep blinders on, and block out what's going on around them, reality isn't actually taking place; the media isn't mocking them- Italians are to blame for acting that way. The harsh reality is that pop-culture is ramping up the Italian stereotypes for the new year and for an entire new generation. The writing is on the wall. Anything not named or modeled after Tony Soprano is being replaced with a Snooki or a Situation. In 2010, with decades of tolerance and peace preached in this country, Italians deserve the same media treatment other groups get.
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