Johnny Meatballs Responds to ItalianAware

In light of the "controversy" we stirred up recently, Johnny Meatballs has asked us to publish his response to our blog post.  This response is not to be confused with Johnny's Fans' Reaction- which we posted earlier. 

The italicized version is his post that can be found on Eat Italian's blog. Below it is our response.

Johnny Meatball's response to our blog post about him:

 (Intro removed as it summarizes our original post)

I find it comical how these people have nothing better to do but single me out. This isn’t the first and it won’t be the last time. What’s crazy to me is how these things can get written about me and then when I confront the issues they refuse my requests to have a civilized sit-down interview. The only one I can say who did that with me was Bill Russo, although there was a lot more that needed to be discussed when I went on his show that was never addressed. My countless charitable contributions are never written about (which actually included donations to the Sons of Italy and UNICO—two organizations that they praise), nor the fact that what’s most important to my life before Italian-Americana or anything else, is my dedication to my wife and two children. But it’s not important to them to do research or write a well-rounded article on a person, it only fits their agenda to point out how my using the terms “goomba” and “cugine” are somehow detrimental to society.

I also find it comical that they say I need to “acknowledge that there is a world beyond New Jersey.” I have been to Italy and have researched and written numerous blogs over the past 2 years on I-Italy.org and EatItalian.com about worldwide Italian culture. I’m sure they haven’t read them though. I also am certain they aren’t aware that a professor and his students from the University of Gastronomic Studies came to visit me in New Jersey and did an entire study on my family and my business and gave me an award for my contributions to the heritage!

And as I stated on many occasions, Italians in Italy DO NOT CARE one bit about the nonsense they obsess over. These activists wanna talk about how my goomba speech is “disturbing” even though just like any dialect, it is a very true dialect that is still perpetuated in a very real sub-culture. Acknowledging this fact embarrasses them. My mother’s first language was Italian! I know the differences between slang vernacular and formal language. But that’s just it, this is about differences—not right and wrong. So I make videos and have a Meatball Song. It’s all in good fun. I’m not out there perpetuating the mafia image, I am just trying to make a living and just because I don’t fit into their “buttoned-up” criteria, I am “dangerous.”

I’ve used this analogy before, this garbage is just like politics. If you’re a democrat or republican and you have a thought or idea that may not fit into the category, you are all of a sudden not a “true” member of that party and chastised. Human beings are individuals. They say I am dangerous for practicing my “interpretation” of the heritage. I don’t get how they feel they can make their own rules and regulations and how there cannot be any interpretation of Italian-Americana with no deviations or distinctions. You wanna talk about dangerous, they sound like a cult. Why is having a particular interpretation dangerous??? Italian-Americana is a vast, diverse, complex, multi-generational, multi-territorial nationality. I don’t represent all of them. Neither does the “Jersey Shore” clan. Or Nancy Pelosi. Or Andrea Bocelli. Or the Italian Aware staff. We are all God’s children.

ItalianAware's Response to Key Issues:

1. ItalianAware never refused to meet with Mr. DeCarlo. Mr. DeCarlo wrote his blog within hours of reading our post about him. Our response to him was that we were more than happy to meet with him and discuss all relevant issues.
   
2. We're glad Mr. DeCarlo finds us "comical." Our blog has always been accurate and well researched. To that end, we find it puzzling that Mr. DeCarlo believes he is well-schooled in areas outside of "New Jersey Italiano" because he  A) has been to Italy and B) The University of Gastronomic Studies visited him in NJ- and gave him an Italian award. It should be noted that The University was founded in 2004- and has graduated a paltry 110 students in its 8+ year existence.
   
   Here, It should also be noted that ItalianAware has been recognized by the Order Sons of Italy in America- the nation's oldest Italian heritage organization.
   
3. We called Mr. DeCarlo's actions (not him) dangerous to Italian culture. Why? Because he is perpetrating stereotypes against the culture- without advancing any of  its more classical and eloquent points. While running around teaching people "goomba speech" may not be advancing a Mafia stereotype, it is certainly advancing the stereotype that Italians are uneducated- and unknowledgable about their own culture.
   
4. Its true- Italians in Italy do not care about people like Mr. DeCarlo putting their own spin on the Italian culture. This is because Italians in Italy do not have to live with people constantly maligning their culture. If all of the "cugines" (see Mr. DeCarlo) in America moved to Italy and started being featured on Italian reality TV as representations of Italian culture- the Italians in Italy would care. A lot.
   
5. We don't make up our own rules as to what is and is not a stereotype. Stereotypes are created when sweeping generalizations are made about a particular group of people. Certain stereotypes pertaining to Italians include, but are not limited to, being ignorant, violent, and womanizing. The ignorance stereotype branches into areas such as: poor formal education, poor education in their own culture, unrefined, ill mannered, dim witted, etc.
   
   So, when we say Johnny Meatballs' actions are dangerous- it is because he advances the stereotype that Italians are ignorant. In this instance, it is ignorance regarding his own true culture. And, if Mr. DeCarlo is as learned in true Italian culture as he claims, then he should pass that knowledge down to his followers. He should not limit his "educational" videos to "goombah speak."
   
6. Mr. DeCarlo is not interested in true Italian culture. He is only concerned about advancing the American aspects of his Italian American identity. As we've stated before, if you wish to hyphenate your nationality as Italian- American, then we kindly ask that you advance both the Italian and the American. You cannot promote one to the exclusion of the other- all the while claiming what you're doing is "Italian." Italian means focusing on our classical/traditional roots. American means focusing on what Italians did once they came to America.  People who solely advance the American weaken the Italian heritage, and in turn weaken the Italian community as a whole.

ItalianAware-Home

Follow us on twitter

Find us on facebook