Mike & Molly Uses Massive Slurs Against Italians

A few years ago, we wrote about the Jersey Shore. One of our biggest gripes with the show dealt with how MTV promoted it. Specifically, in early ads, MTV used multiple references to Italian culture and heritage – while intentionally calling the cast members a bunch of guidos. In one ad, MTV went so far as to insinuate that a guido was a different species than human. We're not kidding.

"the tri-state area's most misunderstood species, the Guido."
Did you know Italians were display pieces at local zoos?

More importantly, we predicted that if MTV were permitted to call Italians guidos, it would set a dangerous precedent that would pave the way for the media calling us much worse. That is what they do: they say increasingly provocative things until they hear a major backlash.

Fast forward to 2013. Jersey Shore is off the air – and we're all in the clear with stereotypes and slurs, right? Wrong. In fact, the slurs were taken to a new high when one of the most popular shows in the country, Mike and Molly, used two derogatory terms against Italians in a matter of seconds. According to TV Series Finale, Mike and Molly averages 8.5 million viewers, roughly the equivalent of the entire state of New Jersey watching it every week.

With all that in mind, we present to you the final minutes of Mike and Molly, Season 3 – Episode 22:

Welcome to 1899, everybody! Children work in coal mines, we lock our immigrants into factories and major media calls Italians greaseballs and wops.

Political Cartoon: Italians have come a long way since the turn of the century

Mike and Molly did this in front of 8.5 million viewers. That's how highly esteemed our people are in the eyes of the media. We're nothing more than glorified punching bags for major television networks. In this overly politically correct world , Italians are still fair game. We find it ironic – a basketball owner can make private comments about a particular group and have hell thrown at him. But when you make public comments about Italians no one even bats an eye.

Would CBS dare do this with other ethnic groups? Would a character on a major network ever be scripted to say, “I'd take a bullet for this n****r?” Imagine the uproar. There would be boycotts, marches in the streets, multiple press conferences, apologies and firings. But, when it happens to Italians – it's as if it didn't happen at all.


A quote from our website, 2008:

"The constant application of stereotypes to Italians by the media is Anti- Italianism. If the same were done to African Americans it would be labeled racist. To women? Sexist. To Italians? Entertainment."

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Another point to note is that our Italian organizations are failing us. The National Italian American Foundation hasn't issued a press release on stereotypes or slurs in the media since Jersey Shore first came out (2009). Further, when the Jersey Shore fiasco occurred, some Italian organizations actually dismissed the issue. Organizations like i-Italy held conferences declaring that “guido is not offensive.” i-Italy did this, despite the fact that countless Italians were offended by the show and its use of the term. Of course, i-Italy has credibility issues on the subject: they have a self-professed “guido and cugine” writing for them. It also doesn't help that this cugine has a meatball song. Again, we're not kidding.

Make no mistake about it: wop and greaseball are absolutely offensive terms for Italians. There is no equivocating here as this is not a grey area. i-Italy can hold as many conferences as it likes – it will not change the meaning of the terms.


Top Google results for "wop meaning":

The word wop has always been used in reference to Italians. One popular theory alleges that it is an acronym, meaning “With Out Papers.” This term would be applied to illegal immigrants – who had no papers (green card/citizenship/etc). While this is one of the better known theories – it is wrong. The correct origin for wop stems from the Southern Italian dialect word “guappo.” The word guappo (pronounced gwa-po) means worthless guy/macho thug. The word was adopted and corrupted by Americans and applied to Italians as a whole. So, what are wops? Worthless people.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary Definition of Wop

The word greaseball has always been used in reference to Mediterranean and Latin peoples. Its origin is vague – but it seems to stem from popular Italian hairstyles during the 1800s. Placing a slick product in your hair and slicking it back or to the side was fashionable and easy. As a result of the style's popularity, it became applied to Italians as a whole. The term “grease” was used to denote dirtiness or filth.

Robert De Niro - Sporting a slicked back hair-do in The Godfather

Era appropriate Italian man with slicked back hair

As a brief aside – this origin story of greaseball rings true in my family. When my grandfather first arrived here, he said some fellow Italians were called “greaseball, part-in-the-middle.” This would confirm the origin of the term as a derogatory remark placed on all Italians resulting from the popularity of their hairstyles.

Top Google result for "origins greaseball"

Dictionary.com definition of "greaseball" - listing it as a synonym for wop.

So, there you have it: CBS finds it acceptable to call you worthless, filthy people in front of 8.5 million viewers. They will continue to do this until we fight back. But, organizations like the NIAF don't fight back. What they have done rather effectively though, is send us multiple e-mails requesting donations – and to attend their Gala event. Why should any of us attend this event? It will only be covered on the news as a “large gathering wops” in Washington, D.C.

The NIAF highlights a major problem in our community: we're all asleep at the switch – and it seems like nothing will wake us from our slumber. The media will only continue to push the envelope. Trust us, the way this escalated from guido to wop – it will certainly evolve into guinea and dago. Just give it some time.

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