Issue XXII - Italic Institute of America
Issue XXII - Italic Institute of America Issue XXII - Italic Institute of America
Media Madness[In which we presenl media material with commentary]ITEM: An irate citizen on Long Island wrote a letter to the local newspapercomplaining about Italian-American soccer fans who tied up traffic celebratingItaly's victory in the World Cup semi-finals. The citizen wondered why ItalianAmericans are not as demonstrative on Memorial Day or Flag Day.-.~~------~--~,ICOMMENT: Italian-Americans need no lessons in patriotism from the "oldguard." Italian-Americans served in both world wars in numbers way outproportion to their population. And since the U.S. was eliminated from soccercompetition, Italy was the only logical choice about which to be enthusiastic.--J..-.~--~~Ctl/lftYHitJ ~F,~S...,__ .__---ITEM: The Annual Italian Benevolent Society Picnic and Parade held in SutterCreek, California, features a "Win A Dago" truck contest among its entcnainmenLC 0 MMENT: These Italian-Americans are so benevolent that they come close tobeing Uncle Toms or whatever the Italic version of that is. One day at this festival,which by the way is promoted in the California Festivals guide book, could be hazardousto your ethnic health.ITEM: Frank Cerabino, columnist for a Boca Raton daily, recently crossed the line with adart-filled commentary on the Italian-American community's resistance to losing ColumbusDay as a city holiday.COMMENT: Who needs enemies when there are so many irrepressible Italian-American 1media types ready to desrroy their own for a laugh or a few bucks? Using phrases like "horse'shead", jokes about Italian Alzheimer's, and dialect words tike "froonge" (/Uilgo ==mushroom)is the stuff of saloon conversations, not newspaper commentaries. We can forgive a ct;Fone likeCerabino, but what kind of editors allow ethnic defamation from their staff?ITEM: Olympic skater Tonya Harding is debuting as a feisty waitress running from theMafia in a new movie entitled Breakaway.COMMENT: Does this movie sound familiar? Aristotle once said that there are onlyseven basic plots in drama. Unfortunately, Hollywood only knows one about Italians.ITEM: Italian-American sports writer Mike Lopresti (USA Today) demonsrrated the sad stateof his ethnic pride during the Italy-Bulgaria soccer match during the World Cup. "The Meadowlandswas crammed with Italian partisans from the top row down to field level, and even lower ifyou count Jimmy Hoffa."COMMENT: A vowel does not an Italian make. Hoffa is no more Italian than O'Hara orAgassi. But beside that. Mikey ( cafone that he is) should have editors to wipe his butt occasionally.Obviously, the editors don't bother to read his tripe.The Italic Way ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;22;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;iiiiiiiOiiiii;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;xxn.;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;:1994
Media MadnessITEM: New York's District Attorney busts an Italian bread racket and gets front pagetreaunent from the New York Times (July 14, 1994).COMMENT: Atacosttothetaxpayersofatleast$100,000justtosetupadummyItalian bakery (not to mention the salaries of D A office personnel and overhead), NewYork's courageous lawman Robert Morganthau claims to have saved consumers 5¢ onevery loaf purchased. Besides, he collared half a dozen social undesirables with vowelsat the end of their names. Is this the stuff of movies or what?ITEM: Long Island Newsday's Italian-American food critic tours Sicily and reports thatit is indeed the land of the lesser breed.COMMENT: The critic, Rita Giordano, is ofNorthem Italian extraction and took greatpains to remind herself and her readers that "nobiliry coursed through her pasL .. The word"chaos" is used as frequently as the word "Mafia" to darken her portrait of the island. ''Why"she wondered, "do so many [Sicilian] men have scars? Even the watermelon man lookedmenacing brandishing a knife." Oh well, she no doubt was looking ro show her Irish-Americanhusband that she was quite different from southern rabble.----------------------ITEM: The New York Times reader Vincent Tortora blew the whistle on shoddyreporting by that newspaper concerning Italian economic data One factoid The Timesprinted was thatltaly hada ''galloping trade deficit" when itwas actually an $18.7 billion~· It was, apparently, a typically negative news article based on "uaditional"media perceptions.COMMENT: Every newspaper and magazine, including The Italic Way, makesfactual errors sometimes. But when the sacred New York Times reports Italian economicstatistics so out of whack that they are completely the opposite, maybe it's time that someTimes staff members come to grips with their preconceived notions of Italy. Wereported Italy's trade position in our last issue and somehow got it right.ITEM: Uncle John' sBathroomReaderstatesunequivocally that explorer Amerigo Vespucci wasa fraud who never sailed to the New World and got the continents named after him by an Italianmapmaker.COMMENT: This may knock the reader off his seat but the mapma.ker in real history was aGerman. And historians no longer doubt that Vespucci did what was credited to him, namely fourvoyages to the New World and proclaiming it new continents rather than the Indies.ITEM: Atlantic City's Showboat Casino features a good old-fashioned "Italian'' organgrinder in their Mississippi River atmosphere.COMMENT: Now that Aunt Jemina has a slim and modem look and Sambo lawndecorations are out, why not conjure up the old Eastside of New York? Forget the historicinconsistencies. The Showboat doesn't want to offend multi-culturalism.
- Page 2: UEUIEA6ARESUPPRESSIONSYSl!MSASSOCIA
- Page 8 and 9: lflTTHEROAD,JACQUESFollowing in the
- Page 10 and 11: EditorialAN ACT OF ATONEMENTNow tha
- Page 12 and 13: (718) 858-5525Lie. #481583FAX (718)
- Page 14 and 15: FocusEnemies of the Stateby Robert
- Page 16 and 17: ~- _,g~ _ _,......-t..~_.:;---,~was
- Page 18 and 19: Harry WarrenGreat American Composer
- Page 20 and 21: THE ITALIC WAY Rate Card(number o f
- Page 22 and 23: NIGHT TIME IS • TIMEFor All Of Yo
- Page 26 and 27: News of the InstituteYOUTH PROGRAM
- Page 28 and 29: "SECURITY BY LAW ENFORCEMENT PROFES
- Page 30 and 31: Warren (continued from p.17)Warren'
Media MadnessITEM: New York's District Attorney busts an Italian bread racket and gets front pagetreaunent from the New York Times (July 14, 1994).COMMENT: Atacosttothetaxpayers<strong>of</strong>atleast$100,000justtosetupadummyItalian bakery (not to mention the salaries <strong>of</strong> D A <strong>of</strong>fice personnel and overhead), NewYork's courageous lawman Robert Morganthau claims to have saved consumers 5¢ onevery loaf purchased. Besides, he collared half a dozen social undesirables with vowelsat the end <strong>of</strong> their names. Is this the stuff <strong>of</strong> movies or what?ITEM: Long Island Newsday's Italian-<strong>America</strong>n food critic tours Sicily and reports thatit is indeed the land <strong>of</strong> the lesser breed.COMMENT: The critic, Rita Giordano, is <strong>of</strong>Northem Italian extraction and took greatpains to remind herself and her readers that "nobiliry coursed through her pasL .. The word"chaos" is used as frequently as the word "Mafia" to darken her portrait <strong>of</strong> the island. ''Why"she wondered, "do so many [Sicilian] men have scars? Even the watermelon man lookedmenacing brandishing a knife." Oh well, she no doubt was looking ro show her Irish-<strong>America</strong>nhusband that she was quite different from southern rabble.----------------------ITEM: The New York Times reader Vincent Tortora blew the whistle on shoddyreporting by that newspaper concerning Italian economic data One factoid The Timesprinted was thatltaly hada ''galloping trade deficit" when itwas actually an $18.7 billion~· It was, apparently, a typically negative news article based on "uaditional"media perceptions.COMMENT: Every newspaper and magazine, including The <strong>Italic</strong> Way, makesfactual errors sometimes. But when the sacred New York Times reports Italian economicstatistics so out <strong>of</strong> whack that they are completely the opposite, maybe it's time that someTimes staff members come to grips with their preconceived notions <strong>of</strong> Italy. Wereported Italy's trade position in our last issue and somehow got it right.ITEM: Uncle John' sBathroomReaderstatesunequivocally that explorer Amerigo Vespucci wasa fraud who never sailed to the New World and got the continents named after him by an Italianmapmaker.COMMENT: This may knock the reader <strong>of</strong>f his seat but the mapma.ker in real history was aGerman. And historians no longer doubt that Vespucci did what was credited to him, namely fourvoyages to the New World and proclaiming it new continents rather than the Indies.ITEM: Atlantic City's Showboat Casino features a good old-fashioned "Italian'' organgrinder in their Mississippi River atmosphere.COMMENT: Now that Aunt Jemina has a slim and modem look and Sambo lawndecorations are out, why not conjure up the old Eastside <strong>of</strong> New York? Forget the historicinconsistencies. The Showboat doesn't want to <strong>of</strong>fend multi-culturalism.
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