A "normal" pizza is a flatbread dough, covered in tomato sauce or tomatoes and cheese ( usually mozzerella ), some olive oil sprinkled on it, and baked. Sometimes pepperoni, Italian sausage bits, onions, mushrooms, or combinations of such, ad added to the toppings.
The crust varies from extremely thin to a bit thicker, depending upon where in Italy it originated.
Chicago "deep dish" pizza is a VERY recent, AMERICAN invention and NOT for real pizza...though a whole lot closer to it, than the California thought up BBQ chicken "pizza" etc. and the abortion that tops this thread.
You’re right.
Most Americans have no idea what pizza in Italy is like.
One Italian critic said the deep dish is more like lasagna than pizza.
I grew up eating home made sicilian and mainland pies that my grandmothers made, and my mother. Both grandmas from Italy/Sicily.
They wouldn’t take this stuff seriously at all.
But if you (not nopardons) guys like it, enjoy it. What can I say? But it ain’t pizza.