‘Saturday Night Fever’ is Hollywood’s Greatest Insult to Italian-Americans

New York Post ^ | December 16, | Steve Cuozzo

[nickcarraway]

I’ve hated “Saturday Night Fever” since the first time I saw it in 1977. It’s the only Hollywood movie that offends me as an Italian-American. Sure, it’s “iconic” — but that debased term is now used for every pizza joint that closed because of a rent hike.

I admit that I love the pulse-pounding opening sequence where John Travolta prances under the 86th Street tracks in Bensonhurst to the beat of the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive.” Who doesn’t? But the next 116 minutes make my blood boil.

Movies about Mafia gangsters, which some Italian-Americans grumble about, rarely bother me. The Mafia was and is a real thing. Some Mafia movies are cinematic masterpieces.

[Vision Thing]

Side-splitting lol!

Hey, Steve Cuozzo, whas' a matter, you? Gotta no respect!

[Vision Thing]

One of the greatest scenes in The Untouchables (which is filled with great scenes) was when Sean Connery tested Andy Garcia’s character to see if he would defend his Italianness. Andy Garcia passed the test resoundingly. That’a how every ethnic group should behave: defend yourselves! Whites are way overdue on this against blm.

[Salamander]

My Sicilian ol’ man grew up on Federal Hill in Providence RI, in the 50s.

Saturday night was alright for fightin’.

[Salamander]

Alice loves disco....

[Fiji Hill]

During the 1975-1979 period, The Bee Gees pretty much ruled radio. Especially in 1978. You could not get away from them. They even wrote massive hit songs for other artists such as Yvonne Elliman and Tavares. And the Andy Gibb hits were pretty much Bee Gees songs.

Believe it or not, these are the same Bee Gees:

New York Mining Disaster, 1941 (1967)

Holiday (1967)

Massachusetts (1967)

[Gigantor]

I am of the exact generation depicted in Saturday Night Fever, living in Bensonhurst and going to school in Bay Ridge. I was at ground zero when the disco crazr took over in New York City - the author of this piece claims to be from some ‘neighborhood’ in Brooklyn called Ocean Hill?

If someone showed up in either Bensonhurst or Nay Ridge claimninbg to be from somewhere called ‘Ocean Hill’ in Brooklyn, both the Italians and the Puerto Ricans would call a truce just to kick his a$$ out of the neighborhood.

The guys in my corner of Brooklyn were precisely depicted in that movie—it’s like “Animal House” where everyone who’s seen the film recognizes college classmates, except in Saturday Night Fever I see every friend I had in Bensonhurst.

Ocean Hill? LOL

[AnotherUnixGeek]

As a kid in the '70s, I of course remember the soundtrack for "Saturday Night Fever". I was too young and too disinterested to try to get into a theater to see one of the Sweathogs from "Welcome Back Kotter" dancing, but you couldn't get away from the Bee Gees, KC and the Sunshine Band and Yvonne Elliman anywhere - school, malls, homes - they'd all be playing that disco stuff.

I hated the music then, but now it reminds me of being a kid, so it's got nostalgia value. I saw the movie years later - I remember I thought it was terrible but other than that I can't remember anything about it - not a memorable film.

[Fiji Hill]

Tu Vuò Fà L'Americano--Renato Carosone (1956)

Tu vuò fa l' americano...
se bevi whisky and soda...
Tu abballe 'o roccorol
tu giochi al baseball
ma 'e solde pe' Camel...

(You want to act American...
You drink whiskey and soda...
You dance to rock and roll
You play baseball
You smoke Camels...)

[dfwgator]

All I can say is, Thank God for Steve Dahl....

[elcid1970]

Whassamatta fo’ you? Hey, you try our new-a product, we calla it Pope-on-a-Rope.

- Fr. Guido Sarducci

;^)

[ontap]

I don’t know many Italians but the ones I know weren’t offended by SNF and actually laugh off most references to the Mafia.

[Vision]

This writer is ridiculous. "I don't care about portraying Italians as psychotic criminals, but don't make us look stupid."

Saturday Night Fever is just a silly movie. If anything be offended by the mafia movies. Real Italians hate the mafia as any decent person should.

[Cvengr]

On nice thing about Italians before Saturday Night Fever, ...they didn’t tolerate finocchio in their midst.

[ThePatriotsFlag]

What BS

[God luvs America]

i actually think it was the soprano’s...

[T-Bone Texan]

I miss Father Guido Sarducci.

He also wrote the Lazlo Letters, which were pretty funny to a 13 year old.

[1217Chic]

I love that movie!!!!

[SamAdams76]

That was a nice era for the Bee Gees. Another song from them around that time is “First of May” - which is definitely a lost gem. Despite the title, it’s in my Christmas playlist as it has a Christmas vibe to it.

[MayflowerMadam]

I love that movie — and the music. I also love Italian Americans. Should I be conflicted? ;)

[AppyPappy]

I had a college roommate in 1980 who was from the Bronx. He claimed SNF was a documentary. When the Godfather came out, every Italian was connected. When SNF came out, every Italian was king of the Disco.

He got into Studio 54 one time and swore he got the Clap from a urinal :)