No, We're Not That Family (Italian-Americans mad at Olive Garden)

Opnionjournal ^ | July 26, 2002 | Victorino Matus

[stands2reason]

Italian-Americans have a problem, and it's not "The Sopranos."

Italian-Americans are speaking out. They are complaining about a stereotype they just can't stand. One that they find inaccurate and misleading. One that is constantly shown on television, much to their disgust. They are unhappy. They are at their wit's end. They are fed up.

[jjm2111]

Yeah, most people don't know the difference between northern and sourthern italian food. And there is quite a difference. But most Italian immigrants to this country were from the third-worldesque South. Hence the preponderence of Southern italian food even in good restaurants.

[jjm2111]

LOL!

[CatoRenasci]

But most Italian immigrants to this country were from the third-worldesque South.

In my youth, I knew an elderly Milanese count who also had properties in the South. His comment on southern Italy was: Africa starts at the Appian gate.

[RepubMommy]

live in NJ and I'm an Italian-American and I don't know a signle wop who frequents the Olive Garden. My friends who aren't Italian love to go there, but the food is so bland and mediocre it isn't funn

Yep, Italian and in jersey here also, and I have never eaten there. We have too many fine Italian eateries available to us then to waste money there. I don't have an opinion on the commericals one way or the other, but my initial impression wasn't that I found it offensive. It takes more then that to offend me.

[RepubMommy]

LOL, deja vu? I told you their food stinks.

[Xenalyte]

I'm half raghead from my dad's side, and the other half is central Kentucky trailer trash that could easily appear on Springer. Everybody's dogging my ass.

Oh, my Lord, what are Thanksgiving arguments like at your house?

[Xenalyte]

You forgot Famous Jewish Sports Heroes!

[ZULU]

Hey jerk, I guess you ARE a WOP.

Me, I'm just a third generation American who had ancestors that came from Italy and other parts of Europe. They were Italians, Germans, etc. But you, you're jsut an ignorant WOP who likes to denigrate his own ancestry.

Grow up, jerk.

[ZULU]

Hey jerk, I guess you ARE a WOP.

Me, I'm just a third generation American who had ancestors that came from Italy and other parts of Europe. They were Italians, Germans, etc. But you, you're jsut an ignorant WOP who likes to denigrate his own ancestry.

Grow up, jerk.

[ZULU]

Yeah, like all those Irishmen who celebrate being Irish or part Irish and give their kids such all American names as Sean, Colleen, etc.

Some of my ancestors came from Italy, some from other places. I consider myself an American - PERIOD. And I probably know more about American history than you do, and I can build and shoot a flintlock rifle just like Daniel Boone, so maybe that makes me even more of an American than you are.

Americans of Italian background have taken more bull than any other European ehtnic group except perhaps the equally picked upon Poles. Nobody would dare to make jokes about blacks or hispanics or Asians in the major media or entertainment industry the way they joke about people of Italian ancestry.

In some cases this is deserved, as there are more than enough ignorant Americans of Italian extraction like one of the posters on this subject who refers to himself as a "WOP". The only WOP around here, to paraphrase a quote from "Glory" is him.

[twigs]

The food is HORRID!

I think it depends on which Olive Garden. My husband's first wife was Italian and he loves good Italian food and really likes Olive Garden. His in-laws who are really Italian actually order their food from OG in quantity at times when they are unable to make everything for their big parties. OTOH, I have eaten at several that were dreadful. But you can't indict the entire chain.

[SoothingDave]

I seldom dine out, and when I do, it is usually on trips to cities like New York or DC or Toronto, where there is a great selection of "authentic" restaurants. Alas, there are comparatively few of these here in Pittsburgh.

You're kidding, right? I'm sure there aren't as many Italian restaurants in Pittsburgh versus NYC, but it isn't that difficult to find a decent meal. Go to Bloomfield, for starters.

SD

[jjm2111]

I guess you're some loser with a really thin skin who doesn't understand the concept of humor.

"Me, I'm just a third generation American who had ancestors that came from Italy and other parts of Europe. They were Italians, Germans, etc. " Whoop-dee-doo. What do you want, a lollipop?

"But you, you're jsut [sic] an ignorant WOP who likes to denigrate his own ancestry. " Wrong, crystal ball boy. I'm proud of my ancestry. The fact I can criticize the sillier aspects of my heritage shows I don't have self-esteem problems, unlike you.

If you don't like my humor you can always go join that dopey society that wastes oxygen complaining how Italians are maltreated in the press.

[jjm2111]

You're right. I forget the Italian word for it (it's slang), but most Northen Italians sneer at Southerners and refer to them as "Africans" Sicily is known as "Africa".

Northern Italians are tall and fair compared to the swarthier South. Southern Italians are such a mix. Arabs, Africans, Europeans, Semites from the Lebanon area. It was the melting pot of the middle ages and renniasance [sp?].

Did you grow up in Italy?

[ZULU]

"I guess you're some loser with a really thin skin who doesn't understand the concept of humor."

"WOP" is no funnier than "Nigger" or "Spic" or "Kraut" or "Pollock" or "Mick" or "Chink", idiot, or I guess you're too ignorant to realize that.

"Me, I'm just a third generation American who had ancestors that came from Italy and other parts of Europe. They were Italians, Germans, etc. " Whoop-dee-doo. What do you want, a lollipop?"

I don't want anything from any lowlife jerk who lacks any sense of respect for his own background.

"But you, you're jsut [sic] an ignorant WOP who likes to denigrate his own ancestry. " Wrong, crystal ball boy. I'm proud of my ancestry. The fact I can criticize the sillier aspects of my heritage shows I don't have self-esteem problems, unlike you."

I don't have self-esteem problems. I'm proud of being an American and proud of my ancestry. Nor do I have need to critize my own ancestry, or anyone else's for that matter. If you fancy yourself proud of your ancestry while employing such a vile derogatory term, you exemplify the height of stupidty.

"If you don't like my humor you can always go join that dopey society that wastes oxygen complaining how Italians are maltreated in the press."

No, I don't like your humor, Jerk. If there were less low-bred fools like you around, many be organizations like the one you are referring to would have less to complain about.

[McLynnan]

LOL! In my part of Central Texas Olive Garden does a great business, but we know TexMex better than we know Italian. I will tell you this -- ChiChi's is NOT TexMex.

[jjm2111]

Ok, dimwit. I'm sorry that you were put through too many sensitivity training classes in high school. Are you even out of high school? Most older folks don't get so worked up. You won't survive long in this world if you get so flustered over a silly word. If this is indictative of how you handle stress, I don't know what any serious sort of situation might do to you. BTW, I didn't call YOU a wop. You attacked me, called me names, and made all sorts of assumptions about my intelligence. I'm sorry my brand of humor offends you. Tough. Deal with it. You'll have to put up with worse indignities in life than my joking about my OWN, Goddamit, heritage. The funniest thing about this whole exchanges, it you get mad at me for calling myself a wop, while in the same breath you call me "low-bred" and a "jerk." Which is it? Either you're for total politeness, or you're not. Make up your mind.

[jjm2111]

Polish food is GOOD. So is Czech food. Mmmmmmm. You're making me hungry.

[ZULU]

"Ok, dimwit. I'm sorry that you were put through too many sensitivity training classes in high school."

I never received any "sensitivity training" classes in high school, nor do I need any in order to exercize some basic common sense, an attribute you obviously lack. As to observations about my own intellect, I hardly need to rely on your limited judgement.

"Are you even out of high school? Most older folks don't get so worked up."

At 56, I'm a lot older than you are, I'm sure. Also, I hold several college degrees.

"You won't survive long in this world if you get so flustered over a silly word."

Words, sir, can be employed as weapons, as anyone who posts to this forum is well aware. As to my survivability, my age can attest to that.

"If this is indictative of how you handle stress, I don't know what any serious sort of situation might do to you."

Actually, I handle stress quite well. I'm not so sure you do.

"BTW, I didn't call YOU a wop. You attacked me, called me names, and made all sorts of assumptions about my intelligence."

Assumptions about your level of intelligence are best left to those who observe your employment of self-deprecating terms so casually. The fact that your use of that derogatory term was employed in a general rather than a personal sense makes it no less offensive.

"I'm sorry my brand of humor offends you. Tough. Deal with it. You'll have to put up with worse indignities in life than my joking about my OWN, Goddamit, heritage."

You will have to put with up with your own brand of humor more often than I. When people laugh at your "humor" you'll never know if they are laughing with you or at you. Unfortunately for the rest of us, "your" heritage is not exclusively your own.

"The funniest thing about this whole exchanges, it(sic) you get mad at me for calling myself a wop, while in the same breath you call me "low-bred" and a "jerk." Which is it? Either you're for total politeness, or you're not. Make up your mind."

Perhaps my language was a bit strong, but hardly less so than the derogatory term you employed so casually.