How Did He Get The Crown?
link Jersey Shore Italy Trip — Italian Group FURIOUS! | TMZ.com.
Unflattering to be sure. It’s hard enough to dispel all the stereotypical depictions of Italians in film and entertainment through the years as being goombas, guidos and mobsters. Now, on the TV show Jersey Shore, even more cartoonish portrayals of Italian/Americans are served up and consumed by an apparently mesmerized public. With a planned trip to Italy in the works, Italian American groups are now up in arms about the depictions of their culture. I have never seen the show, but based on snippets in the news and pop entertainment pieces, it is obvious that the behavior of such characters as Snooki and The Situation are played up to cartoonish levels for ratings. No self respecting person wants to have their heritage mocked and derided unless it is obvious satire. With that being said, it’s unlikely most rational people would confuse the portrayal of the characters in the show with Italian Americans in real life. There are enough successful Italians out there in all walks of life that Jersey Shore characters are taken for what they are, entertainment.
Following this theme, it is amusing to observe the constant stream of inane blather that passes for comment from the Reverend Al Sharpton. It’s unclear to me how the Reverend can still pretend to fly the banner for the African American population. Is it the fault of the media for allowing him a platform to pontificate on every issue? Do they think that Reverend Al represents any constituency other than his own gang of race baiters? As said here before, he would find white lines on black road to be racist in some way. Recently, conservative personalities Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin made laudatory comments about Dr. Martin Luther King honoring his principles and life’s work. Rather than affirm the comments of the ‘enemy’, Reverend Al decided that they were trying to steal ‘our crown’ referring I suppose to fact that Dr. King was a black person and that his struggles belonged solely to people of color. No one seems to see the irony of Sharpton making divisive claims about people who are trying to be inclusive! Where are the groups representing African Americans disavowing Sharpton for his cartoonish depictions of them?
Why aren’t the views of Bill Cosby, or Allan West or even Oprah sought out on any given topic? The constituency of black people in the U.S. is estimated at 13% of the 300 million plus population, making the total about 39 million people. Why aren’t people more indignant about the obtuse ramblings of Reverend Al, who purportedly represents them? It’s unlikely that African Americans view all issues that affect them through the prism of race as portrayed by Sharpton. It’s a safe bet that Sharpton no more represents the views of black people than the genius Bill Mahar represents the views of whites. Like Italian Americans discussed at the top, most black people probably lead normal lives doing normal things, assimilating with the population in general, successfully or unsuccessfully as the case may be. They don’t need Reverend Al to portray them all as oppressed victims struggling to get a share of the American dream. Does no one find him an embarrassment? At the very least, media outlets should air a disclaimer when he is interviewed indicating that the views are for entertainment only and not to be taken without a responsible adult present.