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Enough
is Enough!
A reply to Rev. Andrew Greeley article on the Sopranos by Il Pensiero columnist Vito Tamboli ...and its consequences. |
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Editor
Note: The Reverend Andrew Greeley wrote the article on the Chicago
Sun Times on February 1, 2002 and was reported in The
Annotico Report the same day. Subsequently, Marianne Peri Sack,
English Editor of Il Pensiero reprinted the same article in
the February 7 issue of Il Pensiero. Vito Tamboli, a columnist of
the same paper handled the subject in his column in the February 22 issue.
We are reprinting Mr. Tamboli's article below. For the original Rev.
Greeley article please clic on the Annotico Report link above. Following
Mr. Tamboli's article below we are reprinting comments from leading Italian-Americans
throughout the nation. It is impossible to maintain the various threads
of the messages received and we are simply printing all messages in the
cronological order we received them.
Enough is Enough!
In a recent issue of Il Pensiero my wonderful colleague Marianne Peri Sack discussed a letter the Reverend Andrew Greeley wrote to the Chicago Sun Times about a popular television show, The Sopranos! Greeley is a
writer, sociologist and a Catholic priest. He is strong1y against any hint
of defamation by anyone against anyone. He says in his letter...”...at
the start of the last century a congressional commission argued for immigration
restrictions on the grounds that...Italians were “innate” criminals (and
the Poles were not intelligent enough to become American and the Irish
drank too much.) It would seem that the Italian stereotype
We as Italo-Americans are consumed by it. There never seems to be a day that passes when something or somebody brings up the defaming of our proud heritage. Why, even organizations like NIAF, the National Italian American Federation has an anti-defamation unit to combat such activity. Yet, we seem to thrive in our anger, our vitriolic fervor and our seething righteousness. But no matter what we do to combat such activities and such programs and The Sopranos, defamation continues. Frankly, from a personal view, I really don’t care about all of the commotion. It does no good! Nobody, absolutely nobody is going to stop defaming we Italo-Americans until we do some thing positive to stop it! And, the way to stop it is to ignore it. Prejudice, ridicule, defaming stops when it is ignored. Because, ignorance cannot thrive in a bed of intelligence, and defamation cannot prosper in a sea of indifference. One has to react and seethe for defamation to thrive. One has to be infuriated and bellowing for defamers to prosper. We as Italo- Americans have wonderful histories and magnificent role models to fill us with pride. Both contemporary and historical figures with Italian heritage flow through the pages of American history from it’s inception to the present time. You want to talk about John Gotti! Let’ counter with Antonin Scalia and Anthony Fauci among so many others. You want to talk about Al Capone! Let’s counter with Fiorello LaGuardia and Enrico Fermi among so many others. Let’s let the Sopranos run their course and ignore the show and HBO. They will get the message. Anti-defamation to my way of thinking can be as detrimental as it is worthwhile. We must learn not to evoke displeasure without causing more notoriety and fall-out than necessary. As for me, I’m a baritone!
3/14/02 VITO, YOU HAVE WRITTEN ONE OF THE BEST ARTICLES, IN MY LONG STANDING OPINION, OF ALL YOU HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE PENSIERO. IN EXPRESSING MY VIEW OF THIS ISSUE TO MANY ITALIAN-AMERICANS, HAS BEEN LIKE WHISTLING AGAINST THE WIND. YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD. BRAVO!!!!!!!! BUON FATTO!!!!!
3/15/02 To: Manny Alfano Dear Manny, Per your conversation with
fellow Unican Marianne Peri Sack I am sending you an article written by
a columnist of our local by-monthly newspaper, Il Pensiero. Mr. Tamboli
also heads the local Federation of Italian-American organizations.
It goes without saying that beyond the first two paragraphs I take issue
with Mr. Tamboli statements. Do nothing and it will go away.
How typical of many of our people...
[Franco@ItalyStl.com]
3/16/02 Mr. Tamboli's song? WILL THE REAL MR. TAMBOLI PLEASE STAND UP? Mr. Tamboli's "Enough is Enough!" left me a bit confused. At the end of the article, Mr. Tamboli states, "As for me, I'm a baritone!" Yet, when I read the article regarding his advocacy for not speaking up against negative stereotyping of Italian-Americans, such as in The Sopranos, I found rather than Mr. Tamboli singing in a self-proclaimed baritone voice, his advice sounded more like the song of the castrati. In the 16th century, Pope Clement VIII, favored the use of castrati in choirs and individual singers, so he looked the other way while the singing masters castrated young Italian boys who had just found their voices, so their voices could not fully develop. Mr. Tamboli's article seems to be advocating this loathsome castrati practice for the whole of the Italian-American Community by our not fully voicing our rightful concerns of what a toll negative stereotyping has taken on the reputation of Italian-Americans and will continue to take on our good names ending in a vowel or that of our children: "Let's let The Sopranos run their course and ignore the show and HBO." Unfortunately, as Edmund Burke sadly predicted, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." Thus, for the evil of negative stereotyping of Italians to triumph, all we have to do is to become castrati or as Mr. Burke observed, for good men to do nothing. This seems to be the cowardly or il castrato's way out, whereby we sit passively and mutely by, while our own, with Judas tendencies, sell out each of us and our proud heritage for the almighty dollar, by producing such schlock as The Sopranos. Thus, all that our ancestors accomplished, be they the humble, hardworking Italian- American brick maker or the famous farsighted Italian who discovered America or the Italian luminary who lit up the world with the radio, will be stupidly lumped in with the Mafia by the ignorant and bigoted as just more Italian vile, venal, and violent behavior. The ignorant and bigoted love scapegoating and we seem to be their favorite scapegoats of late. Neither the humble Italian-American brick maker nor our famous Italian luminaries were emasculated capons, so why should any of us start to be so now, no matter how such tripe as The Sopranos seeks to portray us? If negative stereotyping is such a harmless practice, then let it be laid at the door of another group of people. On the whole we did nothing to deserve being tarred by such a broad brush, so why should we be lumped in with what only 14/100th of one percent of our Italian-American Community does for a living? 99 and 86/100ths percent of Italian-Americans make their living the old fashion way; we earn it through hard work and honest living, not by organized crime activities as we are normally portrayed. No, while Mr. Tomboli can masquerade as a baritone, while singing the emasculated song of il castrato, I think I'll live by the old, sage Italian advice, "Better to live one day as a lion, than all your days as a lamb." How about you, my Italian genetic brother and sister, what will your song be, a roar or a whimper, or worse yet, silence, in the face of this despicable, long standing plague of negative stereotyping of Italians and Italian-Americans, via The Sopranos, Godfather I, II, III, ad nauseam?
Bob Miriani
3/18/02 Sorry Mr. Giannotti, I agree with the article. He does not say do nothing. He says the more you react to negative comments the more negative comments you generate.. I agree! Pick your stands carefully on issues that really count. If not, you are whining in the wilderness. He also says to speak out by offering alternatives. I read that to mean educate the public about the good things IAs have done and do. Don't run negative campaigns. Run positive ones. Cassandra Vivian [cass@telerama.com]
3/18/02 Dear Ms. Vivian,
Franco Giannotti
3/18/02 Ms. Vivian states:
And please, stop being so negative about our attempts to stop "Negativism". Richard Annotico
3/18/02 Problem with attacking the Sopranos is that there are quite a few prominent, successful unimpeachably legit Italian-Americans (and millions more obscure ones) who have expressed their admiration for the show. It's hard to make a convincing case to the public at large that Rudy Giuliani, for instance, has somehow grown to love a show that defames and damages him, his family and his unborn grandchildren, or (worse) that he doesn't even realize the show is hurting him. The fight over the pros and cons and most cosmic meanings of The Sopranos is a battle that must first be fought among I-As. But that's not going to happen until the antidefamation gang begins to address in an open-minded and intellectually fearless way how and why such gangster narratives come to exist and persist. Once you get beyond the Sopranos the war seems to be directed against defamation by teddy bear and tv commercial. Who wants to serve in that army? bill tonelli <bill.tonelli@rollingstone.com>
3/18/02 Not suprisingly, again I
disagree with Mr. Tonelli's position. The fact that there is not a unanimous
IA position against The Soprano's, or even that arguably a large segment
of IAs might admire it, and even some IAs of prominence, is neither a sufficient
or logical argument on behalf of the merits of that TV show, or a reason
to declare a unilateral cease
At one time Mussolini and Fascism claimed a similar level of support. I hope to see a similar fate for Chase and The Sopranos, and a similar degree of ultimate regret and embarrassment for those who now support them. [;-) I agree that ONE of the battles to be fought is for the hearts and minds of IAs, but contrary to his position, it is NOT a battle to be fought SOLELY among IAs. The battle must be fought PRIMARILY against the PERPETRATORS, and as more of the community is "informed" and "educated", and shown the merit of the "Activist's" position, and shown that victories can be won, more will be recruited to "The Cause". Most causes, and even the grandest of causes, whether they be for abolition of slavery, or women's equality, did not start with a "consensus" of the victims. I am also reminded that Garibaldi did not wait for unanimous consent, or even a popular mandate, but started with a mere 1000 men in the battle to unite Italy. And he too was "reviled" in his time, by his "lessers," and was forced to flee the peninsula no less than four times, and was condemned to death twice. I unequivocally disagree that "the antidefamation 'gang' [first] begin(s) to address... [the] how and why such gangster narratives come to exist and persist". When someone is "attacking" me, I am NOT first going to try to understand the reasons for their belligerency, and explore their psyche. I am going to FIRST render them immobile, THEN we can perhaps discuss their dysfunctional behavior. I understand that journalists are enamored of "talking heads". I, however, would like to consider myself more practical. I suggest: determine the problem. identify the solution. Implement !!!!! One wonders why some people spend so much time, telling other people how NOT to spend their time. If you can not yet see the merit of our cause, despite the concurrence of all the major Italian American Organizations, and the studies, and the surveys, and the psychologists reports, aside from common sense, then ignore us, and spend your time doing something you think is productive for the IA community, rather than just being knee-jerk contrarian! Richard Annotico
3/18/02 Every Italian American must read this! Manny Alfano
Identity Crisis: Stereotypes Stifle Self-Development Joseph Giordano There is hardly an ethnic group in American society that doesn't feel maligned by the media. Although analysis of the media's limited viewpoint often focuses on racial minorities, white ethics and national minorities also resent stereotyped, negative or unbalanced portrayals. What the media that perpetrate them choose to ignore is the extent to which ethnic consciousness shapes individual identity. Mass media practitioners. particularly, find it easy to forget their viewers' history as children and grandchildren of immigrants. They fail to realize how this immigrant heritage becomes a sharper of values and attitudes that are transmitted through generations and continue as vital forces in their descendants' lives. This tendency reflects our new understanding of the role this history plays in identity. In fact, research in the field of mental health confirms a deep psychological need for a sense of peoplehood, for historical continuity. Our ethnicity often plays a major role in determining how we feel about ourselves, how we work, how we play, how we celebrate holidays and rituals, how we feel about life, death, and illness. As a reflector of society's values, the media have a tremendous impact on the shaping of our personal and group identities. Radio, television, films, newspapers, magazines and comics can convey the rich texture of a pluralistic society or they can, directly or indirectly (by omission and distortion), alter our perceptions of other ethnic groups and reinforce our defensiveness and ambivalence about our own cultural backgrounds. As an Italian-American, I've realized this myself when comparing the ethnic invisibility of '50s television with modern shows that concentrate on Mafia hit men and multiple biographies of Mussolini. Having squirmed as I watch some of these portrayals, I can empathize with Arabs who resent being characterized as villainous sheikhs, Jews seen as mendacious moguls or even the current vogue for matching a Russian accent with a kind of oafish villainy. Although such stereotypes may or may not serve political ends, they share the cartoonlike isolation of a few traits that ignore the humanity and variety of a group's members. What is the impact of ethnic stereotypes on TV and in film on how people feel about themselves and how they perceive other ethnic groups? Although research in this area is limited, what is available suggests that TV and film's portrayal of ethics does have a deleterious effect on perceptions of self and others. In my own clinical work, I have found that minority children and adults will often internalize negative stereotypes about their own group. Other studies have shown that ethnic stereotypes on television and in the movies can contribute to prejudice against a particular group - especially when the person is not acquainted with any members of that group. For example, in one study of television fiction, both white and black children indicated fairly high levels of acceptance that what they were viewing was like "real life," including stereotypes about their own ethnic groups. Teaching Prejudice In studies of youngsters who commit hate acts - desecration of religious institutions, racial and anti-Semitic indigents - many youngsters apprehended reported they got the idea of performing vandalism from news coverage of similar acts (the copy cat syndrome). They saw media coverage as conferring recognition and prestige, temporarily raising their low self esteem. Add to TV fiction and news the rash of "truly tasteless" joke books, radio call-in shows that invite bigoted calls from listeners, late-night TV hosts and comedians who denigrate ethnic groups, and the impact on peoples' perceptions is considerable. While the media cannot be blamed for creating the bigotry, their insensitive comments establishes a societal norm that gives license to such attitudes and behavior. An important cause of distorted and damaging TV stereotypes is the tendency of some media executives to view ethnic culture as an "immigrant phenomenon," a transitional phase in the process of Americanization rather than a continuing influence on people's language, religious lives, arts, politics, food preferences and so on. Except for a colorful parade here and a human-interest story there, even ethnic news is sometimes suspect - "parochial" or "divisive," an encouragement of the nation's "balkanization." The media often fail to see that for many Americans, ethnic and religious traditions are still powerful influences. At times, these traditions conflict with surrounding values, but they are also sources of strength and understanding. How they work in second-, third-, and fourth-generation families can provide a rich store of story ideas and authentic characterizations for writers, directors, and actors. Becoming Real What, then, do ethnic Americans want? Just accurate portrayals of our lives. "Feedback" to us of a sense of pride in who we are. Appreciation of our special sadness, joys, achievements, faults, humor, the diversity of our lifestyles and the common experiences that bind all Americans together as human beings. And what can ethnic groups do to make the media more culturally sensitive? To begin with, go beyond complaining and work more closely with media executives and the creative community. Applaud the industry when it presents high-quality, culturally authentic programs. Urge media people to use such resources on the ethnic experience as good novels, plays, short stories, magazine articles, newspaper stories. Of course, some stereotyping
is unavoidable in a simplified media like television and ethnic groups
should understand that. But the media should also stop relying on these
old negative caricatures. When ethnic groups ask for a balanced presentation
in programs that reach millions of Americans, they are certainly not trying
to censor the media. They only want to be shown as they are - not better,
but surely not worse.
3/19/02 Sent to "Il Pensiero" Although I initially considered taking Mr. Tamboli's advice by ignoring a problem (and thereby have it simply "go away"), I've decided to address it directly instead. In this case, the problem is Tambuli himself, and his cock-eyed recommendations regarding how we should handle the anti-Italian climate that has been so pervasive in American pop culture for the last several decades. By his bizarre logic, the Civil Rights movement was not necessary...why waste time with all those marches and demonstrations, and sit-ins, and legislation? African Americans should have simply ignored all of the discrimination, and it would have "gone away", right? This man is writing quicker than he's thinking. D.Fiore
3/19/02 Dear Editor For too long Italian Americans have been portrayed by the media as the lowest of the low, as bums, buffoons, bigots and bimbos and in very few positive roles or programs. Now that we are finally seeing Italian Americans coming together and speaking out with one united voice. We are faced with individuals that feel we have gone too far. Those proud Italian Americans that speak out are labeled whiners and radicals by Italian Americans that neither understand the severity or they just plan don't care. Those of us that have been asking that Italian Americans be treated fairly by the media are starting to see changes directly or indirectly due to the fruits of our labor. This is evident in televisions shows such as "That's Life," "Family Law," and "First Monday." Offensive commercials and programs such as AT&T Broadband, Katharine Gibbs College, American Way, American Airlines' in-fight magazine, T.G.I.Friday "Moofia" game were some of negative programs that were pulled. And now we're told to stop, "Enough is enough?" Stress the positive! We must always stress the positive, but stressing only the positive has not worked we must do both! We cannot remain silent, for to do so is to condone. To think that negative stereotypical programming, commercials, and shows will fade away is ludicrous and at the very least naive. The "out of sight and out of mind" approach by some Italian Americans as the perfect panacea has not and will not work. All I can say to my Italian American brothers and sisters is how we are perceived by others is in our hands. We must, like the song says, "You've got to accent the positive and eliminate the negative." And above all remember "The intolerable behavior towards Italian American is tolerated by Americans because it is tolerated by Italian Americans. Dr. Manny Alfano
3/21/02 Mr. Tamboli: The continuing wholesale defamation of our collective image can be attributed to a number of reasons. But, contrary to what your article implies, our objections to such disgraceful depictions is certainly not one of them. Very much to the contrary, in fact, since one of the most common responses we've received by offending parties (ad agencies, script writers, producers, publishers, etc) are comments like "If this or that depiction is so offensive, why aren't more Italian Americans complaining?" Further, every time an Italian American publicly depreciates our anti-defamation efforts, scattered and impotent as they may be, it reduces the credibility of our cause. Unlike some ethnic groups and minorities, we do not enjoy the friendship of the media. The last thing we need is criticism of our efforts by other Italians! Just a few weeks ago, the national Sunday magazine "Parade" commented (utterly without basis or factual support) that most Italian Americans are not offended by the Sopranos, implying that those of us who ARE offended don't have just cause. Cock-eyed? Bizarre? Yes indeed. Where have you been for the past 3 or 4 decades? In a closet? As you seem to agree, our efforts to protest these offensive depictions have hardly been impressive. So in effect, and for decades, we HAVE been essentially "ignoring" abuses that most other groups would never tolerate for an instant. Clearly, your recommendation is utterly insupportable, because there has been no abatement of the problem. In anything, it continues to get worse. Education? Yes, that's an important component of the solution...everyone seems to enjoy recommending it. But nobody (except for a teeny tiny few of us) does anything about it. They just recommend it. And then, feeling good and smug over the idea that they've hit upon the civilized and intelligent solution, go do something else. In the interest of fairness, I've tried to find some merit or useful advice in your commentary. But sorry, just can't find anything of the sort. D.Fiore
3/21/02 The ANNOTICO Report Thanks to Franco Giannotti of "Italy at St. Louis" Web Site. Franco Giannotti: Here is
the rebuttal of Marianne Peri Sack, the "Il
[RAA Note: Mr. Tamboli had
amazingly suggested that the Italian American
The Annotico Report
THE SOPRANOS HIT SOUR NOTE
WITH MANY ITALIANS
In answer
to my esteemed colleague Vito Tamboli’s recent column “Enough
First, I was
raised by a mother, wise beyond her formal education, who
I agree
that to argue over every little thing is counter-productive; but
The Sopranos
goes way beyond bad taste and no ethnic group would want to
I agree
that it is more productive for the Italian people to emphasize
National
Italian American Foundation (NIAF), UNICO National, Sons of
A recent
national survey on American teen-agers and stereotyping
Many non-Italians
believe that The Sopranos is vulgar, violent and
Father
Andrew Greeley is a priest, a noted author, and a sociologist –
Marianne Peri Sack
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