Tuesday, November 14, 2006

CBS News Video Cast of Rotolo- Batavia Controversey

The ANNOTICO Report

 

Principal Don McKinney says the play is a teaching tool. And he says nearly all of the calls he has fielded from local people have been in support of the play.     "We don't find the play to be offensive," McKinney said.

 

Don, When you first approved this play , You were being Incredibly Insensitive!!

Now that have been made aware,  you're just being a Defensive Cement headed, Oblivious ,Lout !!!!!!

 

I don't know what the Ethnicity of the Parents of your school are, But I would be OFFENDED if you were putting on a Play:                   "In the Hood" starring Black Pimps and Drug Dealers. Or  "Manana" starring Lazy Mexicans that only took time out to stuff their faces with Tacos and Tamales, and make more Babies, Or "Shylocks" starring Hook nose Jews all the time scheming to cheat a Goy.    Would these also be considered Teaching Tools????? 

 

McKinney is that Scottish? Then Perhaps a play about Cross Dressing Transgender Scots who love to wear Dresses or Kilts.?? 

 

Don, Did you EVEN think to ask ITALIAN Parents What they Thought about a Play that Portrays Italians????

 

 

Italian Parents Want To Stop Middle School Play

CBS News                                                                                                                                                                  ;!       Mike Puccinelli
Reporting

(CBS) BATAVIA   All the action isn't on the stage of a suburban middle school's play. Behind the scenes protesters want the curtain to come down.

CBS 2 West Suburban Bureau Chief Mike Puccinelli explains what the fuss is all about.

"Mama Caprese is a woman who likes to whack things."

Marina Omorosa Levato is reading from the cast of characters in "Fuggedaboutit," a little mobster comedy that's generating big controversy at Rotolo Middle School in Batavia.

"They use the word 'friggin,'" Levato said.

Levato's son attends the school and brought her a script. When she read it, she couldn't believe it.

"From the start it gives students a bad view of Italian Americans. These are 11-, 12- and 13-year-old children," she said.

Levato wants the play stopped. So she sent a copy to the Sons of Italy organization. Anthony Baratta is with the group and has as k! ed the school to cancel the play, which he sees as offensive. But he says the school's principal acted like he was on a different planet.

"Has has no sensitivity for ethnicity whatsoever as far as I can see in our conversation," Baratta, Illinois Sons of Italy president.

But Principal Don McKinney says the play is a teaching tool that will be shown to the student's 1,400 students on Friday.

"I don't think we're working in stereotypes. I think we are working with people who are in a play who happen to be Italian who happen to live in New York," McKinney said.

And he says nearly all of the calls he has fielded from local people have been in support of the play.

"We don't find the play to be offensive," McKinney said.

Baratta says it's so offensive his organization will spend what it takes to try and get the courts to put a stop to the play before the curtain rises this Friday.

 

 

MIKE PUCCINELLI Profile

 

Mike Puccinelli serves as CBS 2s West Suburban bureau chief, based at the headquarters of the Naperville Sun, CBS 2s news partner. He covers stories and issues important to viewers in DuPage and Kane counties.

Puccinelli had worked as a per diem general assignment reporter for CBS 2 since December, 2004. Before joining CBS 2, Puccinelli served as anchor/reporter for WMC-TV in Memphis, TN (1999-2004). Prior to that, he worked for WEVV-TV in Evansville, IN as a weekend anchor (1997-1999) and at KFXB-TV in Dubuque, IA as an anchor (1995-1996). Before that he worked at CNN Business News in New York as a freelance production assistant and later as an associate producer (1992-1994). He began his broadcasting career at CNN in Chicago as an intern. Before pursuing a career in broadcasting, he worked as a high school teacher in Cicero, Illinois.

Puccinelli graduated from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wis. with a BS in Political Science. He grew up in Oak Park ! and now lives in the western suburbs with his wife Beth and their daughter Ophelia.

 

 

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