MTV Rides the Stereotype Bandwagon…REALLY?

I would never say these people are 'stereotypical.'

The new MTV show, Jersey Shore is receiving a lot of hate lately, thanks to the “Italian bashing” reality show that enforces every Italian-American stereotype known to man.

UNICO, the largest Italian-American group in the United States, sent not one but two letters to companies that continue to sponsor the MTV show, which includes such fine dining as Papa John’s Pizza and Burger King. UNICO rips the sponsors for continuing to support “such a discriminatory, insulting, and Italian-bashing program.”

A show based on Italian-America viewed in a negative light? No way!?!?

UNICO president Andre DiMino stated, “I am urging our supporters to call these sponsors and demand they pull their advertising from Jersey Shore.”

UNICO has fully supported an insurance group and Domino’s Pizza (yet another ‘traditional’ Italian food company) decision to pull out from sponsorship, especially after promo clips for the show used the terms “guido” and “guidette.”

I can understand Italian-America’s backlash on Jersey Shore. However, what I cannot even begin to comprehend is the claim that some people think MTV actually has a thing for riding stereotypes – like a Paris Hilton sex tape.

Let’s take a look at MTV’s recent “reality” lineup:

Real World
Real World vs. Road Rules Challenge
Is She Really Going Out with Him?
Jersey Shore
The Hills

Dude’s with rock hard six-pack abs and women with plenty of short shorts and cleavage, YES!…but a general bias towards good looking young men and women with a surplus of silicone? HELL NO!

One can clearly conclude that the average “reality” show on MTV uses real characters - your average squeaky voices and zits, right?

I mean, MTV is basically a case study for the American youth.

Don’t believe me? Take a look at other real shows like Laguna Beach and The Hills. Then, of course, you have the “realistic” dating shows A Shot of Love with Tila Tequila,  Date My Mom, and NEXT. 

I mean, if MTV is not the auto-biography of today’s youth – then my name is not Bobby Concord (i.e., it’s not).

What the haters of Jersey Shore do not get is that every MTV show rides stereotypes at it’s core. Instead of protesting Jersey Shore, let’s protest Music Television (note emphasis on “Music”).  

Since Things People Hate is an innovator of “the hate,” let’s start our very own MTV petition. Sign off on the comment thread and ask questions later.