Some words lose meaning.

A reality show called "The Jersey Shore" is sweeping America as you no doubt know. This has caused a lot of people to ask me whether or not my place of origin is actually like that.

The sad part: it is.

It obviously is embellished and certain aspects of the Jersey shore culture has been stressed. How else is MTV going to get ratings? Make a show about my favorite pizza shop on Longbranch?

http://www.campusfood.com/restaurant.asp?campusid=227&mlid=47987

Actually, I'd watch that to remember how awesome pizza is.

I digress, the reason I bring this up is because there has been a lot of racket about how upset Italian Americans are over the flagrant use of the word "guido/guidette" on the the show. Aside from the fact that the people on the show refer to themselves as "guidos" constantly while degrading themselves during their 15 minutes, Italians have nothing to worry about.

The word "guido" was once used racially, but the problem is the word has been denatured of its original context nowadays. Before anyone gives me a history lesson, please remember that I lived and grew up in NJ, and have some authority over the use of the word. The word "guido" now is used to describe 30K millionaires, who wear gaudy expensive and tasteless clothing and use anabolic steroids in the hopes of getting laid. They don't understand steroids or strength sports and use them to pump their biceps while their quadriceps, calves and hamstrings wither away, but that is a talk for a different time.


Anyone can be a guido, in fact, Rutgers University (my undergraduate college) is over run with Indian as well as Arab guidos. It's sad, but if the money they spent on hair gel went towards investing into anything useful, these guidos would actually be as rich as they want people to think they are.



Regardless, the main point is guido is now a cultural word, no longer is it a racially derogatory one. Italian Americans can rest easy. People who are labeled guidos, are so because they want people to know about their narcissistic mask. In other words, they want to be seen this way. This is not unlike "goth" or "wigger" kids.



Ultimately the show "Jersey Shore" is likely going to tarnish New Jersey's reputation (if that's possible), not Italian Americans.