‘My Big Friggin’ Wedding’? Matzoh Luck! Ideas vs. VH1 Reality Shows: The Clyde Fitch Report

The Brown Tweed Society is pleased to welcome new contributing partner Leonard Jacobs, Editor of The Clyde Fitch Report, who will routinely weigh in with news from the New York theater scene and ongoing arts issues.

We all remember UNICO National, the Italian-American service organization that tried, unsuccessfully, to get Jersey Shore taken off the air last year.

Now they’re fuming that a new reality show with a heavily Italian-American cast and a sure-to-be-clunky bridal theme, My Big Friggin’ Wedding, is coming to VH1.

Yo, Angela! Yo, I mean, Tony, yo, hey, wassup, yo, Goomba, what’s the big friggin’ deal, yo?

Couldn’t resist.

Let me instead clutch my Mezuzah and quote from the press release:

Describing the show as yet another disgraceful and disheartening chapter of Executive Producer SallyAnn Salsano‘s malicious exploitation and stereotyping of young Italian Americans for profit, UNICO National is asking VH1 to pull the plug on “My Big Friggin’ Wedding.”

“Stereotyping and slurring young Italian Americans means big, big bucks for bottom-feeder networks like MTV and VH1,” said Andre DiMino, UNICO’s Chief Media Executive and immediate past National President. “No one does this better than Salsano, who’s done more harm to the perception of young Italian Americans than everyone before her, combined.”

Salsano’s “495 Productions,” that specializes in trashy reality programming, also produced MTV’s infamous “Jersey Shore” series, which UNICO National successfully fought last year.

I don’t know how UNICO defines “successfully,” since Jersey Shore is still on the air and I must have counted Snooki poufs into the triple digits on Halloween. And I’m still waiting for someone to give me proper etiquette for addressing The Situation. Do you call him “The”? Or “Mr. Situation”? (I once had the same question about Mr. Ed. Probably would get the same answer.)

What I really find extraordinary, breathtaking even, is the snarling tone of UNICO’s attack. The idea of My Big Friggin’ Wedding is offensive, especially if your frame of reference for what is offensive on TV is 1970 or 1980 or 1990. Sad to say, but if My Big Friggin’ Wedding is the most offensive thing on TV, I humbly submit that we’re improving. (CNN has picked up on this story.)

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