Now THAT'S Italian
August 31, 2010 Press play before scrolling down to get the full "Italian" flavor.
Ay everybody! Giusseppe Sarducci here froma Ma Biga Freakin Italiana Cake located ina beautiful downtown Trenton. We specialize ina making da biggest, freakina cakes you ever dida see. An we gotta somatin new!
Looka dat!
Even da leetle Bambina, she knows! She'sa sayin, "Ay! Dasa one biga freakina cake! I mean looka dat! What isa dat, lika twenty-seven feet a cake?! Who needsa more cake dena dat?!?
Now you might be asking youself, "Isa ma cake gonna be so beautiful like the one ina da picture?" You know it!
Firs, we starta wita da cake which isa twelve eenchess high, ten eenchess wide ana twenty-seven feet long. Den, we squeeze rowa after row ofa brown "icing" ona top.
[kissing fingertips] Bueno!Denna, we take what we lika to call "dirt" ana we put dat ona top too!
Isa so beautiful!Finally, we taka a biga tubba cream, ana put DAT ona top, too!
Everyting go ona top!Ana one more ting! Ma uncle Guido, he make'a da bessa squiggles ana dots you eva dida see so we puta dose ona da cake too! It's mucho cucina bella farfalla cappelini lasagna!! Mach schnell!
So calla Ma Biga Freakin Italiana Cake today. Because ifa is nota Freakin Big...
...is nota cake! Ciao!
Reader Comments (104)
I guess I'm someone who doesn't really have a sense of humor, then.
But I think that the issues are:
1) First, as many people have said, if the cakes are Italian, as in from Italy, then the accent really doesn't match, as you are using a stereotypical Italian-American accent.
2) While I hear you that you are Irish and they have also been persecuted, as someone of Italian heritage, I am wondering how often people have truly treated you differently for being Irish(-American?). There have actually been many times in my life as someone with a very Italian last name that people have used this accent, or asked me if I have family in the mob, or asked me if I speak Italian, or if I listen to opera at home, etc. even though I'm a third-generation American.
Of course, some Italian-Americans don't mind continuing to be portrayed as the white "other," hence the currently popular TV shows. And maybe it's just a Jersey thing, as I really don't know anyone who actually speaks like that (I am from upstate NY).
What you were doing in the post wasn't merely pointing out a linguistic difference, therefore, as I'm sure you know that most Italian-Americans don't speak the way you did in the post. You can say it's all in jest, and I'm sure it was, but I hope you can at least appreciate while some people find it offensive because it continues to stereotype, not just because of the use of the accent, but because of what the accent itself connotes.
Just read the rest of the posts, and I have to say-
Yeah, john! and Stoich91! and MollyB!
That is all.
I'm so glad that Father Guido Sarducci could lend a hand!
Hey all,
So comments were fun but I'm just gonna go ahead and shut them off since the only ones we'll get from this point will be telling me what a hapless schmuck I am. Alas, maybe you're right. I would encourage you to read through the comments as I'm sure your concerns were voiced already and your feelings on the matter represented fairly. Please allow me to end with this:
-I was not implying anything about the Italian people.
-I did not mean to imply any stereotype.
-I do not believe I said anything in the post that was derogatory to Italian people.
I simply tried to make a few of you laugh with a story about a fictional bakery and a fictional baker with a cool accent. I hope some of you enjoyed the post and I am truly sorry if you were offended.
Best,
john