{"pk":40450,"title":"“Guido” Culture: The Destabilization of Italian-American Identity  on Jersey Shore","subtitle":null,"abstract":"In this article, I explore the stereotypical representation of Italian-American identity on the MTV Networks reality television series \nJersey Shore. \nLeaders of Italian-American organizations have voiced strong opposition to the show over concerns that the “guido” and “guidette” subculture it depicts will become synonymous, for viewers, with Italian-American identity at large. Drawing on feminist theories about gender performance as well as Italian cultural and media studies, I argue that the admittedly pejorative portrayal of Italian-American culture on \nJersey Shore\n may nevertheless be read productively. The characterization of Guidos and Guidettes in the series suggests that the definition of Italian-American identity depends upon practices and variables that are available for appropriation. Consequently, \nJersey Shore\n may be interpreted as challenging the possibility of a real—as opposed to constructed—Italian-American culture.","language":"en","license":{"name":"","short_name":"","text":null,"url":""},"keywords":[{"word":"Guido, Italian American, Jersey Shore, Reality Television, Identity, Stereotypes, Camp, Performativity"}],"section":"Vol. 4: Italian Sound","is_remote":true,"remote_url":"https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1m95s09q","frozenauthors":[{"first_name":"Sara","middle_name":"","last_name":"Troyani","name_suffix":"","institution":"University of Notre Dame","department":"None"}],"date_submitted":"2013-01-02T04:43:38Z","date_accepted":"2013-01-02T04:43:38Z","date_published":"2014-03-03T04:58:03Z","render_galley":null,"galleys":[{"label":"","type":"pdf","path":"https://journalpub.escholarship.org/cisj/article/40450/galley/30406/download/"}]}