Italians in Television

Italian-Americans have recently taken over television. It's almost as if TV executives have developed a formula, in which they begin with an entertaining concept, but enhance it with Italians. Here are a few examples proposed by writer Stephen Marche: "The Real World" + guidos = "Jersey Shore;" "Ace of Cakes" + Italians = "Cake Boss;" "The Real Housewives of Orange County" + Carmela Soprano = "The Real Housewives of New Jersey." For whatever reason, Italian-Americans seem to add comedy and livelihood to the staged situations studios set up for them to be filmed in. What is it about their outbursts of "T-shirt time!" and furious hand-waving that we find so comical? Italians in the media have become caricatures of themselves through this process of  television companies creating new shows specifically focused on their loud and boisterous behavior. And who knows what the next television phenomenon involving Italian-Americans will be? As Marche jokes in his Esquire article, "What's Wrong With a Little Bigotry?", a medical drama called "Guido's Anatomy" may be the new biggest hit anytime now.