General Discussion

Drahthaardogs

(6,843 posts)

31. The slur comes from equating italian surnames with mafia

Wed Aug 14, 2019, 10:31 AM

Aug 2019

It's a disgusting stereotype and to hear people on DU defend it is abhorrent.

A race of people who essentially ruled the world for a millennia, established our form of government, led the Renaissance, has a cuisine that rivals to a lesser degree French and Chinese, and boast some of the worlds greatest scientist are always represented in American culture as mafia.

This is akin to representing all black people as thugs or Mexican people as lazy.

It's putrid.

The largest mass lynching in America was perpetrated against Sicilian immigrants. Theodore Roosevelt called it a "good thing to show the dagos their place"

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

83 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

"Fredo" and Chris Cuomo and Italian Americans [View all] no_hypocrisy Aug 2019 OP

By that token, though, "Michael" should be a much bigger insult. Squinch Aug 2019 #1

Which... interestingly enough... better describes Cuomo's behavior in the video. FBaggins Aug 2019 #4

Not the same at all. Michael was criminal, but the intelligent one. It would not be a slur in the hlthe2b Aug 2019 #11

Kay. Squinch Aug 2019 #14

I disagree FBaggins Aug 2019 #20

The slur's relevence is in the mind of those slinging them. To RWTrumpers, it is the opposite. hlthe2b Aug 2019 #22

Not relevant in this case FBaggins Aug 2019 #23

How can YOU say what was in the mind of the verbal assaulter?. Really? You don't get to determine hlthe2b Aug 2019 #25

Seriously? FBaggins Aug 2019 #26

I insist the recipient believes it is. You are being quite condescending hlthe2b Aug 2019 #27

I think it's up to an individual to decide if an insult is offensive to them StarfishSaver Aug 2019 #29

As those of us who have been harmed throughout our careers by those who use the "c" word against hlthe2b Aug 2019 #30

Laughable FBaggins Aug 2019 #33

Obviously you think insulting all manner of people is "laughable"... How progressive of you. hlthe2b Aug 2019 #34

Lol. FBaggins Aug 2019 #37

No need to.. You shout it like a megaphone with your own posts. hlthe2b Aug 2019 #38

As I said... FBaggins Aug 2019 #39

well, though you didn't mean it obviously hlthe2b Aug 2019 #41

That's because it's subjective. BannonsLiver Aug 2019 #24

excused no but equal to the n word no dsc Aug 2019 #2

I think the impact is on the individual member of a group being targeted. I don't think it right hlthe2b Aug 2019 #16

Cuomo has referred to himself as Fredo in a radio interview with Curtis Sliwa AncientGeezer Aug 2019 #58

Assertions without support are always convenient, but rarely convincing. hlthe2b Aug 2019 #59

Really....it's all over the internet...I quoted the exchange below...her's a link to Sliwa's show AncientGeezer Aug 2019 #60

Curious...? hlthe2b Aug 2019 #61

If you are comparing fredo to the N-word....that's your problem...mistake AncientGeezer Aug 2019 #63

I compare nothing.. But it isn't up to YOU or I to tell someone of another culture, race, gender, hlthe2b Aug 2019 #64

He jokes with Sliwa about being fredo but threatens to throw a guy AncientGeezer Aug 2019 #66

I didn't justify his response, only his right to take offense. hlthe2b Aug 2019 #68

The only 1 shameful here...Cuomo..his selective outrage...and overreaction. AncientGeezer Aug 2019 #70

... hlthe2b Aug 2019 #71

So why would someome walk up to him and call him that Historic NY Aug 2019 #69

Let's run with that.."pretend..."..we have no clue what the guy knew..re; Cuomo's name. AncientGeezer Aug 2019 #72

He probably DID want to "push his buttons" FBaggins Aug 2019 #75

Your speculation sounds no more nor less valid... LanternWaste Aug 2019 #76

Not sure why FBaggins Aug 2019 #78

Even more curious...? FBaggins Aug 2019 #73

Obviously Fredo is likewise a name and not merely a slur, unlike the "n" word hlthe2b Aug 2019 #74

Valid question...I'm curious what the answer will be....I suspect there will bo No answer. AncientGeezer Aug 2019 #82

I thought hlthe2b answered reasonably FBaggins Aug 2019 #83

+1000 smirkymonkey Aug 2019 #62

Although "Fredo" is not as bad a slur as many Cuomo surely knows, he emmaverybo Aug 2019 #77

It was definately meant to be derogatory to Cuomo but it hasn't been used as a general ethnic insult PoliticAverse Aug 2019 #3

I agree it was intended in a derogatory mannner True Dough Aug 2019 #5

Agree. I was actually shocked - always thought he had a calm demeanor - almost Laura PourMeADrink Aug 2019 #32

Don't know for sure but apparently the agitator is a right-winger True Dough Aug 2019 #35

I'll parse it further FBaggins Aug 2019 #6

This. WhiskeyGrinder Aug 2019 #10

Yes, this. StarfishSaver Aug 2019 #13

You are completely wrong. Drahthaardogs Aug 2019 #36

Not buying it FBaggins Aug 2019 #44

The fact that you don't "buy it" is irrelevant Drahthaardogs Aug 2019 #51

To you perhaps FBaggins Aug 2019 #54

Cuomo has referred to himself as Fredo in a radio interview with Curtis Sliwa AncientGeezer Aug 2019 #53

My first thought after reading about the incident wasn't about xenophobia... Dennis Donovan Aug 2019 #7

But Cuomo wasn't attacked as a journalist or as brother of Gov. Andrew Cuomo. no_hypocrisy Aug 2019 #8

"Fredo" isn't an insult limited to Italians. StarfishSaver Aug 2019 #18

Exactly correct FBaggins Aug 2019 #21

Exactly incorrect Drahthaardogs Aug 2019 #40

"Fredo" ISN'T a surname FBaggins Aug 2019 #47

No reason for excuses - this was simply an insult by a redneck and I back Cuomo 100%. The walkingman Aug 2019 #9

My take StarfishSaver Aug 2019 #12

+1 Gidney N Cloyd Aug 2019 #42

the guy calling him Fredo is a jerk but this isn't Oregon1947 Aug 2019 #15

Last comment: no_hypocrisy Aug 2019 #17

The character Shylock was an extremely derogatory stereotype of Jews that has been since used to StarfishSaver Aug 2019 #28

It was more of a poke at Chris and his brother the governor Andy. Throck Aug 2019 #19

The slur comes from equating italian surnames with mafia Drahthaardogs Aug 2019 #31

The insult intended by "Fredo" is unrelated to ethnicity or association with the Mafia StarfishSaver Aug 2019 #43

Let's read that last sentence again... shall we? FBaggins Aug 2019 #45

I never saw the Godfather movies... Talitha Aug 2019 #46

Hey! FBaggins Aug 2019 #48

I'm not even sure why people are parsing this out. The guy used the term in a derogatory SweetieD Aug 2019 #49

Right with you up until the last sentence FBaggins Aug 2019 #50

K&R and thanks. My grandparents came here from Sicily. Discrimination against Italians tblue37 Aug 2019 #52

I heard a coworker say that Italians aren't xmas74 Aug 2019 #56

My husband is off the plane from Calabria JustAnotherGen Aug 2019 #65

There was a Calabrese cousin in my father's generation. To you, all I can say is . . . . . Stinky The Clown Aug 2019 #80

Cuomo has referred to himself as Fredo in a radio interview with Curtis Sliwa AncientGeezer Aug 2019 #55

Which shows that he knows exactly what it means FBaggins Aug 2019 #57

Fredo equals cowardly and/or disloyal. aikoaiko Aug 2019 #67

Even today I see anti-Italian prejudice Stinky The Clown Aug 2019 #79

So by this logic LArider Aug 2019 #81