Society / Guido: An Italian-American Youth Style
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After Thoughts on Guido
(February 16, 2010)
1980's Melrose Park, Il, Guido group, Joey O's Out of Control Band Joe Orlandino, Chickie Farella, Ken White
Watching the live netcast of the Calandra Institute Colloquium, January 21, 2010
For me it was awe inspiring, historical and embraces me with hope! There were no bad questions and every question had a good answer except for the ones that interfered with the time allowance, which gives us no other option except to have another forum!! The following are just a few of my observations and highlights w
atching the interactive version from Southern California through the lens of Wo - Man’s spiritual work.
First, a shout of thanks to Joseph Sciame’s description of the elegant world of his particular version of Italian American family life, and also to Maria Lisella for noting that not all of us have been that lucky to have such an experience. Blessings to both versions, giving us balance!
That said, someone asked if there is an unconscious north/south undercurrent throughout the evolution of the Guido? You betcha. The Italian American musician’s comment on his tours throughout this country formed the observation that the Guido has evolved into the anti-hero is right. Not to mention Capone parties in Jamaica? Wow! Hey, it’s a dirty job but someone’s gotta do it. Who gives a flying banana anyway? Case in point, let’s look at the movie Nine which I viewed in the same week. Goddess help us! What timing! Here is the greatest example of how the elevation of the male, the egocentric character movie director, whose name really is Guido....(Jeez) destroys eveything and everyone he loves the most; His wife, his most seasoned actress, and his work! Now there’s mama’s boys and then there’s mama’s boys....PATHETIC!
Senator Diane Savino was a stellar version of a super evolved Guidette! The Best! Today I have the same kink in my neck that I had in the 60’s from ironing my long curly hair. Now this is a very circa de solei process to iron your hair and watch what you’re doing at same time, is it not, Senator? Not only did it have to be straight, but it had to be blond. So my blond girlfriends sprayed my long dried split ended locks with cheap blonding product called Sun In, as we floated in a boat at the lake one summer! Orange hair! It was a shade so unattractive against my skin, all I needed was a red bell pepper stuffed in my mouth and you could drop me in a Dirty Martini! Though today’s kink in my neck is from sitting in front of this stupid computer for too many hours, wasting time on the silly Jersey Shore issues, when I should be finishing my work in progress, Ciao Giulia! (see Chickie Farella revus) There ya go, all you anti-defamation groups. Why not use your time, money and energy, by digging into the First Communion money you’ve been saving and toss me some do re me to get my script up on the screen? Whadya say?
And let’s not forget the story of Senator Savino’s friend Angelo, the “wicked drummer” who sported long curly hair playing Led Zepplin and The Who material, until one day while the earlier version of Guidette Savino was “hang’n on the corner in Astoria,” spots Angelo in a white suit, short hair, emulating the John Travolta (Tony Manero) strutt! What a transformation! He found himself! He’s connected cuz Tony helped him find his connection! Sort of like my mantra “Find your mother and the rest will follow!”
On a more serious note...
Bob Viscusi asked Tricarico if we actually know what the Italian identity is and I’m in hopes that they had their conversation after the meeting as they mentioned and will soon share their findings.
Vincenzo Marra asked something like, “What can we do to from Italia? The question made my heart skip a beat and for me, it was the defining moment of the conference! Here’s why.
Women’s Spirituality studies require us to go to our roots, whether we are Italian, Asian or Irish. We, track migration paths, genetics, study Black Madonna sanctuaries and Goddess temples. We crawl into the caves, study the spiritual symbols in archaeology sites, along with prophetic sibyls dwellings that St. Paul and others transformed into Baptism wells. Last but certainly not least, we trace the origins of the herbs our ancestors passed on to us for cooking and healing well before the the emergence of patriarchal medical professions and Dogma.
So I have a response to your question, but first allow me to share what happened when I arrived the first time. This is so important!
When we finally arrived in Agrigento, Sicily in 1990, we stopped at a gas station for directions once we knew we were close to my family’s village. There at the station, to our surprise was a car full of teenagers who knew who we were, where we were from and where we were going. They told us to follow them. When we found the house, my cugines were not home, however the neighbors were hanging over their terraces in the narrow streets of Cianciana, waving sheets calling out my mother’s maiden name...Viola-Mattaliano over and over again like we were somebody! Down at the end of the block there was a huge church. Suddenly, the doors flew open and out poured mostly women in black and children running toward us. We were embraced by people we never met. Kisses all over my face! Little children 4, 5 and 6 year olds wrapped their little arms around our legs, looking up to us with those big Sicilian blue eyes!
And there’s your answer.
Keep loving us when we arrive, Mr. Marra!
Remain honest and compassionate to the IA’s when some of us have these deep memory jogs, we get from the DNA from our mothers who pass us those Her-storical, sometimes hysterical truths that need to be excavated! And always keep me in the tears I was in then and at this moment as I remember while I weep as I write!!
So now you know my utterly selfish reason for applauding our leaders, Dean Anthony Tamburri, and Professors Joe Sciorro, Fred Gardaphe and Donald Tricarico at the Calandra Institute for taking the first step, yet alone a global step, in the analysis of the Guido and Guidette with an open heart! This may sound like a stretch to some and perhaps some don’t get it at all. However I believe this forum is the turn key into the investigation of the ancient peaceful future ahead of us when we take these precious moments to remember the works of the others. We all know who they are!
As for Johnny DiCarlo, he pretty much just wants to be who he is. A nice Italian guy who loves the kitchen, his Guidette girlfriend....all his GG friends/family for that matter, Cadillac’s, clothes, clubbing, writing, and let’s not forget his MOM! Go ahead John......Be Who You Are! Stay in the light!!! That’s all the universe expects from us!!!!
That said, to tell you the truth, I’m tired of all the attention on the east coast Guidos. And I would also like to clarify that the midwest should NOT be identified as "white trash wife beaters":):) I think it’s time for some Chicago-Melrose Park style rock’n Guido music. The song below White Man’s Disease (Dis - ease) pretty much tells it all. I can’t find my tape but here’s the lyrics. My former songwriting partners below from the former Joey O’s Out of Control Band, Joe Orlandino, a graduate from Proviso East High School and Illinois State U, and Ken White, U of Illinois, wrote this tune we sang back in the day. It’s funny, when Joe wrote the lyrics, he really wrote them as a statement of the 80’s yuppie era...interesting how it all fits. Enjoy!
White Man’s Disease
copyright©
He lives northwest of the city, yeah - in a bleached out bedroom ‘burb
He’s gotta a bike, a boat and a snowmobile and a bitch on the side you can rest assure
He’s a working class Joe, likes to spend his dough with the boys in the local bar
He’s very well known up and down the strip in his sporty luxury car.
Chorus
But at night, he says,
Mama Mama Hey!
But at night he says,
How’d I turn out this way?
He’s got the White Man’s Disease
Knock’n him to his knees
He’s got the White Man’s Disease
Mercy if you please
He only reads the sports page, but he talks like a know-it-all
He’s a hip cat - says that he’s a democrat
but votes GOP in the fall
He’s got two years of college
of drinking beers and getting laid
It was a big jump, didn’t want to be no chump
He makes his living in the trades.
Chorus
But at night, he says,
Mama Mama Hey!
But at night he says,
How’d I turn out this way?
He’s got the White Man’s Disease
Knock’n him to his knees
He’s got the White Man’s Disease
Mercy if you please
He’s lookin toward the future
when he can cash in his I.R.A.
He’s livin for the weekend cuz he’s a wage-slave
during the weekdays and he
cannot break this cycle.....
No! It’s destined to be his fate
It’s a damn shame
Who’s to blame Oh ain’t America Great?
You know He’s got the White Man’s Disease
Knock’n him to his knees
He’s got the White Man’s Disease
Mercy if you please
He’s got the White Man’s Disease
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