The traditional mafia, portrayed in movies like the Godfather and Goodfellas, has been broken down due to vicious Federal prosecution. It still exists, but its certainly not as powerful as it once was. However, different groups have formed that are much more ruthless. These groups are more willing to harm innocents rather than going after those who wronged them.The Italian mafia has been a prominent theme in the media for decades. Movies and shows that are usually the most talked about are The Godfather, Goodfellas, and the Sopranos. The media's portrayal of the mafia has created stereotypes for Italians that are socially accepted in American culture.Movies and shows like these create terrible stereotypes for Italian because these gangster lifestyles are glorified. Sadly, most Italians living in America today embrace these stereotypes instead of setting them right.These shows today often make a mockery about what the mafia actually stands for.These shows are often scripted so they can get more views. Some mafia tv portrayals are :Mob Wives, Amish Mafia, Mafia City, The Sopranos, and Boardwalk Empire. In todays American society stereotyping of most cultures is seen greatly in the media. Media such as: MTV's reality TV shows “Jersey Shore”, HBO series the “Sopranos”, VH1’s reality show “Mob Wives”, the movie “Goodfellas” and, “The Godfather” are some examples of when Americans began to misjudge Italians. Most of these movies and TV shows reflect badly on Italian culture. Going back to when Italians first step foot in America no negative, stereotypical thoughts were found at all.It wasnt until movies and shows began mentioning Italians, that they started being called “mobsters” or better yet, “guidos”.

Comic book authors, too, took aim at those fascinated with the Mafia. Dick Tracy is a comic strip featuring Dick Tracy a strong, intelligent police detective. The strip was created by Chester Gould, the strip made its debut on October 4, 1931, in the Detroit Mirror. The world of Tracy and other superheroes embraced the classical good vs. evil stereotypes about Mafiosi and crimefighters. The world of Tracy embraced all the good and bad stereotypes about the Mafiosi. Even though there are so many negative stereotypes there are also many good. It is often seen the Italian men are very romantic and always doting on their families. A great movie for reference would be “A Bronx Tale” directed by Robert de Niro. The movie shows that not every Italian is automatically a mobster and that becoming part of the mafia is actually a very dangerous thing. Also, this movie shows the bond this father has with his family. Another stereotype of Italians are that they are known for their good food which is 99% percent of the time true. Movies and shows show the elder woman in the kitchen usually making a big pot of sauce and listening to Frank Sinatra.

Reality television shows are the best at destroying cultures, because they seem to be more believable to the audience even though they are scripted. MTV’s highest rated reality show was Jersey Shore where the characters had crazy names and had a ridiculous routine to their day. Some names from Jersey Shore are “Snooki”, “JWoww”, “Mike the Situation”, “Pauly D”, ”Sammi Sweetheart”, Deena, Vinny, Angelina, and Ronnie. Usually people end up watching this show when they want a good laugh. These strangers were randomly put together where they would reside in a beach house in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. These people are known for their excessive drinking, fake tans, foul mouths, and always looking for someone to take home from the club. They call themselves “Guidos” and “Guidettes” and they call people they believe unnattractive “grenades”. People that actually lived in the area would always call up complaining how this would ruin the towns’ reputation. All in all, media has both a positive and negative impact on the way Americans view different cultures. Media can both destroy the image of a culture or build up a great image for it. More often than not, an image is usually destroyed and it is most commonly seen in Italians, more specifically the Mafia.