All in the family—the poster promotion for Hulu's "The Mob"
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It’s an offer we can refuse.
Hulu gives us a new reality TV series—The Mob.
We say—change the channel!
This series is an insult to all Italian Americans—An insult to all Italians—And...an insult to all thinking adults!
The Italian American One Voice Coalition (IAOVC), rightly accuses the streaming service of perpetuating damaging stereotypes of Italians and Italian Americans.
All in the family—the poster promotion for Hulu's "The Mob"
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Mob Rule
The Mob is a Mafia-themed reality competition filmed in Italy, featuring celebrity contestants who assume the roles of members of a fictional crime family. The participants compete for money—$250,000 grand prize—form alliances and engage in intrigue reminiscent of Hollywood gangster films.
Hulu, a division of Disney, promotes the series by claiming, “Everyone wants to be part of the Family — until it’s their turn to get whacked.”
The Mob features actress Parker Posey as host, with a cast to include Aida Turturro, remembered for her role as Janice Soprano in The Sopranos, and Italian television personality Bruno Tonioli.
Oganized as a charade of criminality, “Each episode features jobs inspired by classic mob movies. Contestants must complete these challenges to survive and stay in the game,” claims Hulu.
Shot on location in Italy, in and around stunning vistas and villas of Tuscany and Sicily, The Mob offers a number of rules for TV participants. Most notable is the titular lead figure in the game. According to Hulu: “The Don sits at the top of the Family hierarchy, but the question remains: Can they stay in control or will the Family decide it’s time for a new boss?”
Contestants get eliminated by “Getting Whacked.” As Hulu explains on their web site—“In ‘The Mob,’ getting whacked means your time in the game may be coming to an end. Tune in to see which members of the Family end up sleeping with the fishes.”
The gang's all here: A promotional still from Hulu's "The Mob."
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Series Denounced
For Andre DiMino, president of IAOVC, the premise is anything but amusing.
“This is not entertainment. It is ethnic stereotyping, packaged and sold for ratings,” declared DiMino in an October 15 press release condemning the series.
DiMino argues that Hollywood continues to associate Italian identity with organized crime, even as the entertainment industry increasingly embraces sensitivity toward other ethnic and racial communities.
“Why does political correctness vanish the moment the target is Italian?” he asked.
IAOVC objects particularly to the decision to film the series in Italy, arguing that the production transforms a nation celebrated for its artistic, scientific, and cultural achievements into a backdrop for criminal caricatures.
“Italy gave the world Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Dante, Galileo, Verdi, Puccini and Marconi. Yet another American television production chooses to emphasize mobsters, violence and buffoonery,” says DiMino.
Andre DiMino, president of IAOVC
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Cast of Caricatures
The IAOVC president criticized performers of Italian heritage who participate in the series, specifically Turturro and Tonioli.
“It is especially disappointing, and frankly shameful, when people of Italian heritage take part in perpetuating the very stereotype that has wounded our community for generations,” DiMino stated.
“These images shape how Americans and the world see Italians and Italian Americans. They affect how our children are teased in school, how our young people are viewed by employers, and how our community is judged.”
On October 19, DiMino made an appeal directly to Italy's diplomatic representatives in the United States. In a letter addressed to Ambassador Marco Peronaci, Italian consular officials, and tourism authorities, he warned that the series could damage Italy's international reputation and undermine its cultural standing.
The controversy raises a familiar question: Where does entertainment end and ethnic stereotyping begin?
“We are done being the punchline,” DiMino declared. “Italians and Italian Americans have earned respect, not ridicule.”
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Editor's Note:
The web site for the Italian American One Voice Coalition is: https://www.iaovc.org
The web site for the Conference of President of Major Italian American Organizations is: https://copomiao.org
The web site for “The Mob” on Hulu is: https://www.hulu.com/guides/reality-tv/competition-reality/the-mob-show
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