How Low Can A&E Go? Growing up Gotti

In what is surely a sign of the impending apocalypse, A&E has not only entered the reality tv genre but has chosen Victoria Gotti and her gaggle of goombahs as the subject. The daughter of "Teflon Don" John Gotti, Victoria manages to combine the manly looks of Donatella Versace with the style and taste of Elvis as she opens up her tacky manse to the cameras.

It's a curious juxtaposition that America incarcerates more citizens per capita than any other nation yet celebrates its' criminals as folk heroes. Though technically innocent of any crime (unless you count her book) the money and fame that have flowed her way are soaked in blood rather than sweat. As for her brood, how can they be anything less than dysfunctional when their mass murdering grandpa died serving a life sentence and their father Carmine Agnello is currently doing time along with their numbskull uncle John Gotti Jr? How can you grow up normal when your family lineage causes everybody to quake with fear as they kiss your butt?

I'm very disappointed in A&E for stooping to this level (but yeah I'm gonna watch ) What next? The Gacy Bunch?? Growing up Bundy??

I think its GREAT! Usually you have to stoop to Fox to find this kind of programming. I for one will watch at least the first episode. That kind of over the top behavior is so NOT what my family does in its everyday life that it is an amusing contrast.

From a cultural antropology standpoint this era will no doubt be a footnote pehaps dubed "The age of Reality" but if it amuses people is there any harm?

deevee,

As for her brood, how can they be anything less than dysfunctional when their mass murdering grandpa died serving a life sentence

Actually, John Gotti never actually murdered anyone. Sammy the Bull did all his dirty work, but was allowed to be free if he testified against the Dapper Don. Just wanted to clear that up.

This broad thinks she is something else, hmm. That hair makeup and nails? You must have a pretty high opinion of yourself when your father is so bad, noone could get away with screwing him over (except Sammy). Imagine growing up this way? I have to watch it once.

Look at her kids, they think they're so damn tough. Wow, this reality tv crap is getting ridiculous.

I saw a commercial last night on it. What the hell!!! Reality TV sucks. The best thing thats close is JOE SHMOE. Im sure if my family was taped we would be off the wall also. Its just for attention, plus a little more money.

Originally posted by deevee
I'm very disappointed in A&E for stooping to this level (but yeah I'm gonna watch

) What next? The Gacy Bunch?? Growing up Bundy??

Obviously you're lacking foresight, A&E has set itself up for years to come:

"Juvie Hall Gotti"

"Grand Jury Gotti"

"Tried and Convicted Gotti" with the summer offshoots:

"Jury Tampering Gotti"

"Federal Appeal Gotti" and if the "baby" of the family is a "rat":

"Witness Protection Gotti"

"Penitentiary Gotti"

"Death Row Gotti"

"Taking The Needle Gotti"

"Gotti Redux"

Now that's a marketing plan.

It's all staged, all these pov shows that come out are scripted, I don't know why people are so intrigued by these far from "reality" shows, if I watched one of those shows i'd feel like a peeping tom. I wonder if these reality based shows are turning people into nosey peeping toms??

Let's watch the stats over the next few years to see if the number climbs...

btw, if Mrs.Gotti would of never met Mr.Gotti, she'd be living in a trailor park, and if Mr.Gotti never did any crime for monetary gain, he too would be livin it up trailor park style...

Their kids are monkey's and she's an attention whore, just a few more people I think need to be taken out of the gene pool... But thats just me.

How about "I Gotti Find Another Channel -- Muy Pronto!"

I saw the commercial and thought "Yuck!!" I don't think there's any way you could force me to watch it.

Howbout Spike Lee's "She's Gotti Have It"

Seriously though, even those who see the mob as honourable gotta hate Gotti. Sammy dropped a dime only because Gotti was fixing to make him take the fall.

Gotti committed the ultimate taboo by whacking the boss Paul Castelano without sanction.

Gotti goaded the Feds into going after him with all of their resources resulting in his inevitable downfall.

Gotti doomed the family by his nepostistic act of naming his intellectually challenged son John Jr. as boss while he was in Marion State.

And this family merits a tv show???? Those wacky (whacky) Gottis will soon be appearing on Ellen and Oprah and Americans will continue to wonder why the world laughs not with them but..

Originally posted by foxtrot_uniform
I saw a commercial last night on it. What the hell!!! Reality TV sucks. The best thing thats close is JOE SHMOE. Im sure if my family was taped we would be off the wall also. Its just for attention, plus a little more money.

I agree..the premis for that Joe Schmoe was absolutely hysterical, but that is the only one I ever saw. I didnt watch survivor or any of those

Oh, wait, the Lifetime Channel is gonna have one about how dirty your house is, or something to do with cleaning your house. I saw a commercial for it today.
It CAN get worse.

Originally posted by DontTreadOnMe
Oh, wait, the Lifetime Channel is gonna have one about how dirty your house is, or something to do with cleaning your house. I saw a commercial for it today.
It CAN get worse.

Hey anybody that has had to take microbiology would be grossed out by what you could culture out of an OR room. Its amazing we are not drowning in microbes......

The relaxation of media-ownership rules has permitted the rapid expanse of mindless programming (specifically so-called "reality tv").

"A&E Television Networks (37.5% owned by A.B.C.2, 25% owned by NBC Universal3, and 37.5% owned by Hearst Corporation)."

ABC = Disney... most people are already aware of Disney and their apparent agenda.

If you look closely, brainwashing techniques have been deployed across pretty much all the networks. For instance, look what they did to Discovery, TLC, Sci-Fi. No longer are there any intelligent shows.. it's all mindless crap.



[edit on 3-8-2004 by MindWarrior]

So, mindwarrior, do you think their agenda is the further brainwash the masses? A further dumbing down. Is it economic: look at the exorbitant salaries garnered by some TV stars (like Friends)??

Or, is it just a ploy to get everyone to upgrade to digital cable?
Or a combination??

Personally, I opted out of watching TV except in the morning. I do a monthly DVD plan.
There is nothing on cable. All the quality shows are gone, you are so right. Do we need to see any more poker tournaments or shows about Las Vegas and gambling?

As much as reality TV sucks I can't help but watch "Newlyweds" because dayum is Jessica Simpson a fine looking woman.

Originally posted by Faisca
As much as reality TV sucks I can't help but watch "Newlyweds" because dayum is Jessica Simpson a fine looking woman.

Faisca proves my point it is more important for a woman to be attractive than to be clever - men can see better than they can think.

What about Survivor Gotti - each week they can rub out a member of the family?

Faisca proves my point it is more important for a woman to be attractive than to be clever - men can see better than they can think.

Oh give me a break. Who cares if Jessica is dumb as bricks? It's called entertainment for a reason. I'm not watching it to be intellectually stimulated by some woman who spouts philosophy or scientific formulas. I'm intellectually stimulated all day long by having discussions with my friends and coworkers, and reading good books. I can't come home and relax with my girlfriend at night and watch a couple of reality tv shows, one of which "gasp" has a hot woman in it?

That makes me unintelligent or somehow I can't think? I take kind of offense at the fact that you stereotyped all men into "not being able to think," because I take great pride in my intelligence.

The point that I was trying to make was that I find it disgusting that a mobbed up family gets its own show and the Gotti name gets spun as something other than evil.

I watched the show last night, there were plenty of lingering shots of John Gotti's photo, plenty of wistful moments were Victoria wished he were still here. Plenty of sychophantic compliments to Victoria about her dad. John Gotti was a SCUMBAG MURDERER!!!

How about some wistful comments from the relatives of those that Gotti is responsible for killing?

This isn't about the guilty pleasure of watching a stupid hottie, its about glorifying a truly reprehensible man.

America goes all over the world hunting evil then puts its homegrown scum on tv as cutesy entertainment.

Oh I 100% agree with you, deevee. This show itself is ridiculous and shouldn't be on tv whatsoever. I mean jeez, Victoria Gotti isn't hot at all!