"Guido"

For my Comp and Rhet class, I have to do an Individual Analysis to show how rhetoric has an affect on everything around us. I decided I wanted to do mine on the word "Guido".The Jersey Shore cast calls themselves “Guidos” and “Guidettes”, and being from Eastern Pa, I have the luxury of taking day trips to the Jersey Shore in the summer, and have never heard of a “Guido” or “Guidette” – “Guidette” is the femal counter part to the “Guido” -until this show came out. Since the show came out, it seems like thousands of "Guidos" and "Guidettes" have popped out of the woodwork, so I decided to see where this term came from, and what it actually means.

Originally, the term “Guido” was referred to lower class or working Italian Americans. Over time this became a derogatory term for all Italian Americans. It became a synonym for words like “Guappo”, “Dago”, and “Guinea”.Recently, “Guido” has steered away from disrespecting a person’s roots, and has started describing a person who carries himself or herself in a certain way. Sources date this change in meaning back in the 1970-1980s range, but no one is certain of when it happened. Coincidentally enough, the entire Jersey Shore cast was born in the 1980’s, so this could very possibly be the first generation of “Guidos” that reflects a particular lifestyle. The term actually lost all of its connections to the Italian heritage. A few member of the Jersey Shore cast, who call themselves “Guidos” or “Guidettes”, are not even Italian, which could be the ultimate proof that the term is no longer a reflection of Italian immigrants.
  

  This lifestyle has been endorsed and defined by the Jersey Shore cast in front of millions of viewers. It is believed that the new meaning of “Guido” is a person who carries themselves in an over macho manner. This macho manner does not exclude the women either; they make it perfectly clear that they are "tough" or "bitches".It is apparent that this term has had a complete change in meaning. From being a synonym to words like “Guappo”, whose intent it was to offend, to being endorsed and encouraged by a cast of people on a “reality” television show. The funny thing is that since the show, the term has created a new negative meaning for itself. People make fun of "Guidos" because of the Jersey Shore cast. So maybe it's safe to say the word has evolved in meaning, but not in reputation.