People always say that The Godfather Part I and Part II are “guy movies” but I’ve easily seen both movies dozens of times. I love Al Pacino’s performance as Michael Corleone. I love Marlon Brando’s hammy performance as Don Vito. I love the iconic lines, and I even love Diane Keaton standing out like a sore thumb as Kay. But one of my favorite parts of both films is Fredo Corleone, played brilliantly by the late John Cazale, who died far too young (he was engaged to Meryl Streep too, you know). Cazale’s Fredo is ratty, shifty and weak. He ultimately sells out his family and his little brother Michael sends him out on a boat ride to nowhere. But Michael waited until their mother died, because that’s the code – you can only put a hit on your own brother after your parents have died.
So, I believe Italian-Americans when they say they’re offended by the mafia/gangster stereotypes perpetuated with The Godfather movies and other mob movies. I get it. But… I still enjoy the movies, sorry. Anyway, all of this to say that CNN anchor Chris Cuomo gets really offended when people call him Fredo. Cuomo is from one of the most well-known Italian-American families on the east coast. His family built their name and legacy in politics. Chris Cuomo is the brother of Andrew Cuomo, the current governor of New York, and son of Mario Cuomo (former governor of NY). Is Chris “the Fredo” of the Cuomo family? I don’t know and that question is probably quite offensive. It’s also offensive to go up to Chris Cuomo and call him Fredo. NSFW language:
A man in NY yesterday approached CNN's Chris Cuomo and called him "Fredo"
Cuomo: "You're going to have a problem"
Man: "What are you going to do about it?"
Cuomo: "I'll fuckin ruin your shit. I'll fucking throw you down these stairs"
Credit: "THAT'S THE POINT with Brandon" pic.twitter.com/4iWwzaSQpF
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) August 13, 2019
Donald Trump Jr. and the other Deplorables are trying to amplify this and make this into a thing, so that’s how you know it was a set-up. CNN’s statement confirms it too, with their official statement: “Chris Cuomo defended himself when he was verbally attacked with the use of an ethnic slur in an orchestrated setup. We completely support him.”
The one criticism I have is that Cuomo seems to think “Fredo” is some kind of giant ethnic slur, which… to me, it’s far from the worst ethnic slur. But I’m not Italian-American, and I haven’t lived with those particular slurs and stereotypes all my life, so I’ll just shut my mouth. Obviously, Cuomo snapped. To me, it doesn’t really matter – this guy obviously got in Chris Cuomo’s face and called him “Fredo” as a way to try to instigate this kind of incident.
Photos courtesy of Getty.
Mario Cuomo worked very hard to dispel that myth that Italian-Americans are all mobsters – in fact, it’s often said that he couldn’t run for President because there were so many nasty and unfounded rumors about mob connections . But then you’ve got little Andrew and his aide’s (Percoco) ziti crimes (that’s how they talked about what they were doing, a Soprano’s reference). So I’m sure Chris is upset because of his father’s stance – Andrew fell far from the tree.
^^^^
See, now, ziti crimes? That’s offensive.
It’s a Sopranos reference and they did use the term.
Who is they? I had to look it up. Not Andrew Cuomo. His aide did. And ziti was what he called the bribes, so I think it means that is what he called the money. But that’s kind of semantics. Andrew Cuomo did not. I’m not getting into another thing all day here again. Google it people. I’ll leave it there.
PS – it’s offensive. Don’t say it. Don’t repeat it if you think someone else said it. Don’t say Andrew Cuomo said it so it’s okay for me to say it. BUT…it’s still not the n-word.
I said his aide & I also said it was a Soprano’s reference. Percoco was little Andrew’s closest aide, “like a brother”. Little Andrew knew & approved of the deals. That’s common knowledge. In fact, the whole thing would make a great mini series & I hope to one day be able to watch it.
Andrew Cuomo knew of and approved the bribes? And that’s common knowledge? Excellent, that should make it easy for you to link me up. Let’s see the link.
And no, you did not say his aide, here is what you did say: But then you’ve got little Andrew and his aide’s (Percoco) ziti crimes.
As an Italian American, I can tell you definitely that the Sopranos should not be your guide as to how you speak to or about someone of Italian heritage.
Andrew is a little shady and I just don’t care. He has really stepped up to protect the rights of vulnerable New Yorkers, pushing back hard against all the trump administration bs. I’m in the minority in that I like our governor and think he’s doing a good job.
@aang… I am ok with him but he really needs to do better regarding NYC subways. That is his jurisdiction and he’s really failed there.
Andrew Cuomo is more than a little shady, his politics are as messy as anyone (one example – he vetoed a bill of ours that passed both chambers, no easy feat, for the sole reason one of the bigger associations had a minor objection and by vetoing he would have leverage over them) and his ego is ginormous, even for a politician. Joke around Albany, and much of downstate, is he really wanted to name the new Tappan Zee Bridge after himself and only begrudgingly named it after his father.
@Mac, I was laughing at the “oh it’s from the Sopranos” stuff. I am pretty sure they threw around the word whore on that show too. You call me that and then say “it’s okay! it’s from The Sopranos!” we’re gonna have a problem.
Hammy? Brandi was genius as The Godfather. GENIUS.
yeah, hammy is what he was in The Freshman. Vito Corleone was done brilliantly.
Genius AGREED. The Godfather is one of my all time favorite movies mostly b/c of Brando and Pacino’s performances. And yes Part II with Robert De Niro as the young Vito Corleone. These movies are masterpieces IMO.
I am half Italian, I don’t consider it an ethnic slur. Certainly, it is in no way comparable to the n-word which is what Cuomo claimed. My first reaction to this was very negative, I think he’s out of control and has a real anger problem. People on twitter freaked out at me for saying so. I understand that righties verbally attacked him, I’m not defending them. But man, at some point isn’t how you react about you and not them? Imagine this same thing but instead of Cuomo it’s Cory Booker.
Yeah. Well, I love Cory Booker. He’s a man.
yes, at some point how you react says more about you than it does about the person you’re reacting to. I’m not advocating for anyone to just lie down and take abuse but Chris’s response seemed really out of bounds compared to what he was called.
I think his reaction was way over the top. Better to walk away than be filmed screaming and cursing and threatening to hurt the troll.
When did Fredo become an ethnic slur? I never heard of this.
While that may be true. Sometimes people are in really bad moods and the simplest thing can set them off. I am going to give Chris the benefit of the doubt and say he was just in a really bad mood that day.
As an Italian American whose father was a real estate developer, my entire life has been innuendos and accusations that my father was in the mob. Having your family constantly being accused of being criminals wears on a person. Cuomo is fed up and it shows. And, yes, Fredo is a slur because it is being used in a derogatory fashion to otherize someone.
What is out of control about his response? Maybe if the instigator had actually been thrown down the stairs I might concur that his response was out of control.
If you put yourself in his shoes, he’s out (with his family?) And someone approaches him who clearly has an agenda and it obviously is not a friendly overture. In that case I would have likely responded similarly. With verbal aggression. … it’s called fight or flight.
Ps. My new scary comeback is. “I’m about to ruin your shit”. Not in here. But
Maybe in the world for the a-holes that need to back off
I nodded in approval at “I’m about to ruin your shit,” too. Although I wish he hadn’t said the part about throwing him down the stairs, I didn’t for one second believe he’d actually do it. Gah, this world.
Yeah, I am so done with this toxic masculinity. Another reason I am voting for a woman in the primary.
Esmom: at first I read it as him saying “I’m going to ruin your shirt 👔 “
At which point I thought it was the most genteel but slightly aggressive comeback I have ever heard. Awarding him additional points for class and humour. Lolz
Krakken, LMAO. Oh man, now I really wish that’s what he said.
It was said with the intent to wound someone based on their ethnicity. Italian Americans have a point (as do the Irish) that some stereotypes are tolerated as long as they impugn some ethnic groups and not others. Look how many people here are saying this isn’t offensive, when the stereotype is based on Italians being criminals. It is offensive.
Of course it’s not exactly the same because the Italians and Irish had an easier time assimilating, but ideally we would like in a world where it is never ok to make fun of someone based on their ethnicity or heritage.
Italian Americans did not have such an easy time assimilating. In the mass wave of immigration from Southern Italy in the early 20th century between 35-40% of Italians ended up returning to Italy because of the difficulties they faced. One of the largest mass lynchings in US history was of a group of Italian men in New Orleans.
In no way is “Fredo” on the same level as the n-word, and that’s what I have a problem with here. Cuomo should know better than to make the comparison.
I’m Italian and not offended by that word…especially since it’s the name of a movie character ffs. Comparing it to the n-word is just insane.
I must be missing something. I fail to see why anyone would call Chris Cuomo Fredo.
Fredo is what I call Trump Jr.
Based on that reaction I’d call Chris the Santino of the family.
LOL
Yes! Sonny couldn’t control his temper if his life depended on it……unfortuneatly that’s what ended him.
lol, yes! Or Vincent… “Temper like his father.”
OMG YES SANTINO
I call the older Trump boys Uday and Qusay.
This looks to me like a complete set-up to get a reaction from a public figure.
I remember Mario, I did know that Andrew is son of Mario, current Gov, and I think he is the SO of Sandra the blonde tv cooking show host whose last name is not popping into my head. Chris I know is also a son of Mario. That is all I know about family Cuomo.
Now, setting up a public figure to get a response bugs me.
A guy is out with his family going about his day. Zero need to name call anybody.
This is sh*t stirring for attention, trying to make something outta nothing.
So much BS these days, anything for clicks or attention.
I, personally, have had insults tossed at a family member in public from some random loud mouth…and you better believe it trigged my temper. I went right up and told that jerk to shut up, period. Shut up, get away from us right now! No, I am on Team Chris Cuomo on this.
His honey is Sandra Lee of the cocktails and unfortunate Kawanzaa cake (search for it in YouTube). She used to be a fixture on Food Network but I haven’t heard from her in years.
Andrew Cuomo was also Ethel Kennedy’s former son in law (he was married to Kerry who cheated on him with the horse trainer – preinternet gossip!). Andrew also doesn’t have much of a sense of humor – I just finished reading Kennedy Heirs.
Oh my god LOL I did not know he was married to Sandra Lee. My friend and I used to watch her cooking show just to make fun of her and laugh. What ever happened to her?
I remember her “tablescapes”! So tacky!
Her thing was “semi-homemade”, so she used a ton of processed food. She’d barely make any changes and call it her own spin. I remember when she made pudding from a box, threw Nila wafers on the top, and acted like it was a brilliant new idea.
As her Wiki says, she’s the “de facto 1st lady of New York”.
(Bwhahahaa!!! The Kawanzaa cake is in her wiki!)
I guess this means that the coverage Chris & CNN do on Drumpf & Drumpf Jr has hit home. So much that they felt they had to set up Chris to get a reaction. I totally understand why Chris reacted the way he did though I wish he hadn’t said the bit about the stairs. I’m a Canadian who knows next to nothing about NY politics and am Team Chris.
As a woman of Italian immigrants, the references to mafia, gangster, crime affiliations are constant.
I can see why Chris snapped. Think this is the first time he has been called Fredo?
To all of the half-Italians or great-great-grandparents were Italian, it’s far easier to not be offended when it’s a rare occurrence.
Ask a Sicilian with an Italian name how they feel? Yes, it’s a slur and we are tired of it.
And Mario refuses to see the movie for years because he too was tired of the criminal stereotype bc it is damaging.
Sometimes it’s better not to take the bait. And I never heard of Fredo being the N word for Italians.
it isn’t. in any way, shape or form.
there are lots of offensive things and names and comments i’ve heard in my life that are cruel and upset me and my family. i don’t like it and it is insulting. the mob and jersey shore comparisons are offensive AF. but i don’t believe there is a slur for white people that compares to the N word or other cruel ethnic slurs for latinos or asians.
no matter how disenfranchised or mistreated italian or irish immigrants were at one point in this country – the fact remains that b/c they were white they had a built in benefits. slavery and colonization stopped the clock on entire continent in an attempt to destroy and entire culture. slaves were not voluntarily immigrants and they were not treated like people. and – the historic discrimination against white immigrants certainly did not deaden their enthusiasm to hate others they perceived as less than b/c they were and are still disgustingly racist themselves. so – i repeat – there is no comparison.
As much as I love TGF, Puzo had limited knowledge of the mafia and life in Sicily outside of the research he conducted. He was thorough, but he presented a sometimes stereotypical view of Italians. The way he characterizes Michael in the book, mamma mia! He goes pazzo when he meets Apollonia. Coppola and Scorsese were closer to the real thing and Coppola is the one who gave the stories an authentic feel.
Agreed. The movie was far better than the book & that’s because of Coppola. And his amazing cast.
He shouldn’t compare, we shouldn’t compare, nor should we speculate. He was offended and responded. He didn’t actually touch anybody.
The thing is when we go to these sensitivity trainings that HR mandates, the message isn’t you don’t think you offend someone if you say something. You’ve offended them if that person thinks the message is an insult. Believe me they drill that into your head. It’s not the message it’s how it’s interpreted.
i’m italian american and while it is an insult – fredo is not an ethnic slur. i see why it offended him bc the implication is that he is from a mob family and he’s the loser and disloyal is rude on both counts but a slur it is not. his assertion that its a slur is more offensive than the insult.
but – fredo wasn’t actually dumb – he was soft and lazy. his father was trying to protect him for a life he was born into and wasn’t cut out for. he was a tragic figure and deeply loved by his family but he felt betrayed by them and it allowed for a chain of events that almost had his brother’s family killed. his death represents the last shred of michael’s humanity being destroyed.
i highly recommend the HBO documentary “I knew it was you” about john cazale – who played fredo. it is really beautiful and you see some of the best actors to ever live really open up about him and be vulnerable in a way that rare and wonderful.
Al’s segments in I Know It Was You were really beautiful. 🙂
Interesting… some of the posters with an agenda against the Duchess of Sussex are commenting now against Chris Cuomo. What was that connection between disliking the DOS and the right-wing again?
Did Chris Cuomo actually make the comparison to the N word? If so, that’s ridiculous. I’ve got no problem with his response in the moment though.
What? Does she have to be brought into EVERY story now?
Yeah, sorry, it’s just because that’s where I first noticed a group with an agenda has started posting on here (haven’t had the intestinal fortitude to keep up with politics for a while now, just dip my toe in occasionally, so maybe they’ve been active for longer than I realize). They seem to have right wing leanings and they’ve been especially virulent on the royal pages (although they’ve started being a little more subtle now that it’s been mentioned several times). But they never fail to criticize/attack/take digs at people who most of us would consider pretty politically neutral (like Prince Harry, the DOS, and a mainstream news anchor), but who make the political right froth at the mouth (not that they’re ever very far from that anyhow). I don’t appreciate having my escapist fun interrupted by right wing astroturfers and I’m hoping this batch gets driven off soon.
PS- I don’t think you’re one of them, and there are methods of studying the text that can enable you to pick them out from regular posters who just disagree with the majority.
“It’s like the n-word for us” ummm what Chris? How the hell is a character name (although I get the aversion to being associated with the mob) akin to a historically violent, racist and demeaning term. I wasn’t aware Italians have been lynched, drawn and quartered, barred from civil rights while being called Fredo. I was offended by this comparison. My mother watches him and loves him so I’ll keep it cute.
Exactly this. Chris is pathetic for this one. Just because he got his feelings hurt by being referred to as the simple-minded brother who was passed over for a position of power does not give him the right at all to trivialize the N-word. I can’t believe CNN is really trying to say that he was right for that.
Actually, italians were lynched.
The March 14, 1891 New Orleans lynchings were the murders of 11 Italian Americans in New Orleans, Louisiana by a mob for their alleged role in the murder of police chief David Hennessy after some of them had been acquitted at trial. It was perhaps the largest single mass lynching in U.S. history.
I agree with you on the rest, though. Just important to know and respect italian-americans history in the country and to remember.
My one major issue is him equating being called Fredo to being called the n-word. Not the same thing. At. All. And I really wish people stop thinking they can finds words to equate with that one. Unless the word in question comes with the baggage of slavery, lynchings and hundreds of years systemic oppression don’t even go there.
As for the rest of it. I don’t blame him for what he said to the guy one bit.
I can’t even wrap my head around the fact he thinks it’s the n-word for Italians, that is beyond parody. Nonetheless, I am a big proponent of reminding people that real-life is not the internet, and if you’re going to be a troll and throw insults in someone’s face, you may very well get your ass kicked. People on the right love calling people ‘snowflakes’, and leaning into some misguided idea of masculinity, so I’m not sure what the point of this was.
LOL, well, that is a good point. (real life trolling vs being a keyboard tough guy). I can’t deny that. I don’t admire this behavior, I just find it instinctively and deeply repellent. But you make a good point here.
Trump is now calling Cuomo “Fredo” on Twitter. Gross af.
And I thought “sp–” or “w-p” were the Italian equivalent to the n word?
If anyone has twitter, just go on and reply to POSOTUS with #racisttrump multiple times. I did. Petty? Yeah, and I DGAF. That gets under his thin orange skin.
Personally, I say good for Cuomo. It’s time for decent people to put a stop to all this bullying from the deplorables. They threaten prominent liberals as well as their families including CHILDREN. Cuomo has been on several lists of deranged Trump supporters who wanted to kill people they viewed as ‘enemies’. His workplace, CNN has received numerous bomb threats. This man got in Cuomo’s face looking for a fight. The fact that he found one is on him,
As a Black woman, I don’t think that ‘Fredo’ compares with ‘the n-word’ (I hate that phrase) but I understand how Italian Americans feel about the mafia label that gets thrown at them. The world would be a much better place if Mario Cuomo had been free of the mafia slurs and able to run for President. Mario Cuomo was one of the greatest American politicians and would have been an amazing President.
I hope CNN continues to support Chris and I hope he doesn’t apologize. Enough is enough.
I agree with you on the bullying. Trump has enabled and elevated bullies, and as we know, they go well beyond childish name-calling like this.
As an Italian American, I think this is an absolute crock of shit. I have never in my life met anyone, family or otherwise, from Italy or of Italian American origin who finds the term FREDO to be an ethnic slur on par with the N word. The fact that Chris even compared the two really trivializes the N word. The person talking shit to him was a loser troll looking to piss him off and get a reaction and was completely wrong… but Chris comparing being called Fredo to someone using the N word is stupid.
He compared “Fredo” to the n-word. You’ve got to be kidding me.
What??? My Italian landlord and I were just talking about this and she was cracking up. She said Fredo is not a racial slur. She said the most offensive Italian slur is calling an Italian a ‘guinea’. Chris over reacted here. Defending himself? He could have done without threatening harm. He definitely has the right to defend himself but I think he went a drop harder than necessary.
Idk if I would call it a racial slur (Italians are technically white after all) BUT I can see how some people would consider it an ethnic slur. Chris Cuomo supposedly has temper issues and allegedly got into bar fights on a pretty regular basis when he was in college. “Fredo” really goes beyond an ethnic slur, it’s calling a man out for being weak and for not representing the family well so a hyper-masculine man with possible temper problems is most definitely going to be triggered by the term regardless of their ethnicity. This troll knew that and Cuomo fell right into the trap. IMO he’s saying that it’s on par with the “N” word to justify his action. FTR, I don’t blame him for what he did.
It’s unfortunate they baited him with an insult, but from now on, all know, I will ruin your shit.
Or, as suggested by up thread comments, your shirt.
The Godfather movies are only guy movies if you watch them through a macho lens, essentially misunderstanding them, But I have never heard of Fredo being a slur, wtf? An insult, yes, but not a slur. The “w” word is a slur. Fuck Trump for picking up on it, though.
Yep, you nailed it, that is the big Italian slur, no doubt about it. Agree about trump. But what else is new? It’s not like he has a JOB right? He’s just president!
Yes, the w word or the sp word are far more racist than Fredo.
The people attacking Cuomo over this are the same people who defended Tucker Carson and his son when they got into a fight at a country club bar last year.
The troll definitely meant “Fredo” as an insult and an ethnic slur, associating Italian Americans with the Mafia. Cuomo was not wrong to be upset. He did go too far with equating what was said to him with that racial slur because they aren’t on the same level of horrid. But people aren’t always rational when upset. I think it is important to note that those attacking him the hardest for equating the two are the very same people who have defended the likes of Kyle Kashuv for use of that horrible racist word and probably have no problem using the term themselves.
DID Chris Cuomo compare using ‘Fredo’ to using the ‘n word’? I don’t see where he did that.
Edited to add: I watched the video and he DID make the comparison. He’s wrong and he knows better than that. I’ll put it down to heat of the moment and having to deal with some stupid fool trying to start a fight.
Chris gave me “life” defending himself! It was a set-up but one thing is certain, Deplorables will think twice before approaching anyone with their racial slurs. Good on you Cuomo
WORD.
I don’t agree that Fredo is an ethnic slur (an insult, sure) and I’ve never watched the Godfather movies ever so the Fredo reference would have gone way over my head. (I have this idea The Godfather movies seem very tedious to watch for some reason). But I think I would probably be reacting the same way if some random person came up to me and started heckling me for no reason while I was out and about with my family. So while Chris should not have yelled “I’m going to throw you down the stairs,” he restrained from any physical contact and this is admirable. No he didn’t keep his cool but honestly if I were out with my SO and kids I’d be doing the same thing.
I’m half-Italian/half-Irish. I grew up in Queens, NY just like the Cuomos.
This is the first I’m hearing that Fredo is an ethnic slur. And no way can it be compared to the N-word.
I watched the entire video. Forget about politics. Yes, the idiot was baiting Chris Cuomo to get a reaction. But nothing the guy said, should have provoked the torrent of abuse and threats of violence from Chris Cuomo. He threatened to throw the guy down the stairs and finally, towards the end of the video it appears that someone from the restaurant says, “I’m putting a stop to this now.”
Chris Cuomo’s ego and temper were out of control. He’s lucky that several people got between him and the dopey guy bating him. Otherwise there’s a good chance he would have potentially done what he threatened to do: throw the guy down the stairs. And then where would he be?
Same here, but i grew up on Long Island. Agree, this is very first I have heard of Fredo being an ethnic slur. And half my family is from Bensonhurst. Eventually a lot of them landed in, where else? Massapequa. Most of them are right wingers and very touchy about being Italian, they are the first ones to compare Italian ethnic slurs to the n word. No one considers Fredo an ethnic slur, come on.
I felt a second hand testosterone surge & I am NOT MAD AT IT. It would have been cool if he just ignored the guy but he was with his daughter & wife & sometimes eating shit just isn’t possible. Not all shows of masculinity are toxic either. This felt justified. Sometimes you need to go off.
Yeah, he was baited, but “Fredo” is not like the “N-word” for Italian-Americans. It could be seen as an insult, but CC blew it completely out of proportion. He has always been problematic; in 2008, he referred to Prince Harry as “expendable” when Harry was deployed since he was only the “spare” and not the “heir” (e.g., Prince William). https://www.huffpost.com/entry/abc-anchor-chris-cuomo-pr_n_89796
Chris Cuomo direct quote: ”I see being called ‘fake news’ as the equivalent of the N-word for journalists”, dude has always been a drama-queen and he (mis) uses the N-word equivalency argument for any pesky insults that come his way. It’s terrible that people get accosted in public but he was obviously having a bad day and lost his cool here.
I have no dog in this fight beyond learning what is and is not an ethnic slur. (I would never use the term Fredo anyway.)
I just like looking at Chris Cuomo. I’m ashamed to say how hot he is to me. Actually, i’m not ashamed. He’s f-ing hot.