Italian Stereotypes List – Top 10 Funny Food, Culture, & Fashion Jokes!

Today I’ve got a guest post from Silvia Pe about Italian Stereotypes.

She is an Italian travel lover and a compulsive reader living in Sardinia. She works in tourism field for CharmingSardinia.com and runs the blog CharmingItaly.com, where she shares information about Italy. You can reach her on Facebook and Twitter.

Italian Stereotypes – Food, Culture and Fashion + A Bit More!

Here is a list of Silvia’s Italian Stereotypes!

1. Italians cannot live without pasta
2. Italian tablecloths are only red-checked
3. Italians are Mafiosi and the coolest of them is the “Godfather”
4. Italians talk a lot, with a strong musical accent and they are always gesturing while talking
5. Italians( boys and girls) are fashion addicted, or worse, fashion victims
6. Italians are tanned all year round
7. Italian guys are romantic, Casanovas and soccer players
8. Italians are “mammoni” (Mama’s little boy even in their 30’s)
9. Italians are relaxed, thanks to our Dolce Vita style philosophy
10. Italians are always late

Stereotypes are parodying exaggerations and often, we only know the reputation and stereotypes of a foreign culture. All over the world, a common “image” of Italians is known (as well as the French, the British and the Spanish), even though the actual knowledge of the country is superficial. Like Australian Stereotypes!

What usually happens is that the media uses the stereotypes especially in advertising, movies and in regards to VIP. As a result, it is no difficult to see certain characteristics as being typical for some nations.

I know this very well, because I have experienced it first-hand. I have lived in Spain and in the UK for a few years. What happened to me was that I had the chance to talk to people I had just met, about such grotesque representations. Italians are not all members of the mafia, fashion addicts, lazy and, least of all, not everyone votes (or has voted) for Silvio Berlusconi!

At first sight Italian stereotypes are funny and, surely, I appreciate a healthy discussion about different viewpoints but stereotypes can be problematic.

So, let me clarify the 10 most famous Italian Stereotypes.

Italian Stereotypes – Funny or Problematic?

1. True. Estimated per capita consumption of pasta in Italy is around 28 Kg every year. This means 2,3 Kg of Pasta each month. There is no doubt: Italians eat pasta almost every day, so you can still assert that Italians can’t live without pasta!

2. True & False. Red and white tablecloths are classical on Italian tables, especially in the “trattorie” or “agriturismi”… nearly all Italian families have checked tablecloths because, as Lacryma Christi label said, “Red and white table cloths went perfect with wines and roses which were eventually also added as a décor, in the centre of the table”.

3. False. Mafia is a cruel reality in southern Italy, the only cool people are Marlon Brando and Al Pacino. No more comments are necessary.

4. True. Gestures emphasise the meaning of anything Italians say, something that come from the heart and can mean a lot of things that language cannot express.

5. True. From North to South, Islands included, fashion is part of Italian DNA. Even the most anti-trendy ones have an eye for accessories, colours match, haircut or perfumes.

6. False. If you could look at me, you’d never think that Italians are always tanned. Maybe, someone overdoes it with the sunlamps, but in this case their skin colour looks ridiculous and not tanned!

7. False. Italian guys are romantic? Not at all! there are a lot of beautiful men on the peninsula, but being romantic is another story! Italian guys love football, but there is only one, Alex del Piero. Casanova: as in all countries, men think to be clever so, it is not an Italian-boy prerogative. If you don’t know, Casanova is also the name of a male neurosis, a kind of pathological narcissism which is incurable! In this case, yes, all Italian men are Casanova 😉

8. False. Please, ask Italian politicians why we are still at home in our 30s!

9. False. Having a positive attitude, or taking the life easy, doesn’t mean being lazy or wasting time doing frivolous things. Yes, we love eating and having free time but who doesn’t?

10. True & False! We are not late, because if the appointment is around 10.00 everyone arrives at 11.00! Unfortunately foreigners don’t understand this habit and always arrive before the actual hour of the meeting!

The point is that stereotypes transform serious and complicated issues, turning then into general realities, regardless of time relation or historical knowledge, like when people talk about the mafia in a superficial and tactless way.

Of course, stereotypes are a controversial topic, but we basically all know that there are black and white sheep in every herd.

I hope you have enjoyed these top 10 most famous Italian stereotypes, but folks please, don’t take them too seriously!

Also, check out this list of silly Italian expressions and this take on Italian Culture and You Know You’ve Been in Italy too long when….!

Plus visit the House of Cheese!

Photo Credits: https://www.pinterest.com/charmingitaly/to-know-about-italy-b4-u-die/