Anthony DeVito is probably accustomed to casting notices for roles based on Italian stereotypes, but this one was so bad he couldn’t let it slide.  He posted a screencap of it on his Facebook with the caption, “This is real. I give the f-ck up.”   The casting notice was seeking white men aged 20 to 40 in New Jersey, New York, and Puerto Rico for a reality series called Ghostfellas.

Seeking real life tough guys, preferably Italian, but open to other types, who believe in ghosts, are fearless, and want to take on the most toughest/violent ghosts in the tri-state area for a new reality show.

We can see it now.  Fresh off a victorious ghost hunt in a Brooklyn pizzeria, their loyalty will be put to the test when they’re confronted with a situation which forces them to choose between ghost-hating or mob-respecting when they find what they believe might be the ghost of Lucky Luciano.  It’s their “most toughest” ghost yet in a pulse-pounding, canoli-stuffing season finale of Ghostfellas.

Also, this:

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A Staten Island man gave his wife a fatal beating because she refused to pay $5.75 a day for cable while he was in the hospital, police say. Thomas Scala, a retired longshoreman, was arrested last week after throwing an ashtray at his wife’s head last November, resulting in her death. Now, I know what you’re thinking: “A longshoreman who beat his wife? That’s impossible!” But it’s true. The story from the New York Post is grim yet filled with hilarious stereotypes:

Scala, a diabetic with a long history of medical issues, was arrested Thursday after a lengthy hospital stay and charged with assault. A grand jury will decide if he gets hit with murder or manslaughter charges, sources said.

“I’ve got no comment. Talk is cheap. Get the f- -k off my property. You ain’t seen me here,” Scala, who was released without bail, shouted before mooning a Post reporter and zooming away.

Added Scala, “AY! I’m walkin’ he-ah!”

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NBC has ordered a pilot for a sitcom about a lesbian couple. Good call! Lesbians are known for their free-wheeling senses of humor.

NBC gave the thumbs-up to a half-hour romantic comedy pilot called I Hate That I Love You. It’s from Will and Grace alum Jhoni Marchenko, and the logline is certainly eye-catching: “A straight couple introduces two of its lesbian friends to one another and what results is both instant attraction and a pregnancy.” [Vulture]

Honestly, I think it’s past time that open lesbians got shown on network TV beyond what we get from Ellen Degeneres. And as much as I like the femme-leaning glamorization of “The L Word,” this could be an opportunity to approach and break down stereotypes in a thoughtful manner. For example, there really ARE very nice, funny lesbians out there. The scowling, cargo-short-wearing dyke is just as reductive a stereotype as the hot pants/mesh shirt-wearing gay man. Which is to say: the funniest kind of stereotype! “Hot thtuff, comin’ through!”

[image via the artsy but NSFW Pussy le Queer]

I love many things about Japan: schoolgirl fetishes, subway groping, panty vending machines, tentacle porn, and Hello Kitty. But all of that fades to the background with this revelation: “Jersey Shore” will be shown in the Land of the Rising Sun under the name “MTV Jersey Shore: the New Jersey Life of Macaroni Rascals.” CNN Go explains:

With the average Japanese cable TV viewer being totally ignorant of American geography, the name “Jersey Shore” needed an explanatory subtitle. So MTV Japan has decided on「MTV Jersey Shore〜マカロニ野郎のニュージャージー・ライフ〜」, translated by us as “MTV Jersey Shore — the New Jersey life of macaroni rascals.”

Macaroni rascals? What? Our only guess is that the folks at MTV were looking for a way to translate the Italian-American epithet ‘guido’ and stumbled upon something more Japanese but equally un-PC. Since this is a family website, we translated ‘yaro’ (野郎) as ‘rascals’ but the pejorative word can take on much more R-rated nuances.

What are those “R-rated nuances,” you ask? Well, let’s just say that my Irish grandfather is no longer the only one calling Italians “macaroni assh-les.”

In response, a spokesman for the National Institute of Cheap Italian Stereotypes said, “Ay! Why you make-a fun? Mamma work-a so hard on that macaroni! You wanna break-a you mamma’s heart?”

It is now open season on stereotypes of chunky housewives, as Oprah’s show today was filmed on a set made entirely of chocolate.

Chocolate seats, chocolate tables, a chocolate chess set, a chocolate grandfather clock, chocolate wall coverings, chocolate flowers in a chocolate vase … on and on. The set, created by Larry Abel, even includes a chocolate fireplace. (Warning: Do not light a real fire in there.)

Part promotion, part wow factor, the set was created with nearly 7,000 Godiva chocolate bars and 2,400 Godiva truffles. There’s a chandelier made from 1,500 pieces of chocolate. [The Oprah Blog]

I’m going to guess that Oprah bypassed the opportunity to have a guest, and instead just read “Cathy” comics all hour. Reached for comment, the studio audience said, “NOM NOM NOM.”