Paulie Bangzz (Paul Wallace) is a 15-year-old self-proclaimed guido from Dyker Heights, Brooklyn.
Katie: I want to show like the real lives of guidos, like a more well-rounded portrayal than what people just know from "Jersey Shore." So you would definitely proudly call yourself a guido?
Paulie: Most definitely. Living in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, there are quite a few of us here.
Katie: What makes a guido? Can you help me define it?
Paulie: Well, it's an full-blooded Italian that not only is proud of his heritage but wants to portray it. He cares about his family and his appearance and although people think we are just juice heads who like techno we like to have a good time and there is no doubt in my mind that guidos will do anything for their family [sic].
Katie: How would you say that a guido portrays his heritage?
Paulie: By showing the Italian flag, speaking Italian in the streets, eating mostly Italian food.
Katie: Oh sweet, can you speak Italian? I can't.
Paulie: Si io parlo italiano. That means 'I speak Italian,' hahaha.
Katie: Nice. Is your family totally Italian, do you do it up on holidays with the seven fishes and all that? [Ed. note: the feast of the seven fishes is a strong American-Italian tradition that came from southern Italy, and involves having seven seafood dishes on Christmas Eve. Some families have 9-13 kinds of seafood, because Italians always go big.]
Paulie: My family is mostly Italian. I am 3/4 Italian but I consider myself full. I never heard of that seven fishes but no, we don't do that. But for holidays we have dinner with family and just overall have a good time with each other. For Italians it's not about what the holiday is about, it's about your family having a good time.
Katie: What kind of Italian food do you guys usually have?
Paulie: Well right now mio mama is cooking some pasta wit sauce. But it consists of stuffed shells, clams, sausage and peppers, heros [Ed note: sub sandwiches, for anyone who doesn't know], anti pasto [Italian appetizers: mostly cold cut meats and cheeses], pasta, penne vodka sauce, potato croquettes, ravioli.
Katie: Do you have a crew? Other people who call themselves guidos too?
Paulie: Yes, I do, but my crew doesn't really have that many guidos in it. Even though we're called B.F.G: Brooklyn's Finest Guidos.
Katie: Oh my God, that's amazing. What do you guys do for fun?
Paulie: Well we chill on 13th Ave - it's like a hangout spot for all the young Italians. And we go to the local movie theater... girls' houses hahahahaha, the clubs. Like last Friday, we went to Club Evolution. They were running this teen club thing. Very exciting, haha.
Katie: Do you consider going to the beach a part of your guido lifestyle, being from Dyker Heights?
Paulie: Coney Island aaaall day, hahaha.
Katie: Do you care about being tan?
Paulie: Tan, eh. But girls are Number One. I hook up wit about like five girls a month. Girls like me - I have a good personality and a cute face. My body is OK. I'm outgoing and I have good manners, I'm funny and tall, and I play football.
Katie: I wanted to ask how you meet all these girls.
Paulie: Well facebook and school, they all know Paulie Bangzz, haha.
Katie: If you hook up with that many girls a month and they're from your school, doesn't that turn into drama?
Paulie: They're not - they go to a different school. And it does, hahaha. But, I try not to do anything *too bad* haha.
Katie: What kind of girls do you look for? Italian, short, cute... [Here, Paulie gives me a list of his exes' names, and tells me to look them up on Facebook.]
Laura is a psycho. This girl Luisa likes me, but she's afraid of my ex. And this girl Luisa speaks full Italian, oh my god, I'm in love, haha! She's *bella*. Plus I have like a thousand friends wit benefits, hahaha.
Katie: What kind of music do you listen to?
Paulie: Metal!! And techno, rap, dance, and a little bit of Slipknot.
Katie: What techno acts do you like?
Paulie: Benny Benassi, Basshunter, The Sicilians, David Guetta.
Katie: What rappers do you like?
Paulie: Jay-Z and Eminem.
Katie: What dance music? I am being very thorough.
Paulie: Like quick fist-pumpin' music.
Katie: Do you do the fist pump?
Paulie: All day, boo!
Katie: What other dance moves?
Paulie: Frolic. And the jerk. [
Katie: How do you feel then about the popular image of the guido as a clubhead who has all gel in his hair?
Paulie: It's cool with me, haha.
Katie: You said that a guido would do anything for his family... is your family old school Italian like you live at home until you get married?
Paulie: Yeah. They're strict, too.
Katie: Strict how?
Paulie: Like being home on time, shit like that. [Note: I should've asked what time his curfew is!]
Katie: Are they on you to get good grades & get into a good college?
Paulie: The grade have to be okay. My mom likes me to get good grades. My dad is okay wit mid 80's.
Katie: Does everyone in your family go to college? In my Italian family, my dad was the first one to go to college.
Paulie: Ummm no my mom and dad didn't go to college, but they have okay jobs.
Katie: What do they do?
Paulie: My mom's a legal secretary and my dad works for the MTA.
Katie: Those are good jobs.
Paulie: Mm-hmm.
Katie: Oh, this is random but - does your mom make her own gravy? Or sauce if you guys call it that.
Paulie: My dad makes the sauce, and my mom is also kinda the cook.
Katie: What brands of clothes do you wear?
Paulie: Ed Hardy and skinny jeans.
Katie: Oh really, you rock the skinny jeans?
Paulie: All day, hahaha. [Ed. note: "all day" seems to be a favorite phrase.]
Katie: What kind of shoes?
Paulie: Nikes!
Katie: Do you like a little jewelry or no? [Ed. note: Normally I would say "or not," but "or no" is the way most non-college grads and children of non-college grads say it, so I intentionally went with that to seem like part of the club.]
Paulie: Rosary beads and an earring. [touches them. His earring is a diamond stud.]
Katie: Is it real or a fake one? probably fake since you're not like workin' full time earning a salary, huh?
Paulie: Nahh I work part-time as an umpire, but it's real.
Katie: Whoa that's a cool job. Is that only in the summers, though?
Paulie: Spring into summer.
Katie: I should ask: is being religious is important to guidos?
Paulie: Kinda. Not really.
Katie: Oh, interesting. I would have thought otherwise. You wear a rosary, though?
Paulie: Yeaah it's like we love God but we don't follow the good Christian life we supposed to. And fighting is really big. And respect.
Katie: Do youu think people fight to try to gain respect as like a MAN?
Paulie: Yeaah, definitely.
Katie: How did you get the nickname 'Paulie Bangzz?'
Paulie: Football and girls, ha.
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THE JERK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cqH3kMESl4
FROLIC: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTxTPMr_NaU
I will figure out how to describe these in detail at another time.
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Great interview. Really conveys the flavor of the thing. Your informed questions help a lot, I must say--don't know whether he would have been as forthcoming had you not been able to suggest things here and there. Two things struck me in particular: his directness in addressing his own physical attractiveness ("cute face," etc.), and especially the idea that his guido gang contains non-Italians! Would love to know more about those guys. BFG, in fact, could be an excellent group to focus on, if you're interested. And 13th Ave. gives you a place.
ReplyDeleteWish I knew where you had conducted this interview--will you add that to the top?
Okay, and one more question: does one's status as a guido expire after a certain age? Can a person be 40 and a guido? 60?
ReplyDeleteRemember to add to your About Me. Include not only the things that interest you about guido culture and the things you'd like to learn, but the nature of your personal connection. In other words, how do you know so much already?
ReplyDelete