You've 'Gotti' Be Kidding

[John]

You 'Gotti' be kidding

'Growing Up' grows very dull very fast, despite its star

(1/2 star out of 4)

Victoria Gotti, daughter of the late John Gotti, starts her unscripted reality TV series, "Growing Up Gotti," by complaining about being prejudged.

"People make a lot of stupid assumptions about me when they hear my last name," Gotti says. "Like I run the mob, or that I'm connected. The truth is, the only mob I run is the one I have at home."

She's referring to her three grown (or rapidly growing) sons, Carmine, John and Frank.

Later in the premiere of "Growing Up Gotti," which A&E unveils tonight at 9:30 (a second half-hour episode, not available for preview, follows immediately), Victoria considers putting her house up for sale, and opens her 6-acre estate to real estate agent Mona Gold.

Much to Victoria's surprise, she and Mona bond. They even compare, or at least discuss the origins of, their substantial busts.

"Never prejudge, right?" Mona says to Victoria before she drives away.

Right. We get it. Don't prejudge.

But as a TV critic, I have every right — in fact, a duty — to postjudge. And after seeing "Growing Up Gotti," I have to say this new A&E series is one of the worst ideas for a reality show I've seen all year.

This series isn't so much tasteless as pointless.

While claiming to distance herself from a "Sopranos"-type mob image, Victoria, in "Growing Up Gotti," never really lets it go.

One of the big activities in the premiere has the recently divorced Victoria venturing back into the dating world, but the adjustment is eased when her editor at Star magazine persuades her to go to a celebrity matchmaking service. (Hey, why didn't I think of that?)

The date quickly goes awry, and she challenges him at dinner by asking such sarcastic questions as "You don't think I look like a hit woman?" and offering such warm advice as "You say things before you think — stupid things."

The date between brassy blond Victoria and aging, balding Ed — which would have been fodder for a terrific celebrity episode of "Blind Date" — ends prematurely and awkwardly.

As she dismisses her car to take Ed home, she kids with the driver by offering $1,000 to "take him to a ditch somewhere."

I really hope she was kidding.

Otherwise, on further reflection, I think I like this show a lot more than it may sound like so far.

One insurmountable liability in the premiere is that almost nothing happens.

There probably isn't a person in America who doesn't feel his or her life would be fertile ground for a reality show, if not a sitcom or grand drama — but most of them are wrong.

The three sons, based on what's captured on camera, are impolite, insensitive and sloppy. In other words, they're like almost every other young man at their respective ages. And while Victoria Gotti is far from the average wife and mother, what she does on camera is decidedly, disappointingly average.

When Mona, the realtor enters the home, she immediately notes a picture of John Gotti on a front table.

"He put the 'd' in 'dapper,'" Mona tells Victoria approvingly.

Yeah, and he also put the "d" in "mob Don."

Here, though, daughter Victoria, with "Growing Up Gotti," seems content to put the "d" in "dull."

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertain...p-187569c.html

[Biggyrat]

I aggree with you. This show to me keeps showing and bringing up the name of John Gotti. And to try to make this show go by using this Murderous animals name is going to far.....I am giving this show a rating of minus 10 on a scale of +1-10.

A&E has really scraped the bottom of the barrel on this one. John Gotti is lower than a snake as far as I am concerned. And to put his name and picture in any TV series is terrible....

[Biggyrat]

I also wanted to add. That if Gotti's daughter doesn't want to to looked at like a mobsters daughter. Then why did she tell the driver to find a deep raven and "roll" her date..... What did she mean by that.... That is what a criminal would say, in my opinion. I'll tell ya what she meant. She is truely a descendant from her murderous father, and I think she is very connected to the mafia mob!!!!!!!

[AmazingRaceMan]

I wanted to see it, but I missed it, I guess I didn't miss anything good

[dolliemaria]

I was wondering if y'all actually checked out the show.. I watched it and thought it was good and funny. I like how A&E has brought something new to their table. If nothing else you get a good laugh out of it, atleast I did.. And as for what she said to the limo driver, the guy she had been on the date with deserved it (in my opinion). And she was just telling him basically to dump him off in a ditch and let him walk home or something.

[theglowgurl]

That's pretty harsh. Victoria might not even be involved in the mob stuff. Like it sounds like they are two different people a family person and then that person. I don't know how it all works or whatever but like I still think she is fun to watch and down inside she does have a good heart. Her kids are fun to watch to.In addittion , like even though they might not like them that's still the kid's grandfather and still her dad. It doesn't matter if they were hitler .Who wants to hate their parents ya know?

[Qboots]

Just popping in to make a comment while the threads are open. Imagine my surprise at returning from 3 weeks vacation only to find an entirely new forum at the FORT, complete with a full page of threads, all of which were locked for bad behavior!

While I originally cringed at the thought of this show, (not a big fan of the mafioso), I'm actually finding it somewhat entertaining. And I've really enjoyed reading comments from both sides of the argument. (Well, the ones that weren't deleted anyway. )

Of course, if these folks start fitting anyone with cement shoes, I'm outta here.

[fluff]

I watched a couple of rerun episodes the other night and actually enjoyed it to.

I think that was partly due to the fact I had read spegs recaps earlier in the day and was remembering her interpretation of events as I was watching them unfold.

[dagwood]

I tried to watch it and couldn't stand it. I wanted to smack the heck out of her boys for being such disrespectful little twerps and I wanted to tell her she tans too much. Her face looks wrong. Plus she needs a haircut...I just don't think her hair looks good on her. Maybe if she got it thinned. I know, it's all superficial but it bugged me. :phhht

I will stick with Spegs recaps.

[Amy Lee]

I also wanted to add. That if Gotti's daughter doesn't want to to looked at like a mobsters daughter. Then why did she tell the driver to find a deep raven and "roll" her date..... What did she mean by that.... That is what a criminal would say, in my opinion. I'll tell ya what she meant. She is truely a descendant from her murderous father, and I think she is very connected to the mafia mob!!!!!!!

Yeah, i was thinking that if she is doing this show to dispel some sort of stereotype about her family, that line ruined it all. Even if she was just being funny about.