New Reality Show Hopes To Capture The Real Southie

The family members who star in the new reality series “Southie Rules” are pictured in a promotional photo. (A&E)

A new reality show about Boston’s “Southie” neighborhood premiered last night on the cable channel A&E.

“Southie Rules” features the Niedzwiecki clan: matriarch Camille, her husband Walter and their kids Jonathan, Matt and Leah, along with their partners, kids and ever-present family friend Devin.

Ten people live under the same roof, dropping their r’s while running a tattoo parlor and trying to make ends meet.

“Southie Rules” is the first of a number of reality shows – including one from the producers of Jersey Shore – looking to cash in on the neighborhood made famous by films like “Good Will Hunting” and “The Departed,” and mobster James “Whitey” Bulger.

So what do South Boston residents think about the way their neighborhood is being portrayed?

We asked Maureen Dahill, who runs the website “Caught in Southie.” She was born and raised in South Boston and her family’s been there for generations.

Guest:

Maureen Dahill, co-founder of the “Caught in Southie” website. She tweets @maureencaught.

We welcome comments from all of our listeners. Post below. Please stay on topic and be civil. Comments may be moderated by us, but you are solely responsible for the content of your comments.

http://profile.yahoo.com/XOXKE3SOOSOO4USMQCJHD5JBDA Mo

C’mon! You can’t walk around Southie or Dorchester without hearing the word “wicked”! Sure, it’s used more to self-caricature nowadays, but it used, loud and proud.
http://profile.yahoo.com/XOXKE3SOOSOO4USMQCJHD5JBDA Mo

Southie is Polish, too. The Polish Triangle is there, Lithuanian Church…

Question – how long did it take for your guest to not have any discernible hint of any kind of New England accent?
Guest

Don’t care about the show but, the comment was made that there was no need of subtitles. The interviewee was a bit insulted. Well, she knows the vernacular… of course she was insulted. However, I know folks from the South who cannot understand fast-talking “yankees” and I know folks from the North who cannot understand Southerners. You don’t have to be from Europe to have a difficult access for some folks.
Justin

Cleahly, we ah wicked provincial up heah in New Hampshah, ’cause a lot of us still use the wohd…
Jackie

This “reality ” show is a fake . A&E should call it what it really is a sitcom !
It

I was surprised to hear a program like yours playing a SNL clip that disrespects the mentally challenged by using the word retarded in a disparaging way.