Why is it people love to claim they’re from Boston but are not? If you live in the suburbs, grew up in the suburbs, and went to school in the suburbs, you can can’t tout that you’re from Boston. On Wednesday, Tony Massarotti aka Mazz from Felger and Mazz, posted a column on cbs local about the recent racism scandal at Fenway Park. And here’s how he starts it:
“I was born in Boston, raised there, schooled there, and now live there. I’ve worked there my entire professional life and consider myself extremely fortunate to have done so.”
Fact check. The only true part of these statement is that he works in Boston. Massarotti was born in Waltham. Graduated from Waltham High. And currently resides in Sudbury.
Growing up in Boston during the 1970’s and 80’s was very different from growing up in Waltham during that period. Apples and oranges. And living in Sudbury today is also very different from living in the city of Boston.
Why do people do that? Why do they feel the need to boast they are from a city which they are not. Granted Waltham is close to Boston but it is not Boston. I get when people do it when traveling and it’s just easier to say “I’m from Boston” then to say I’m from a city 20 minutes outside of Boston.
Massarotti goes onto to write this:
“As a Bostonian, I’m embarrassed by what took place at Fenway Park on Monday night. As a Bostonian, I’m proud of what took place there on Tuesday. And as a Bostonian, I hope we don’t ever have to experience it all again — today, tomorrow or beyond.”
Not once. Not twice. But three times he claims he is a Bostonian. Maybe at heart but you did not grow up here. You do not live here. Take pride in the fact you grew up on the mean streets of Waltham and now reside on the meaner streets of Sudbury. Your neighbors in Sudbury and your old crew you rolled with in Waltham are probably insulted that you’re distancing yourself from those neighborhoods.
I grew up in Southie during the 1970’s and 80’s, and I lived through busing. Mazz and I are two years apart. I guarantee that my life and our experiences were very different. I still live in Southie and am raising a family in Southie which is also extremely different than life in Sudbury. Has Mazz had to drive around looking for a parking spot for 45 minutes? I’ll be he just pulls into his driveway.
My advice to Mazz is be proud of your roots. Waltham is a nice place but it’s not Boston. If you want to be a proud Bostonian – move here.
Speaking with people from MA (New England, etc), I will say ‘I am from Cohasset.’ Speaking with people from farther away than that, I’ll expand it to ‘just south of Boston.’ But you don’t say you were born and raised ‘in Boston.’ That is just false.
I totally agree and going through bussing was awful I was in school and we learned how to fight for our rights and go to our own School close to our homes did maz have that problem I doubt it bussing was awful a lot of us lost a good education because of bussing and what was going on till this day I regret having to deal with that I wish it never happened it still is not working I wish they would finally get the ML till this day I regret having to deal with that I wish it never happened it still is not working I wish they would finally get that hey maz where did you go to school not in Boston I’m sure of that did you go to school right up the street from your house or did you go to a private school
sorry i mean Mazz
Well said Pater!!!
yaassss!
It’s kind of like when you write about happenings in the Seaport and refer to it as “Southie”
The Seaport is South Boston “Southie”. Typical Millennial you are a loser!
It is southie. Just because you don’t want it to be doesn’t mean it isn’t.
The seaport is southie ????????♀️
My high school classmate Lou grew up in Brighton and went to Colorado College. When he first got there, the residents of his floor were gathered around and introducing themselves including where they were from. A couple of people from Boston burbs (including one ironically from Sudbury) introduced themselves as being from Boston. When it was Lou’s turn, he says (with a thick Boston accent of course) “I’m from Boston proper, not like these phonies from the suburbs who claim they’re from Boston”. From that moment on his CC nickname was Proper Lou. He’s now a professor at Cornell so I guess it didn’t cause any permanent damage.
Hey dumbshit Mazz went to Tufts university for many years which is in the middle of Boston and he also covered the red sox for years. So that means he was consistently at Fenway every single day for media sessions. Oh and where is Fenway by chance? Its in Boston.
Grew up in Milton. My grandmother lived in Southie, my dad ran my grandfathers business here for 40 years and I live here now. I always say I am from the burbs despite living here now. Sudbury is the sticks compared to where I grew up! I could at least get to the T
Coming from someone who was born in Boston, but proudly identifies as a resident of a Boston-bordering town, there’s no one more annoying than someone “from Boston” moaning and groaning about how special they are to be from Boston.
(And all those people from West Roxbury need to chill. Y’all are from the ‘burbs.)
What is the point of this article? I really don’t get it. Especially when it is in reference to a statement someone made about racism in *your* city. And I’m cool enough to say I’m from Boston considering I live here.
It is they are or they’re from Boston, not their from Boston. I thought the nuns taught you grammar.
There is nothing that pisses me off more than a person that claim to be from Boston and they’re from Somerville or Milford .
If your from one of the neighborhoods that makes up the city of Boston , sure your from Boston . Other then that your only from a town or city in Massachusetts .
I am proud to be a South Bostonian .