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teenagers), as well as comforting his audience with the knowledge that there is no other message besides that of hating white people.
Together, these two critics suggest that Spike Lee is using Sal to represent their people as monolithic, arrogant, and“ the enemy.” These interpretations are problematic, as they do not bear analysis. The depiction of Sal as arrogant,“ bragging” about the community“ growing up on my food,” for instance, become less and less likely when considered within the context of the scene in which he says this. Sal and Pino talk about much more complicated issues than a bravado felt about a maintained customer base. The scene deserves to be quoted at length, as it takes more than a short quip to do justice to their dialogue:
Sal: I’ m beat. Pino: Daddy, y’ know I’ ve been thinking. Maybe we should sell this place, get out while we’ re still ahead. And alive. Sal: You really think you know what’ s best for us, Pino? Pino: Maybe we could... couldn’ t we sell this and open up a new one in our own neighborhood? Sal: There’ s too many pizzerias already there. Pino: Then we could try something different. Sal: What am I gonna do? That’ s all I know. What am I doing? I’ ve been here twenty-five years. Where am I going? Pino: I’ m sick of niggers. It’ s like I come to work, it’ s Planet of the Apes. Don’ t like being around them, they’ re animals. Sal: Why you got so much anger in you?