I think we can safely say The Sopranos falls into the category of "sacred cow" on this list. As far as my opinion of the show I freely admitted my belief was based on second hand information because I had not seen the show. Why is this controversial? No one on this list has an opinion of a TV show they have not seen but only heard about through others? I find that hard to believe. It was one sentence in a question, not a paper on the subject. I can't imagine writing a paper about a TV show I haven't seen but to compare that to typing a question that posits my understanding of the program is really over the top.
The impressions I gathered were from students at community college. Mostly 18 to 24 year olds from working class backgrounds. I guess I'll have to tell them that the show does not glorify gangsterism the way they describe. "Everyone" on LBO tells me this simply isn't so. Their impressions are all wrong. When they emulate the characters on the show and claim to admire them and wish they could live like that I'll explain how they are mistaken. Some of these students really admire the tough talk, the perceived respect that is really fear, the "excitement" of breaking from the mundane. I know these students do not really harbor a wish to kill people and to do the other things actually required to live this lifestyle but at some level they believe they do. They see the material gain and respect achievable and think that this is justification on one level for this behavior. The respect issue is really big with these kids. I think this does them harm. Not in the sense that it turns them into professional killers but in a more subtle manner. Feel free to disagree. I never said the program should be banned just that from the descriptions I've heard it hardly seems evidence of a Golden Age of TV.
It is just possible that the rather leftish leaning people on this list may walk away from a program like The Sopranos with a slightly different perspective than a 19 year old student at a community college who feels dumped on and mistreated and craves respect and money. Maybe not.
John Thornton