[lbo-talk] Re: lbo tv guide poll

Owen Byrne owen at permafrost.net
Tue Oct 5 12:55:58 PDT 2004


Michael Pugliese wrote:


> The Sopranos and Philosophy: I Kill Therefore I Am (Popular Culture
> and Philosophy)
> by Richard Greene, Peter Vernezze
>
> Book Description
> Tony Soprano and the gang meet classic and modern philosophy in these
> witty, provocative essays. Covering everything from Aristotle to ziti,
> 17 wiseguys (three of them gals) explore such irresistible topics as:
> Is Tony Soprano a good man? Is Carmela a feminist? Morally speaking,
> who is the worst person on The Sopranos? Is watching the show harmful
> to one's moral health? And what if Tony had read Sun Tzu instead of
> Machiavelli? This collection of essays by philosophers who are also
> fans does a deep probe of the Sopranos, analyzing the adventures -
> and personalities - of Tony, Carmela, Livia, and the rest of
> television's most irresistible Mafia family for their metaphysical,
> epistemological, value theory, Eastern philosophical, and
> contemporary postmodern possibilities. No prior philosophical
> qualifications or mob connections are required to enjoy these
> musings, which are presented with the same vibrancy and wit that have
> made the show such a hit.
>
Its official then - to use some technical terminology, The Sopranos has "jumped the shark." ;-) Watch "The Wire" instead. And while I slagged basic TV networks, it is good to note that the latter show is really almost a follow-on series to "Homicide: Life on the Street", another show set in Baltimore (and the same producer? director?) but that appeared on CBS. Also "Deadwood" is great. And I am sure there is more to come from HBO.

Owen



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