You don't get it. What's wrong, artistically, with a show that glorifies gangsterism? Why do you adopt this absurd prudish puritanical socialist realist view that art -- yes, TV shows can be art, high or law -- must not romanticize Bad People Doing Bad Things? You and Tipper Gore, this stuff requires Warning Labels. Quel bore.
I have only seen one episode of the Sopranos. I thought it was pretty good, and people I like say I should watch more, but my hours are limited. I'd rather watch The Godfather again -- a film that certainly romanticizes, if not glorifies, gangsterism. (Godfather II does not.) Or Goodfellas, where, after depicting a lifetime of conscienceless viuolent crime and theft, the Henry Hill character stands down in a fantasy scene on the witness stand to explain the glories of the thug life -- no irony intended. Or I might like to reread some Elizabethan revenge tragedy, glorifying motives and actions that are hard to even conceive.
--- John Thornton <jthorn65 at mchsi.com> wrote:
> 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
>
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