Yes, Sal hates the Sopranos. Just be glad you didn't have to hear his lectures about how much he hates the show and how bad it is for the italian american image EVERY MONDAY before school. I think he has been victimized by some anti-italian american bias in his life... once, in the news room, another reporter told him, "that name belongs on the side of a cement truck, not on a newspaper." And I think that happened a lot--so maybe it is personal.
I do know, however, that he hates the show because it portrays italian americans as acting in the only way that the rest of American society believes that we act. Keep in mind, we all come from the Northeast, which is very heavilly populated with italian americans so we understand that italians hold many legal and worthwhile positions in our communities. However, the rest of America doesn't see a lot of us and therefore may take what we understand as pure stereotype as reality. My dad goes on to argue that there would never--and should never--be a show stereotyping jews as cheap, as blacks as criminal drug dealers and wife beaters, or irish as drunken slobs. I agree that those shows would never make it to TV, but the mafia holds a lot of mystique--people are curious about it. plus, "the god father" and "goodfellas" are two pieces of great art. It is possible to tell a story about the mob in a sensitive, artful manner, which I don't think the Sopranos does.
when sam alito was appointed to the supreme court my dad told me that he was happy to see another italian american in a real position of power. we got into a big argument because i said that, as a white man, alito is not exactly in the minority just because of his italian american heritage. it has been a long time since italian americans have been systematically discriminated against in america-- like 100 years. it is way more important to focus our attention on creating a level playing field in the competition for power in society for non-whites and women than a certian kind of white men.
so that's the argument in the paolantonio household about the sopranos. bottom line: don't ever get him started if you're running late for school.
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3 comments:
great post. I liked everything except for the stuff about leveling the playing field for women
I will level your head- Janet Reno style, Sam!
If you are going to condem The Sopranos, you can't herald The Godfather and Goodfellas as "sensitive pieces of art"
If anything, Goodfellas does more than The Godfather films and The Sopranos in perpetuating the stereotypes becasue the entire movie is about the ugly underbelly of the Mob. Unless stabbing a person to near death in the neck with a pen is sensitive.
Watch the show.
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