DISQUS

Tom Watson · 2 years ago

I grew up in Yonkers - the Irish-Italian thing was very strong there too. Great post. I never made the Spirit in the Night connection with Yeats - fascinating, as is the whole cross-religion cultural deal.

Springsteen should definately be in the finale - after all, he's Irish-Italian (with a Dutch name).

M.A. Peel · 2 years ago

Tom, have you noticed that many, many critics/blogger/posters feel that the Sopranos is NOT about an Italian-American family (and of a very specific type, at that) but is a broader commentary on the broader idea of American family dynamics, etc.

I agree that the series reaches universal themes, but I'm baffled as to why people don't want to acknowledge the specificity to those universals. And I argue that these families are not like yours and mine, (beyond the fact that they are fictional) because they murder as a matter of course. Every family dynamic that we might share is ultimately shattered by that fact. My bad, frustrated day doesn't result in someone being killed. And we shouldn't cheapen the import of that fact in our understanding of the series.

Jason Chervokas · 2 years ago

The Sopranos features the most literary television writing of my life time....not the kind of stuff that passes for literary TV drama (like Homicide, which I loved, but featured a lot of far fetched speechifying), but real drama...the Yeats stuff last episode is the first time I can remember the show making that kind of substantial literary reference, however.

And if the Sopranos ain't about Italian Americans, I'm Don Mattingly.

Tom Watson · 2 years ago

Your Black Donnellys - THAT's about murdering Irish family.

I agree that the Sopranos is not a metaphor for American suburban life - but I do think it's a comment in some ways on how common violence really is in our society.

That said, it's a set piece about Jersey Italian mobsters. I grew up around a few mob types in the neighborhood, and it feels pretty close.

Tom Kissane · 2 years ago

"Springsteen should definately be in the finale - after all, he’s Irish-Italian (with a Dutch name)."

I think I heard he's from Jersey, too. But they'd probably need to know somebody to get the rights.

kirk · 2 years ago

I find it very amusing. You simply have to research Kirk Alley---not the muscian, and you can all stop speculating.
As David said "he is the godfather of my production, and his story will be my last professional undertaking"

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