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Loathing the Sopranos

By Benjamin Kerstein / July 25, 2007

Comments (5)

As with all things pop cultural in Israel, the Sopranos has recently come to an end slightly later than it did in America. Israel seems to work on a permanent two or three month delay (sometimes more) than the rest of the TV watching world, and there are no exceptions even for pop cultural phenomena as intense as David Chase’s mafia black comedy/social satire. In the interests of full disclosure, I must confess that I have not seen the controversial final episode of the Sopranos. In fact, I haven’t watched it for over three years or more. I must also, and with greater trepidation, confess the reason why: I don’t like it.

As perhaps the only person in the known universe who doesn’t like the Sopranos, I feel an obligation to explain myself before being stoned to death by a mob of outraged New Jerseyites hell-bent on revenge. The reason I don’t like the Sopranos is not because of the excessive violence, sex or foul language, it is not because of the show’s interminable self-consciousness and orgiastic love of self-reference, and it isn’t because the show is unnecessarily convoluted and obscure. The reason I don’t like the Sopranos is that the Sopranos is and was bad.

Comments (5)

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By Gregory C. 7/26/07 at 12:34 a.m. UTC
The genius of the Sopranos consists (in addition to all the usually lauded things like its realism, wit, etc) largely in its encapsulation of pathetic and frequently banal everyday life. The violence and much of the criminal subtext is a component of much human life in most of the world, if not foregrounded as in the series, certainly lurking about. And the banality and displeasure of middle class life, the quandry of contemporary people unhappy with comfort and predictability that most people (in any age) would envy is central to the series. It may seem odd, but Tony Soprano's self-pitying and static existence reminds me of Flaubert's Emma Bovary. A caricature, yes, but a well-drawn one. Yes, the show dipped as it went along, but even season five had some memorable episodes. If mimesis is the standard by which we judge art (even middlebrow art like television), then the Sopranos is good art. Rome may have been a better series (it's hard to have a more interesting premise than the rise of Augustus), but the Sopranos, as an entertaining snapshot of our culture, works….
By Mason Lerner 7/25/07 at 6:30 p.m. UTC
On the contrary, the first three seasons of the Sopranos was some of the finest stuff I have ever seen on TV. That being said, it was at best up and down over the last five seasons, with some trips into the truly horrendous (anybody wanna make some popcorn and watch the Kevin Finnerty episodes on DVD?)

I think you diss the show so much that it might actually be over your head. One of the great things about the show was that it did allow us to live vicariously through Tony and grow to empathize with him, but as the seasons progressed, we saw more and more that he was just a pathetic sociopath who got lots of nice tail (fair trade?)

Also, the fact that the last episode clearly did not pander to viewers show at least an attempt at artistic daring.
By abnobel 7/25/07 at 5:55 p.m. UTC
De gustibus non est disputandum, right?

Well, no. As Pauli put it, you're not even wrong.
By Avi Kramer 7/25/07 at 11:43 a.m. UTC
The violence can be gratuitous, but it's no Goodfellas and it's certainly not "socially acceptable pornography for the middle classes." I don't think it's the explicitness that's give the Sopranos its 1. street cred and 2. critical acclaim. There's plenty of violent tripe on television. It's seeing a slice of life we've never seen before and the actors acting the hell out of those parts. Plus I'm slightly in love with Dr. Melfi.
By Anonymous 7/25/07 at 11:23 a.m. UTC
Referencing the Andy Dick item in today’s shvitz, we may now add Benjamin’s name to the list of those who just need hittin’.