I just looked at the thread that poses the question, “Is Tony Soprano Evil?” and it got me thinking…Wondering, really.
I’m partially of Sicilian descent, on my dad’s side. I have Dad’s last name - obviously an Italian one. I’ve found that a side effect of this is that many people have asked me, both in seriousness and as a ‘joke’, “So…Do you have family in the Mafia?” or “I’d better not piss you off, huh? I dunno who your family is.”
It’s not just me, either. Not long ago I discussed this very subject with a professor of mine, Dr. Romano. At one point I said, “You wouldn’t believe how many people have asked me if my family’s Mafia!”. She looked at me, laughed, and said, “Wouldn’t I? I have an Italian last name too, kiddo.”
So. I’m asking a two part question - not so much about “The Sopranos” itself, but the way Italian Americans are portrayed in television/cinema fiction.
Part One - It’s my impression that Italians are one of the few ethnic groups left about whom it’s okay to not only encourage sweeping generalizations, but show them on television/in movies. Am I off-base?
Part Two - Do you think that Mafia-glorifying movies/television shows have a measurable impact on most people’s view of Italian-Americans?
And yes, I do recognize that I’m talking about fiction. I also think that Italian stereotypes on TV are much more prevalent these days than sterotypes of other ethnicities. So, have I been smoking too much crack, or am I onto something?