This is the Business We've Chosen: The Ethics of the Mob
In an age of ever increased violence on the television, no show has risen to the top of the viewers' list as steadily as "The Sopranos" has. "The Sopranos" is a modern version of the classic mobster movies of old. The acclaimed HBO series has whacked its last wiseguy, so with rumors of sequels and spinoffs swirling about, I wanted to learn why there is a huge obsession with the show and others like it, so I sat down with Janet Lewis, associate professor of philosophy, to talk business.
Question
With shows that cause us to root for the bad guys, is television shaping our ethics?
Answer
This is deeply rooted in American intellectual tradition. We've tended to root for the one who rebels against society. We romanticize these bad guys who break the law, and we have a tendency to admire these people. A great example of this is Al Capone. The U.S. was founded on guys who told the English to buzz off, so I think it's mutual; our values shape modern television, and in turn, it shapes us.
Q
What do you think American's obsession is with "The Sopranos?"
A
They aren't just mobsters. This has become an American adult soap opera, much like "Dallas" used to be. Both are about unethical families. What these shows do is allow the viewer to follow the characters' lives full of violence, swearing, and sex. They are exciting to watch, and they are seen as more sophisticated than the typical afternoon soap operas.
Q
Through the series, how are the characters made to seem ethical?
A
It doesn't. They make an attempt to seem sympathetic, however. Tony Soprano is portrayed as a man that cares about his family and children, who had a bad childhood himself. We see him as a very unhappy man with problems, trying to do his civic duty, yet he rips people off all the time and kills. He is very morally wrong, and totally unethical.
Q
These people are in the Mafia, shouldn't we root against them?
A
Well to answer that, look at how Tony is presented. It all deals with the portrayal in the media, or in this case, the show. The clips are edited to elicit certain emotion. It also helps that this is fictional; if he were really a bad person, we wouldn't want to see it, there's a strong connection there. Is he unethical? Yeah! Should we hate him? If he were portrayed differently, then we would certainly feel differently about him and the rest of the characters.
Q
Could this "rooting for the bad guy" mentality eventually change society's view on organized crime and others?
A
I'm not sure. I could definitely say that the student generation is more tolerant. Maybe your generation, as a group, is less likely to pass judgment on a person due to their surroundings. It's a very cultural relativistic view, and this is due to portrayal in the media. The problem is that we used to have heroes and villains portrayed in the entertainment industry and there was a clear distinction between the two. I don't feel that we see that today. We are in an age of ambiguity; it's difficult to pass judgment because there is no clear-cut hero. Fiction doesn't give us heroes anymore.
- Christopher Bender '10, Student Reporter