LAT: "Sopranos" enters culture war sparked by gay marriage debate

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The outing of Vito puts 'The Sopranos' squarely into the cultural war sparked by the debate over same-sex marriage.
By Paul Brownfield, Times Staff Writer
May 19, 2006

....Several episodes ago, in one called "Live Free or Die," mob captain/ancillary character Vito Spatafore (Joe Gannascoli) went into hiding after being spotted dancing in leather chaps at a gay bar in Manhattan.

At that point you thought he had about half an episode to live. Instead, his "outing" has turned into an outing — Vito fleeing through the night to his cousin's place in New Hampshire only to stumble upon a yuppie Pleasantville for gay men, a leafy, idyllic hamlet called Dartford, where even the volunteer fire department looks like a kind of a gay men's chorus.

Sunday promises some form of resolution, Vito having returned from his hide-out, inexorably drawn back to the literal family he abandoned and the figurative one itching to exact retribution.

In mob culture, men kiss each other on the cheek in greeting, but homosexuality is a sin punishable by death, although you get a pass in prison, Tony tells his psychiatrist, Dr. Melfi. In the culture too, we still have our old-school rules: Audiences get a pass when gays are presented as burlesque (see "Will & Grace," which ended its long run on NBC on Thursday night) or as victims of disease and/or harassment.

But "The Sopranos," through Vito, means to get at the culture war over gay marriage that won't go away any time soon...."The Sopranos" has mostly played it as poignant and tragic — it's of a piece with "Brokeback," even though Gannascoli has said he brought the idea to the show's writers several years ago, after reading a book about a gay mobster....

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-sopranos19may19,1,1644535.story?coll=la-headlines-entnews

I don't think a gay marriage is in Vito's future. :(

I agree - this season's been awesome!:thumbsup:

best season (the stuff with Christoper in Hollywood was completely unnecessary), but it's still the best written and acted show on TV.

"ow! My fucking arm!" :rofl:

:rofl:

on present day America. The old-school Mafia boys trying to exhort protection money from "Starbucks". The pushy HMO rep. hustling Tony out of the hospital. AJ's lost boy partying with Daddy's credit cards. And Julianna Marguiles as the ultimate real estate agent.
There have been enough witty, you won't see this anywhere else moments for me.

Christopher often has these kind of weird excursions wherein he learns something new about the world.

I really liked the season 3 "Pine Barrens" episode in which Paulie and Christopher try - unsuccessfully, apparently - to get rid of the Russian in the Pine Barrens. Directed by Steve Buscemi, the episode invokes both Fargo and Miller's Crossing, but it really puts a spotlight on Christopher's foibles. I thought the Hollywood stuff was similiar, showing Christopher - who has fantasized about putting his mobster experience to work for pop culture for quite awhile - as he encounters the real world of the fake world: real life Hollywood which seems just as bizarre as real life mafiosi. Plus, like the Pine Barrens episode, it adds comedy to the season. As the poster said, the mugging of Lauren Becall, and the subsequent attempt to hand the less-than-stellar haul over to an underwhelmed Tony, is laugh out loud funny, and right up Christopher's silly alley.

before the new season began). I've since gotten Hubby addicted, and we've bought the boxed set.
He's never seen 'Pine Barrens', and we're saving it for a night when both of our little guys are actually ASLEEP at the same time, lol.
I just hope I haven't over-hyped it, and he's somehow disappointed..

Imperioli is the actor who plays Christopher and he is a theater director and writer. Pine Barrens was a classic. He should write more episodes.

One of the best "Soprano" episodes ever. Haunting and hilarious.

I thought that he was going to kill himself, but it that could still happen.

Vito will whack Tony.

I live in a very homophobic community (W Texas). My husband's blue collar buddies freak-out that we own Brokeback Mountain. They act like just watching the movie makes you gay. I think if it was playing they would run screaming from the house. Then what happens. Their favorite "man-soap" sneaks up on them with a storyline that makes them watch gay men in a intimate situation.

I do think the story would have been different if Vito had a long established monogamous relationship. The way it is written now it almost seems like he's self destructive with his partner choices, someone at work, leather bars, etc. This gives another reason besides the homosexual element to judge him on. I think it is going to give Tony another reason besides just being gay to take out Vito. If Vito was living a stable life (yeah, with a male "mistress") and a good bread winner to boot the story would be different


AValdoux

standing in the doorway of Satriale's Pork Store as Tony arrives and tries to enter . . . "You don't want to come in here," says Sil to his Boss -- a strong suggestion that Vito may be getting the Ralphie treatment, or worse . . . stay tuned . . .

We don't get the Soprano's.... But the kids talk about it lot. Anyway, while leaving for work this morning I caught a glimpse of Gilda Radner performing some years back in front of a live audience. What a great talent she was. Set the mood for the day. Anyway, just wanted to share......

and to bring up gilda radner is a great way to kick off your stay here

take good care....

1. Don't get in a automobile accident with a gay man.

2. You can't trust the previews.

3. If he gets the Ralphie treatment, that will be socially acceptable. (How can someone chop up someone they once knew? Hell, for that matter, how can anyone do that, business or not? What IS sick and twisted, after all?)

4. The world is strange and all the more interesting for that reason, maybe, sometimes.

5. I was surprised they cared if he was gay as long as he brought in the cash.