American Culture: The Sopranos

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As we cruise down memory lane, the unmistakable backdrop of the New Jersey Turnpike sets the stage for our latest conversation, exploring the enduring intrigue of "The Sopranos." Joined by a dedicated aficionado of the series, we delve into the laughter and lore that underpin the show's legacy. From the stark contrasts between Tony and AJ Soprano's views on life to the unique blend of Christmas binge-watching and quotable mafia wisdom, we unpack the layers that make this series a cultural cornerstone.

With an eye for detail and a heart for humor, we navigate the iconic quotes and conversations that defined Tony Soprano's world. Our guest helps us dissect the show's mastery in blending historical mafia anecdotes with sharp malapropisms, illuminating how "The Sopranos" crafted characters as deeply flawed as they are endearing. From the respect-laden exchanges of Paulie Walnuts to the absurdities of Little Carmine's linguistic missteps, we celebrate the clever writing that elevates the show from mob drama to a reflection of the human condition.

Wrapping up, we step back to appreciate how "The Sopranos" transcended its genre to comment on the American family experience. We discuss the series' wider implications on issues of race, ethnicity, and national identity, all the while marveling at its ability to teach life lessons with a mix of satire and gravitas. Remember, it's not just about the mob; it's about the music, the slang, and the slice of Americana that "The Sopranos" so brilliantly captured. So, grab your cannoli, sit back, and let us regale you with a tribute to one of television's most seminal shows.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:48

Ahoy, hoi. Hey, I just want to let you know. You know I woke up this morning and got myself a gun and got in my car and, you know, headed towards, you know, hit the helix. You know what I'm saying Towards New Brunswick and all these things and the Jersey Turnpike. And you know, I briefly remember something about cows mating off of here at one point in time, but at this time it seems like nothing.

Speaker 1: 1:14

I'm just thinking about gravy and spaghetti and such and all these things and how stupid a game the golf is, stupid a game, I don't know. Gabba-goo. Hey, you know, I was thinking I don't know how good that's going to be, but it's kind of funny because the helix is actually what Tony drives. You know he gets on the helix and then hits the Jersey Turnpike on his way to the Bing, right, I feel. And then so, yeah, that's also where in our Sina episode there is a big deal about cows mating on the Jersey Turnpike or whatever you want to call it what cows do. Yeah, so Tony, quite the scenic drive. Oh, yes, indeed. Yeah, so, sopranos man, this is kind of a fun one, very excited about it. It's like Ben, since I've known you, it's been one of your backgrounds, you know what I'm saying. Like I mean, if I go in your house like Sopranos could be on, it was either sports or Sopranos, pretty much, or the wire obviously.

Speaker 2: 2:14

But you know Sopranos is like yeah curb or Seinfeld, but yeah, all those are there. Well, you know, I'd heard of Sopranos and I grew up I think I was eight when I saw Untouchables as the first mob movie and I was sold. That was my genre. It's just like it's interesting. It's a huge part of American history. I don't know a huge part, but it's, you know.

Speaker 1: 2:36

Oh, it is, I mean mafia culture, yeah.

Speaker 2: 2:38

Very relevant and the first time I'd heard of Sopranos. But I'd never seen it and it was Christmas Eve 2000. And my dad asked if I'd seen it and I said no, and he grabbed his keys and said we're going to the. You know, there were still video stores back then. I think we've got it on BHS, what. But we watched the entirety of season one on Christmas Eve and Christmas and that was the best Christmas present I've ever got.

Speaker 1: 3:03

Man see what a story behind it. My friend on itelstories Like that's cool. I love when you bust out with some stuff like that Cause what a way to find your one of your favorite shows. I don't know if it's absolutely your favorite, but I know it's top five Bo show.

Speaker 2: 3:19

It's. I mean, yeah, absolutely, I would go to Wire, although Sopranos all around. You know there's more humor to it, there's just everything. I mean the acting, oh, for the most part, amazing. Aj, yeah, that one, yeah, there's always some character like that.

Speaker 1: 3:38

Right, but we're like we're talking about with AJ from the Sopranos and I don't even know the guy's real name.

Speaker 1: 3:42

Now he's in a full grown man these days, probably has childrens of his own and they probably watched that show and they're like dad, you can't act, you know. But he there's a lot of like people like that in life to kind of have these awkward like moments and how they speak and interact with people and very unsure of themselves. I think his character was meant to be extremely unsure of himself, maybe Quite sure so in that respect.

Speaker 2: 4:06

Yeah, kind of the antithesis of Tony. Even though the bowl very confident Tony was a very alpha male, it still shows that's. Another beauty of the show is it shows like the fragility of human beings. Even somebody, the mob boss, is going to shrink because he has mommy issues and life is difficult. So yeah, it's not just much like with the wire. If someone asks the average person what's it about? Oh, it's about like cops and drug dealers. It's like, yeah, that's a big part of it, but it's about an American city. Yeah, it's about life Right.

Speaker 1: 4:39

That's like a super myopic way of looking at it. Like, oh, they're selling heroin. That's what it's about selling heroin. No, it's about, like, these people's existence within, you know, and since the mob is so secretive, or however, whatever the preferred term is, are they sensitive to these things? Is it mob mafia? I don't know, but Like, oh, so no stuff, yeah, all right. So anyway, you know, like I mean, it's, that's okay. So, like that's one of the reasons why they say that the show did become such a great drama.

Speaker 1: 5:09

Like, did you know that the pilot for the show was? They didn't really expect it to do very well, I mean, I suppose it's kind of common with legendary things. Like you know songs, you know, it's kind of like, oh, we were just sitting around eating Cheetos and I played the drums, like this, and next thing, you know we're queen, or you know like somebody I don't know, you don't even like fucking, hey man. But I know that's not the case. I also have heard some folks compare Mr Chase there, the creator, to Shakespeare, and I wanted to hear your thoughts on that.

Speaker 2: 5:45

Like I mean honestly, I don't. I haven't read a ton of Shakespeare. I've read enough to know I prefer David Chase.

Speaker 2: 5:52

Yeah, I need to, I mean, Shakespeare didn't have the option of picking the music. For Sopranos too, there was no Raz-Caz in his day, which that is amazing to me, that everything from Steely Dan to legendary LA underground rapper Raz-Caz, one of the finest, and when he was on, I think it was season three Carmelo goes to Meadows Dorm, I believe, and somebody's playing it, but I didn't know. You know I'm from Southern California and love hip hop, love all music. Well, not, you know many different kinds of music. Yeah, I get it, not all. I didn't know who Raz-Caz was at that point. And so David Chase, this guy that's got 20 years plus on me and is from New York, yeah Well, he did us so Right. Much respect there.

Speaker 2: 6:38

So Okay well, I got Kind of a tangent. But yeah, you can keep Shakespeare, I'll go with Mr Chase.

Speaker 1: 6:44

I'm going to follow up because you know we're professionals and we do these things in, like you know we're format and our media here. But no, so my follow up on that is is that after I read that article or heard what I heard, I guess is what it more would be that like I called you and we kind of laughed about it and shit, but then we sort of talked about the fact that like well, hey, let's see how long this goes, cause who really fricking knows man? I mean, in a hundred years maybe sopranos will be still like a thing that's looked backed on as like an iconic drama that impacted so many different people and changed how people thought about writing it, cause it did you know, but I don't know what the legs on it are. And then you know it is kind of a tragic comedy, man, and that's what Shakespeare was known for. I actually put some thought into that statement of this guy, who was pretty random by the way, some random podcast and but he did make that statement and they were very serious about this show, by the way, and I thought of his I don't know, it's interesting thought, I guess.

Speaker 1: 7:43

And then number two of that Raz-Caz Razzie, he, you know he fucks a lot of New York people. I mean he's, he's a West Coast fool, but like he may, like after maybe you know he stopped fucking with Dre or however that went or whatever was going on. You know he, he's always he's with Jizzah. You know what I'm saying. On on on the Wu Tang meets the underground of whatever the album is, you know that he the Miracle Swords.

Speaker 2: 8:05

yeah, yeah, yeah, there we go.

Speaker 1: 8:07

Thank you. And he fucks with Tech Mead.

Speaker 2: 8:08

He's on some Jedi Minds from Billy and Tech from Harlem. His style is yeah for sure. Well, he's universally respected and he brappered the sports of shit. But probably not.

Speaker 1: 8:20

Probably with respect, yeah, okay I just, I just made a connection before you move on. My friend Raz-Caz, you universally respected, right? You know, even if you're not a huge hip hop fan, but you know some stuff, you're going to respect Raz-Caz. But same for Sopranos here you know what I'm saying. Even if you're not a huge fan, you know the Sopranos and you, you respect them. I don't know if a Raz-Caz can totally be compared to the Sopranos as he is not like super famous, but he's pretty big right.

Speaker 2: 8:51

Yeah, he's more like the wire was at first. I mean wires caught on, but it took years. Dude Rascads, if you're listening, hey, hey, hold on, Hold on.

Speaker 1: 9:01

Rascads, if you're listening. If you're listening, hit us up. Man, let's talk about this, All right? Anyway, one of your favorite parts of Soprano is my friend.

Speaker 2: 9:09

Well, the writing in general, but the things that they get wrong, or, you know, irregardless, is said oh yeah, so much, so much. One of Tony talking to Dr Malfi says revenge is like serving cold cuts, and she corrects him. You know, using the correct phrase, don't you mean revenge is a dish best served cold, which Tony replies. So what'd I say?

Speaker 1: 9:33

Right, no, that's a good one. I actually remember that line. It's full of those. The quotes are very much so a thing in Soprano's and actually have one that's pretty badass. It's pretty whatever. I mean, it's really like powerful. I feel not as funny because I know we want to get this in funny ones, but apparently Tony's interacting with this guy. His name's Ariel and Ariel, I believe. He's Jewish. He has this to say when he's talking to Tony and they're in some sort of conflict. By the way, I'm trying to set the scene. You, ariel, you ever heard of the Masada? For two years, 900 Jews held their own against 15,000 Roman soldiers. They chose death before enslavement. It's Romans. Where are they now? Tony Soprano, you're looking at that mass hole, damn, because they're Italian man. It's like, yeah, that's right, motherfucker. I just thought that was a hell of a powerful line. Anyway, I'm sure they killed that guy.

Speaker 2: 10:30

And then when Tony calls Hash because the guy won't give in and you know he's ready to die and Tony calls Hash and says I'm here with our non-shellfish eating friend and explains the situation and to which Hash, you know, tells them well, what's something you know no man wants to go without, and Tony thinks, oh, for a second. And so, yeah, then they threaten to fucking right Balls off and the guy gives in Right man, jewish people in the mafia what a, what a they're like.

Speaker 1: 11:03

they are so intertwined like on that level, like the. What's the guy that you think is he's one of pretty much made a full rubber, betting your money a thing.

Speaker 2: 11:14

Rosty yeah. He was yeah, for all the all the cast people know about. Rosty started that, you know, luciano.

Speaker 1: 11:23

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 11:23

Capone on and on Right right, and he was Jewish. Which I still think it's funny when rappers say you know, snoop out, I want to be like Bugsy Seagull. It's like, really, you want to lose the mom's money and get your eyes shut out, shut out in your mistress's house, because that's what happens to.

Speaker 1: 11:38

Bugsy. He didn't didn't farewell for Mr Seagull at the time.

Speaker 2: 11:44

It's funny that it was over like three to six million, it's estimated, and I don't know how many billion dollars. I looked it up but I forgot to write it down how many billion dollars Vegas takes in every year? Now I mean literally like in the billion.

Speaker 1: 11:59

They're not betting Mr Seagull a dime. Now you know that's probably another. That was another thing behind that. I got some cool lines here. This is between Mr Tittleman, I believe is how you say that, and Tony, Okay, and obviously they're talking about their daughters or something to that effect. And Mr Tittleman says do you have a daughter, Mr Soprano? Tony says yes, call me Tony. Mr Tittleman, what would you do if your daughter was abused by her husband? Tony says I talked to him, Silvio. Yeah, In ball peen hammer Bam. I love that line.

Speaker 2: 12:36

I love when Pauli Walnuts is saying it's like son to zoo, says yeah, I know right who Son to zoo. He's like the Chinese Prince. Smash a belly, he gets it both wrong.

Speaker 1: 12:47

Yeah, yeah, no, that's a good line. The other one it's here's another Tony line. I'm sorry I'm on some like Tony lines here real quick, but they're so good, there's so many that's like oh my God, it's like. So the show is so like serious and so seriously fucking hilarious at the same time sometimes. And Tony, here's a here's a great thing, he says. He said there's an old Italian saying you fuck up once you lose two teeth. I like that one, sorry. Back to Pauli, though. Let's get the. Well, maybe we'll drop a few of these here and there. So here's a Pauli one for me. Pauli, that's why dinosaurs don't exist. No more Features date, wasn't it a meteor Pauli? They're all meat eaters. Christopher, meteor meaty or Pauli take it easy fucking meat eaters.

Speaker 1: 13:39

Fantastic Pauli Walnuts.

Speaker 2: 13:42

Well, when there's a scene when AJ is going to his first formal in a limo and Pauli Walnuts and Sylvia are the chaperones, and it's just, they don't say anything. But just when the camera flashes to the look on the two of their faces, I imagine. So Pauli Walnuts clipping coupons oh man, he was sitting with Tony shows up at his house. Yeah, pauli says something about we'll go get some Baja Fresh. Oh my gosh. Of course I don't know if that restaurant's Baja Fresh is around anymore. It is?

Speaker 1: 14:12

I've seen them. It is Baja Fresh.

Speaker 2: 14:15

Yeah, baja, fresh Little Carmine, of course, one of the dumbest, I think, tony, your first name was brainless for a second.

Speaker 1: 14:22

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 14:23

When they're talking about the movies. You know he's pitching. He says some of you know I have nine pictures under my subspecies. Oh my God, I don't know what in film it's supposed to be. But yeah, not subspecies.

Speaker 2: 14:36

Yeah it's not it is A great Tony one too. You know he's always if he hears somebody say something intelligent, he often tries to just use that and fit it in Right when he's thinking about putting his mom in the assisted living. And he tells Dr Malpy where it's green grub. You know it's supposed to be this fancy, upscale retirement home. But just you know, he's telling her and she says, well, that sounds more like a luxury hotel at Capcom Keep, which I had to look it up it's. I figured it was French, it is. It's one of the more Ritz-y cities on the. I think it's the southeastern, there's a peninsula. And then so, tony, when he's telling his mom about it, she's of course refusing to go and he says it's not a retirement home, it's more like a hotel at Captain Teed. Oh, what Sounds like a? I had a movie reply who's he? And Tony says I don't know, some Captain with luxury hotels. It's not the point.

Speaker 1: 15:34

Sounds like some sort of crab shack, captain Teed, captain Teed yeah.

Speaker 2: 15:39

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 15:40

No shit.

Speaker 2: 15:41

Like Long John Silver's gonna do Right.

Speaker 1: 15:43

Yeah, man, I got one that I was gonna save for a Christmas episode, you know, because we're going to do kind of a Christmas one coming up here guys. But it's basically this okay, pauly and Sill, which are some of the best interactions in the show as well. Just, I don't know, pauly and Christopher, probably your king for me, but these are great. So, pauly, I used to think the elves were their kids, Talking about Santa Claus and Miss Claus, excuse me. So, pauly, I used to think the elves were their kids. So they're running a sweatshop over there. Pauly, there was something on TV. The original elves were ugly Travel, was Santa to throw bad kids a beating and he gave the good ones toys Elves were ugly.

Speaker 1: 16:24

Yeah, elves were ugly back then, so they had ugly children the classes.

Speaker 2: 16:29

Yeah. So there's a later, I think it was season five. Christopher tells Tony Blondetto, keep your eye on the tiger, which is brilliant writing combining. You know, keep your eye on the prize and renowned butt rock and some eyes of the tiger. And Bobby and Tony have some great interactions when they're talking about how things are going so badly in the world. And Bobby says you know, quasimodo predicted all this. Tony replies who did what? And then, you know, bobby said, tony informs them it was no Stratomas and Quasimodo was the hunchback of Nordor Dam. And they're completely different. Bobby responds by pointing out that Nordor Dam has a half back and the quarterbacks with the hunchback.

Speaker 1: 17:16

See their interactions and the writing it is. I'd like to see fucking AI do that. So I like to get these back stories. You know I like set the stage, especially on something where you know, maybe I didn't know as much as like you do, bro, so like to me it's like then I can look into a different aspect of it and hopefully bring some to the show. So anyway, the formation was in the 1940s the Dimeo crime families believed to have been formed in northern New Jersey. Agent Dwight Harris says that during World War Two this is all fictional, by the way, guys they assisted the military in protecting the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Speaker 2: 17:49

No, no, no, no, no, that is totally true, oh, but it was. But oh, so it's based off of that.

Speaker 1: 17:56

Okay, well, let's keep going. Thank you?

Speaker 2: 17:57

Yeah, no, that's entirely true.

Speaker 1: 18:02

Well yeah, I know they did stuff. The Mafia definitely did stuff for for us in World War Two. I didn't know that was that's cool man. Thank you Damn Good interjection, my friend.

Speaker 1: 18:12

So Erkel Dimeo is believed to have been the first official boss of the family. I hope I said his name right. Key members from the 1950s include brothers Giovanni Johnny, boy Soprano and Carato Jr Soprano as some of the main characters in this. Also Richie Aprili, the Sopranos he was kind of one of the originals to, which is kind of surprising to me. The Sopranos were a key faction in the Dimeo crime family. Johnny Soprano was one of the most high profile couples of the family, with his brother Jr as his right hand man. They also had long standing ties with the five New York families, particularly the look for a Tazi crime family led by Carmine. Oh, okay, so that makes an answer. Despite Dimeo's reign as boss, it is mentioned throughout the series that the two Sopranos brothers unofficially ran North New Jersey with some people. Regarding Johnny is if he was the boss of the family instead of Erkel.

Speaker 1: 19:02

In 1967, riots broke out in Newark After an African American taxi driver was randomly beaten up by cops. Johnny and Jr arrested at an amusement park where they held meetings at. So like it kind of goes into like their back that what happened to them and it's real brief because they probably didn't spend too much time creating this. But Jr got off on bail, but Johnny was sentenced to four years in prison. So like I feel like that's probably where they're setting it up for Jr sort of moves to take over it and it really does get into a lot more of this here in the 70s. There's a real whole backstory to this and it's pretty interesting. But it is cool to me that dang that did come from kind of a real thing there. And then it explains where the Sopranos like step into this crime family and that basically they, even though weren't the boss or the bosses or whatever they fuck right they were running New Jersey regardless, like so they had been running New Jersey since the 40s, which is kind of crazy.

Speaker 2: 20:02

Right, Huh. Yeah, it does flashback to Johnny Boy, wouldn't they get arrested? To you, Jr? And that's another great one. He says to Tony's mom, Olivia, fucking albacore around my neck Of course mean albatross from the rhyme of the ancient marin. I believe it's a poem. But yeah, the captain killed an albatross and then he's forced to wear the carcass around his neck because he said it was bringing them bad luck and then killed it and bad luck doesn't go away, oh, wow. So yeah, I don't know that many yeah yeah, nerds like me got that reference, but I just cracked up. We said an albacore, of course it's a tuna fish, right?

Speaker 1: 20:47

No, no, so much of the show man is like. It can be very dark and then just so like hilarious. It has all. It has everything. You need people, unless you got it. I guess, if you got a weak stomach, maybe not because some people are just soft, right.

Speaker 2: 21:02

So speaking of weak stomach, when Christopher says, why not create a little dysentery among the ranks? Oh, it means dissension, yeah exactly that's a dysentery.

Speaker 1: 21:13

Dysentery among the ranks does not sound appealing.

Speaker 2: 21:17

No it's not when Tony's having to maybe go into hiding. Furio says maybe you should lamb, chop it. Oh my God.

Speaker 1: 21:27

I love that. I, like Furio has. I really remember his his part on the golf course where you got to be on your head.

Speaker 2: 21:37

Mr Williams, here doesn't play golf. Stupid a fucking game.

Speaker 1: 21:43

Yeah, does he hit him with the golf club or just smack him?

Speaker 2: 21:46

No, no, no, no, he just he. Yeah, that's what. He just smacks his hat off. He smacks him in the head when he says you have a B on your head.

Speaker 1: 21:54

Yeah, yeah, furio's epic in those parts Furio's great. I love his character. Yeah, I love the character, until he gets involved with the wife.

Speaker 2: 22:02

And I'm telling you, I mean they never did. It's anything you can tell like they were in love, but nothing ever happens, Right, Never hug it. You know, I know I just like Tony still wants to bed when right, but she's been fantasizing about him even though he's not doing everything with a pole, right yeah, okay, yeah, I know Kidding, right yeah, fucking Tony, anyway, so hey.

Speaker 2: 22:24

Oh, go ahead he's talking to. This is perhaps my favorite because of the childs, but he, ralphie's, got some weird sexual shit going on and he was seeing this Valentina girl that he isn't any longer in Tony's. You know very attractive Tony's after but doesn't want to go near because Ralphie's a weirdo. And so then he's talking to the psychiatrist, tony system, alfie. So a guy like that could be going out with a woman and technically not have penis area contact with her Volvo.

Speaker 1: 22:58

Why With her Volvo? Oh my God, that is terrible. I know it's just penis area contacts, the heck of a saying as well, the penis area contact. Yeah, yeah, I don't even know, man.

Speaker 2: 23:13

Little Carmine has a few more. Certain events have expired, you mean transpired, right? Or he says that they've reached a stagmeyer combining stagnant and quagmeyer, that's fantastic One of the go ahead, go ahead.

Speaker 1: 23:30

I'm sorry, I want to jump in.

Speaker 2: 23:31

Oh no, christopher says Louis Brotsey sleeps with the fishes and big pussy has to tell him it's Luca Brotsey, luca Dang.

Speaker 1: 23:42

I'm with that, luca Brotsey. Yeah, no, I do so many, man, it's just hard. I know you're gonna love this one. It's from an episode that's regarded to be the best episode of Sopranos for some reason, when I was researching this, do you know which one I'm talking about? I'm just gonna turn it. Yeah, dude, I didn't know that was like supposed to be the best one. It is a great one, it's. It's up there. I have it right in front of me. Or do you know it by heart and you want to just say what he says? You?

Speaker 2: 24:13

killed 16 Chechens and Rebels single-handed. He's at the Interior Ministry and then Paulie gets out. You know that's Tony telling them about the Russian guy that they've. I don't want to ruin the episode, but anyway they've had some trouble with this Russian individual.

Speaker 1: 24:28

This show's been out forever. Dude Just ruining it.

Speaker 2: 24:31

Yeah, I know, but this thing, jay, there's obviously a bad ass. But then Paulie gets off the phone and tells Chris Christopher, you're not going to believe this. He killed 16 Chechens and Chechens Slovakians. Guy was an Interior decorator. And Christopher replies this house looked like shit.

Speaker 1: 24:48

Yeah, that's the best. I love it that is the best one.

Speaker 2: 24:52

That's my favorite.

Speaker 1: 24:53

Yeah, have you ever seen that episode? It's these two mafia guys running around in the woods or the pine burns, which is a very large expanse of forest around New Jersey or outside of it, apparently, and it's snowing and they're freezing, and this Russian ex-military psycho is like somebody that they were trying to talk to, and I believe Christopher tried to kill him, or was it Paulie?

Speaker 2: 25:18

Well, paulie's just been yeah, they have to go collect money for Sylvia, because Sylvia has the flu Right and Paulie, of course, is just breaking the guy's balls, just being a douchebag. Yeah, of course he's being antagonistic and he breaks his universal remote, which is like a huge thing. Back then, yeah, and so the guy attacks him and then they wind up knocking him out and taking him out to the pine barns. This is out in the hut. Yeah, there are woods in New Jersey. Who knew? Yeah, but yeah, then he's still alive. And so Paulie, of course, is making the guy dig his own grave and he's in his pajamas and it's, you know, super cold. But the guy's from Siberia.

Speaker 2: 26:04

So, he doesn't care and he knocks Christopher in the head with the shovel and takes off running and they're shooting at him, shooting at him, and then you see some blood, but it's never, it's never stated what happened and then their car's gone. Tony and Bobby come to rescue him, right, but yeah, the interactions between Christopher and Paulie, is that one Golden yeah?

Speaker 1: 26:31

It's. It's very good, I do. I do have another one, because Paulie is fucking. Paulie is my favorite character personally. That's where I'm at with this. I don't know how you feel about it and I want to show like the serious side of Paulie Like Christopher you got to imagine, is this younger mafia guy. Paulie's like an OG man. He's in like his fifties and shit, maybe even almost 60, right, he's got the the wing, oh yeah.

Speaker 2: 26:55

I mean cause Tony's, tony's. You know that starts when he's 42, I believe they say yeah, and Paulie was already doing it.

Speaker 1: 27:05

Yeah, yeah, no, no doubt. And Christopher's a younger guy, you know, he's 30, struggles with drug addiction and lots of stuff in his life, you know, and he grew up in the mob lifestyle, you know. So he's just whatever. Anyway, so Christopher's kind of feeling down. He says to Paulie here, he says you ever feel like nothing good was ever going to happen to you. Paulie responds yeah, and nothing did. So what? I'm alive and I'm surviving. Damn, I like that and I know how he says it too. It's very like precise. He's like, yeah, so you know what I mean. He's just like dun dun, dun. And there's a lot of gems in there, I feel in this show Sopranos.

Speaker 2: 27:42

Oh yeah, and yeah, the actor Tony Sieric of, I think I'm saying all right, god rest. Yeah, so I'm actually connected. And I read somewhere that he had his agent tell the writers that he would not be on the show if his character became a rat, right? So yeah, that's, that's badass.

Speaker 1: 28:01

Yeah, dude, no, yeah, I got it Go ahead.

Speaker 2: 28:05

Oh sorry, but with Barone, who owns the sanitation company that Tony works for, he passes away and his son gets it and he's confused. He's saying you know, there's an ace soprano on our second highest pay, the employee and there's, you know, just a bunch of stuff in his office. There's like an outboard motor on his desk. He looks like he's over there and the guy tells him oh, you should go talk to that guy and it's a picture of Paulie it's like the recycler of the year and Paulie holding this plaque. With just the look on his face, it's crazy.

Speaker 1: 28:36

I'm sure what a guy I like that. Hey, did you ever hear? There's a story that goes behind the pilot of the episode and I know if, like a lot of fans, do know this one, so you may right. But basically, in the first episode the pilot, tony's outside it's warm in New Jersey, it must be New Jersey summer, you know I'm saying whatever. They're barbecue and smoking cigars, doing shit, and he's wearing shorts and like a and like a collared shirt, but you know, it's like, you know a relaxed style one.

Speaker 1: 29:08

Anyway, so after the air, this episode famously bought a ring, as this thing called it, gandolfini, the actor who plays Tony's soprano, james Gandolfini. He was in his hotel room, okay, and he gets a random, random call on his phone right In hotel room, so nobody knows he's there, you know what I'm saying. And anyway, he picks up the phone, he's like hello, and all it says in a very distinctly, you know, italian style mob voice, I feel. It says a, don never wears shorts. And then it hung up and from that point out, cause it like disturbed him, he called Chase and they was like hey, man, like this is what just fucking happened to me after the pilot, right, and so after that, you will never see Tony's soprano wear shorts again, and this.

Speaker 2: 29:56

Wow, I didn't know that, but I do remember karma. And you know Lupertasci senior he. He tells him that some seasons later he says something about I think it was Johnny sack, even though he doesn't show up in the pilot. Carmine says that he was at his barbecue and Carmen just tells him a Don doesn't wear shorts. So that's crazy that that actually happened.

Speaker 1: 30:18

Yeah, that's yeah, that's the story behind it, and I'm pretty sure David Chase backed him up on that one. But yeah, so that's why he never wears shorts, and that happened after the fucking first episode, which is insane, so that means people were like paying attention.

Speaker 2: 30:30

Yeah, well, that's I mean it was. It had me hooked immediately. You know there's some shows that takes a little bit to get into. I was just Right, he's blown away. Yeah, that's the only dinner parties I've ever attended in my adult life were Sopranos dinner parties.

Speaker 1: 30:48

Yeah. Do you got any stories about them? I'd love to hear.

Speaker 2: 30:50

Oh man, it was just fun. My friend's AB and Nando hosted and we had the downstairs, the two level house and upstairs with, like the sophisticated non-weed smoking, degenerate unfun people and then us.

Speaker 1: 31:05

Right, good way to title them. That's the yeah, and it was my.

Speaker 2: 31:11

I sat in the chair right by the lights and it was, you know, tradition that I'd hit the light switch, as every HBO program, you know, has that, yeah, so it was timed and I'd light a blunt. Right after that, nice and much tequila. We took a limo so I think it was the season premiere of season six Wow and went to a. You know that was like Montana Italian yeah, not Italian, italian food, but it still is an identity and fun experience. Just yeah, such a cool thing that they would do just invite anyone that knew was welcome to come over and Right.

Speaker 2: 31:49

How does yeah?

Speaker 1: 31:50

we partied it up. Yeah, that's fantastic. How does that so like? How does Like, when you watch the Sopranos I know it can vary depending on episode To say you go on a run or like I know you had been lately how does this show just make you feel after you watch it, like in general, like just think of the feeling. What do you, dr Melsey? Yeah, that's kind of what I'm doing here.

Speaker 2: 32:11

Yeah, no, it is very nostalgic. I can think of when I first saw, where I was when I first saw episodes, and yet makes me think of watching it with my dad and friends and just yeah, it's like good I mean, as dark as some of the material is. It's a big part of life, honestly for me, Because it wasn't. It's not just the show, it was brought people together, Much like food, you know. It's like, oh, it's just TV, it's just food, it's like, no, it's part of existence.

Speaker 1: 32:44

It is and if you have friends that you know partake with you like you did, it's very much so like a sit-down, like meal, you know where. You just kind of and you know you're. Yeah, it's great, it was a big part of the American culture, I feel. The Sopranos, right, yeah, it still is. I mean to this day, you like, I don't know, it's just amazing.

Speaker 1: 33:05

I feel like it's one of those shows and I just was wondering what you thought about how it makes you feel. And then another way, I was saying like it's one of those shows you watch where I don't know if you'd say it inspires you, right, but does it like it makes you feel a bit alive? You know it's like there's a lot of emotions and it's not like no offense to Yellowstone folks out there, which I did watch it, because they talk about billings and they got half the shit wrong anyway, right, yeah and whatever, but like that's dumb drama. That's like every two seconds, somebody, something weird is happening that makes absolutely no fucking sense and somebody's getting shot and then, oh, there's a cow being stolen. You can't even like. You know, it's just whatever. This show was a rollercoaster of well-written plots and ups and downs and all aspects of human emotion, I feel.

Speaker 2: 33:55

Yeah, absolutely. It's more about the family like traditional structural family than the mafioso family. That's right.

Speaker 1: 34:04

Yeah, it is. It's a very like American family show. I mean, if you strip away Tony as the mob boss and then you just leave it as, like you know, an alpha male type guy who, like you know, that's like an American family show. Obviously they're pretty well off, but, like nonetheless, the problems that we all deal with as people are typically the same. Money just makes it look different, right? So, yeah, word to Mother's, sisters and Brothers. Man, you make me want to watch some Sopranos, my friend. It sounds like.

Speaker 2: 34:39

I'm actually, I think, the fifth time. I've watched it all the way through every couple years. That's badass, dude Recently. But I'm on the second to last episode.

Speaker 1: 34:49

Yeah, hey you know what? Uh, you know what the Soprano is Actually.

Speaker 1: 34:56

Female opera singer Well yeah, but the actual highlighted part of the definition is definitely. But the highlighted part of the definition that makes it such is the opera performer with the highest voice. It can also be called the Soprano. So, like you know, the Sopranos, they have the highest voice as well. It's just weird that their last name would be Soprano. It makes me feel like when you hear of old English names and they break it down, or like a village was like a sandwich. There's really a town called Sandwich, right, but the reason it's called that or what not, is because which used to mean something different back in the day, like factory, you know, right? Yeah, so I wonder, like you know, it's just very neat that he didn't even. I don't feel like, because Italian names don't seem to work like that. I don't know, though I haven't put much look into it, I suppose Maybe that's on me that I'm thinking this way. At the same time, like that's probably the most direct thing in the show is like the Sopranos, they are the highest voice period.

Speaker 2: 35:58

So yeah yeah, they floated other ideas for the title too. The only one I remember was Red Sauce was one I considered Red.

Speaker 1: 36:06

Sauce, yeah, thank God.

Speaker 2: 36:09

Yeah, no, much like that's stupid. What was I going to call Friday the 13th? Something just awful Like I'm glad they stuck with Friday the 13th. There's like murder at Camp Blood or something. Oh my God, yeah.

Speaker 1: 36:21

Murder it. Yeah, yeah, I think that was it. Yeah, so anyway. Yeah, I mean, just what an amazing. The other thing I was thinking of is that theme song. Dude Like that is he's going to pick a better song for the intro as well. I mean, it's the title of Sopranos.

Speaker 2: 36:43

No, that's amazing. I remember I had no idea who it was. I honestly, can't think of it off the top of my head. It's a great song and it couldn't fit any better.

Speaker 1: 36:52

Yeah, no, it's fantastic, but what?

Speaker 2: 36:56

are your, some of your, not the Hal Bazaar? Oh no, we know that much.

Speaker 1: 37:01

No, it is not Hal Bazaar guy. Yeah, I say, wish God rest Hal Bazaar man. Ok, you know, one hit one guy.

Speaker 1: 37:10

Yeah, for sure. But hey, you know what, whenever we talk about how bizarre, not like it needs to be talked about really, but that means his memory lives on. You know, it's kind of the the La Frenda offering Chacano way of thinking of it, I feel so go, yeah, all right. Anyway, nonetheless, my friend, there's some pretty cool slang terms in in sopranos. I know some of them are. They wouldn't fly today, we'll say. And some of them are just great. I know you know so much about this, but maybe you could give me a couple of your favorites. I mean Galba.

Speaker 2: 37:46

Gull, which is just a Capicola and I'll have to go back and look at it. But it's actually like a New Jersey thing. My boss and my friend Brooke sent me an article on it quite a while, like long before, even before we're doing the podcast. But it's just funny because, yeah, galba Gull and Capicola is delicious, but it's fun to say, yeah, or Galba Gull, capicola or Galba Gull, but that's an actual thing. One I even asked some Italian friends about was Tony called this kid First time.

Speaker 2: 38:21

He's changing the tires and they're on the way to take AJ to the dentist and Tony says, hey, go over here and help me with the tire so we can get the algae straight off your teeth. Oh, like that. And then it's only a few more times that it's, that it's used. But when I asked my Italian friend some brettan catarita, they had no idea. Like it's definitely a New Jersey, italian thing and the best I can tell it's like an affectionate way of saying dumbass or dipshit or something. You know I call my dog. You got to do this all the time to this day, right, long after Sopranos has been off the air, right. But I mean well, hey, jackass, I love you.

Speaker 1: 39:02

Right and much like what people don't know about Italy, I feel is, is that Italy isn't the oldest country in the world in the sense of Italy. It was a lot of city states, so these people have different like slang terms. They're very proud of their regions. You know what I'm saying? It's like it's kind of like Mexico, like Mexico, like Spanish. The Spanish you speak varies quite a bit by region, you know. Or America. Look at the south, compared to the north Exactly.

Speaker 2: 39:31

I went to Italy and then England. They said that those two are much more similar than California and Montana, culturally I mean really, you know, it's fucking so real.

Speaker 1: 39:42

People forget that. Oh my God, everybody feels like they know everything, don't they? I'm glad that we're doing this show to give people a little bit of a perspective. Maybe they didn't have before because, you know, as I've learned more things researching this show has actually made me learn a lot more than I already was, and I'm really into that kind of shit, like just history, all these things. And man, we as Americans, in general, we have the wrong fucking idea of the rest of the world. It is insane. You know what I'm saying. Like we, just we really do. It's kind of sad actually, anyway, nonetheless. So Sopranos, italy yeah, I mean it's. You know, they're Italian people who migrated to America and developed their own, their own culture. You could say, just like you know a lot of others that have migrated over. Wouldn't that be fair?

Speaker 2: 40:35

Yes, I mean, I was island. It was everybody, from Italians, the Hungarians, the, my Mac ancestors, I'm sure at some point Right man. Yeah, yeah, it was everybody. That is one cool thing when people are willing to experience other cultures, like the different kinds, especially grown up. You know, major, near a major area there's. I got to just experience different cultures firsthand. Yeah, you know somewhere, and I'm sure New Jersey is quite a bit like that. They're just all crammed together. At least California spread out a little bit more, Right yeah.

Speaker 1: 41:14

No, that's, that's for real. You know, like out where, where I was originally when I was born and I lived out on the ranch All up, most of our neighbors, my dad's best friend was Italian and a lot of the things I remember out in the middle of nowhere in Montana was this huge Italian community that would just pop up out of nowhere and we'd be having events and I just remember the old Italian ladies making cookies and doing stuff like that and you know. So it's very random when you get exposed to certain cultures, and I wish people would just be more open to it. It's almost like sometimes they don't realize it's even another culture at first because it's been around them so much, but then they'll still consider other things.

Speaker 1: 41:56

Kind of weird, you know I don't know, Maybe I'm going off on something different here, but the Italian culture, Sopranos, it's kind of like Italian American in a nutshell dramatized and stereotyped Right.

Speaker 2: 42:15

Yeah, it's obviously blatant and kind of poking fun at the stereotype, because obviously there's Italian Americans that have done a lot more than play monsters on TV or be real life monsters. That are ridiculously small percentage, but it's a big part of American culture. It is yeah, and it's like there's a lot of you know those old Westerns. It was all Scottish and Irish people and they thought that was the stereotype of them. But I don't really care. You know what I?

Speaker 1: 42:41

mean.

Speaker 2: 42:41

Yeah, it's the movies Right so. But yeah, it is definitely intentional stereotyped, but again, it's kind of satire, it is.

Speaker 1: 42:50

Hey, and you know they're all Italians, like you know all the main characters. That's not. It's not like some of these shows where they like it's not. It's not Johnny Five. Yeah, ben, yeah Ben, they didn't paint a guy brown, he's just racist.

Speaker 2: 43:05

I'm like so bad?

Speaker 1: 43:07

I love that movie Anyway, yeah, but no, I don't know man.

Speaker 2: 43:11

It's such a funny character when you're a little kid and you don't know that this it's like horrible that they painted this white guy brown Brown and had him speak like he's from India. I'm telling you, yeah, terrible, great movie, but yeah, little too much coke in the making of that. He overlooked the racism.

Speaker 1: 43:32

But Right, hey, you know like only us could like make that fit into an episode about the Sopranos. You know, and sometimes life doesn't work the way you want it to, and that's another thing, I was stupid. Americans talk about all the time it's like how poor us, how poor us and such. And I know you know a pretty good part of Sopranos and you tell this way better than I do where Tony gets kind of like you know he overhears the life lesson from a Russian lady or Ukrainian, I'm not sure.

Speaker 2: 44:01

Stetlana yeah, I can't, I don't remember for badm, but basically she says you know, you Americans expect nothing bad to ever happen where we got with us Russians, we expect only that to happen. Yeah, and basically you know, you tell it dawns on him.

Speaker 1: 44:20

As she hops off on one leg, correct?

Speaker 2: 44:24

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Anyway, that's what everybody.