Book Review: Simon, D. (2004). Tony Soprano's America: The Criminal Side of the American Dream. Boulder, CO: Westview. 274 pp

DOI10.1177/0734016807304864
Date01 September 2007
Published date01 September 2007
Subject MatterArticles
Simon, D. (2004). Tony Soprano’s America:
The Criminal Side of the American Dream.
Boulder, CO: Westview. 274 pp.
DOI: 10.1177/0734016807304864
In this book, David Simon uses the popular HBO show The Sopranos as a metaphor to
describe many of postmodern society’s flaws and shortcomings. Simon is critical of many
institutions, including higher education, organized religion, and the economy. He provides
elaborate details from three seasons of the critically acclaimed television series to make his
case. Simon makes many compelling arguments throughout the book, and he creatively uses
situations from the show to bolster his case. According to the author, one of the primary rea-
sons for the enormous success of The Sopranos is that it reflects the tremendous sense of
alienation that Americans feel during the course of their professional and work lives. As
Simon contends, Tony Soprano, the main character, must balance the roles of being a mob
capo (high-ranking member of an organized crime family), father, husband, Catholic, and
psychiatric patient. In many instances, as Simon points out, these roles come into conflict, and
this often results in panic attacks and erratic behaviors. In the opening of the book, Simon
contends that Americans are fascinated by illegal and unethical behaviors. He also asserts that
many of the characters in the television show are portrayed as heroes. Simon asserts that like
many Americans, the characters of The Sopranos have their own unique moral codes, and he
chastises the mass media for helping to create and perpetuate these criminal icons. Simon
accuses the main character of being overtly racist and sexist, yet he argues that viewers still
accept and even appreciate this. According to Simon, this is reminiscent of the character
Archie Bunker from the 1970s hit television show All in the Family. In both of these shows,
the main characters were idolized by audiences, despite the fact that they were portrayed as
engaging in deplorable types of behaviors. Simon suggests that the United States’ fascination
with rogue characters and criminals has been pervasive throughout its history. He argues, for
example, that Al Capone was often asked by reporters to provide insights into moral issues.
Throughout the book, it is evident that Simon holds the “amoral” mass media partially
responsible for the glamorization of criminals. He contends that American culture has
become so dysfunctional that it embraces and even idolizes rogue characters such as Tony
Soprano. According to Simon, the character of Tony Soprano is highly contradictory and is
a metaphor for the enormous contradictions that are inherent in our multicultural society.
Tony Soprano engages in situational ethics, cheats on his wife, and uses illicit drugs. Simon
argues that many American television viewers may find the character of Tony Soprano a
convenient way to justify their own questionable behaviors. For example, fans of the show
may say to themselves, “I know that it is wrong to lie and cheat,” but “if it works for Tony,
maybe it can work for me.” Simon states that this sends the wrong message to viewers and
is especially troubling when one considers that a younger, more impressionable audience
is beginning to watch violent shows such as the Sopranos.
Although Simon provides readers with an in-depth look at the psyche of Tony Soprano,
one need not be a fan of the show to appreciate this book. In fact, one of the major strengths
of this work is that Simon does not seem to assume that his readers have any knowledge of
274 Criminal Justice Review

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT