The media and specifically television portray Italian Americans as criminals or people of power in the illegal world. Television portrays their ethnicity on a stereotypical background that most people have come to know as truth. There is a show on cable called the Sopranos. This show is a depiction of the New Jersey mafia and how it handles it’s day to day operations. The show’s creators and writers have put together a wonderful exaggeration of how the New Jersey organized crime families live. I am a big fan of the show and enjoy watching how the characters portray real-life mobsters. The affects that this show has on people vary in many ways. Many people may believe that this is really how the mob operates. Others watch this show and start developing a fear or hate for the Italian American population. Although, the Sopranos were created for the purpose of entertainment, it has affected many people in their personal lives. The stars of the show have changed their lives, for example: the son of the main mobster was arrested for assaulting another person and smoking marijuana, coincidence or a false belief that he can get away with murder? For avid watchers of the show, mostly young adults, their tone of voice, hand gestures and actions start to imitate what they see on the show. How does the general public feel about the Italian community? Do they think everyone is in the mob or a criminal? How does it make people feel about the state of New Jersey? The media has created a stereotypical wall about Italian Americans that will never be torn down.If we were to compare this show to reality, how many differences or similarities would we find? The truth is television is not meant to bring you reality, it is meant to bring fantasy as close as possible to reality. Everyone wants to be mesmerized by what they see, not be bored by seeing what they can see out their windows or in their day to day lives. Television is our escape ...
