TV: Ok to watch the Sopranos?

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Matrix_Refugee said:
Excuse me? Last time I looked, the Sopranos was fiction, and not a documentary.
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Well I probably don’t agree with that way you meant it either, but I thought you meant that it was fictional that men had weaknesses; iOW, that they didn’t need God to be strong.
 
Charles_22 said:
Well I probably don’t agree with that way you meant it either, but I thought you meant that it was fictional that men had weaknesses; iOW, that they didn’t need God to be strong.
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I don’t deny that man doesn’t have weaknesses, and I wasn’t implying that man can be strong without God (though I’ve met some atheists and Pagans who were more charitable than some Christians: real-life versions of the Good Samaritan, I guess). I was trying to say that my faith been affected, for good or for bad, by the real-life people around me. Fictional stories, yes, have inspired or shocked me, but they haven’t affected my faith or my morals as profoundly. The reason being: they’re not the same as a priest counseling me or a person trivializing my sufferings. They’re words on a page or actors following a script. I suspect, if your faith or your morals are affected by reading or watching fictional accounts of the bad that people do, then your faith or your moral training isn’t as strong as you thought it was.
 
Matrix_Refugee said:
I don’t deny that man doesn’t have weaknesses, and I wasn’t implying that man can be strong without God (though I’ve met some atheists and Pagans who were more charitable than some Christians: real-life versions of the Good Samaritan, I guess). I was trying to say that my faith been affected, for good or for bad, by the real-life people around me. Fictional stories, yes, have inspired or shocked me, but they haven’t affected my faith or my morals as profoundly. The reason being: they’re not the same as a priest counseling me or a person trivializing my sufferings. They’re words on a page or actors following a script. I suspect, if your faith or your morals are affected by reading or watching fictional accounts of the bad that people do, then your faith or your moral training isn’t as strong as you thought it was.
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No, quite the contrary. Your assumption that it doesn’t affect you, is precisely one of the ways the world gets to you (afterall isn’t it they that preach that the stuff they’re showing you “isn’t that bad”). It takes strength to accept that it does and do something about it. You can let those believed lower cases of temptation get to you, believing all the while they do not, while I know better, and I will stay away. But what do you know? I’ve been where you seem to be, and I was knee deep in the tamer programs of long ago, with their sexual innuendos and so forth, and decided I had had enough, that I was tired of those programs even trying to instill their horrid lack of values into me. I already told you the story of the F word boys and how it got to me, despite that I didn’t think it affected me either, but you won’t listen, will you?
 
Charles_22 said:
No, quite the contrary. Your assumption that it doesn’t affect you, is precisely one of the ways the world gets to you (afterall isn’t it they that preach that the stuff they’re showing you “isn’t that bad”). It takes strength to accept that it does and do something about it. You can let those believed lower cases of temptation get to you, believing all the while they do not, while I know better, and I will stay away. But what do you know? I’ve been where you seem to be, and I was knee deep in the tamer programs of long ago, with their sexual innuendos and so forth, and decided I had had enough, that I was tired of those programs even trying to instill their horrid lack of values into me. I already told you the story of the F word boys and how it got to me, despite that I didn’t think it affected me either, but you won’t listen, will you?
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Bolding mine. I seem to have missed that post, but I’ll go back and find it.

However, that “you won’t listen, will you” has a childish edge to it. Please do not post to me in that manner. I tune out people who take that tone with me.
 
Charles_22 said:
What you are forgetting, and him as well apparently, is that what you see (and hear) is what you get. You dont’ have to think it’s not affecting you, it will anyway. This is especially the case when you think it’s not affecting you, because you are all the more open to it’s suggestions. I had a 6 month period at work where a couple of guys I knew went about their conversations saying the F word frequently. They didn’t do it with me separately, but just between themselves for some reason. I said nothing and figured they knew better anyway and I would go about my business. I don’t know when it started, but that word starting coming out of my mouth when I got into a cussing situation during that time. I didn’t think it affected me, and it did nonetheless. I never used to use that word, period, and that was like 2-3 years ago and it still plagues me even though the guys are gone and I don’t really have any contacts like that anymore. Don’t tell me that thinking something doesn’t affect me, won’t, I know better.
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So let me get this straight. If I watch the Sopranos on tv long enough, I’m going to become an Itallian mobster that lies and cheats and breaks the law and murders and hangs out in strip clubs? And that it’s all because I watch that tv show, and I have no choice over the matter and no personal responsibility for making those choices in my life? I’m powerless over the suggestion of sin presented to me on tv shows? Or anywhere else in life, for that matter?

That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. Watching the Sopranos isn’t going to turn me into a horrible, murdering mobster. Because it’s my choice and responsibility to not let it do that. IMO, it’s your fault, and weakness, that you started swearing like that. You let it affect you. People don’t absorb sin and evil like it was osmosis. I’ve watched the Sopranos for years, I own the dvds, and I’ve never once gone out and wacked anyone or spent any time in a strip club (or pork store).
 
thomasf said:
So let me get this straight. If I watch the Sopranos on tv long enough, I’m going to become an Itallian mobster that lies and cheats and breaks the law and murders and hangs out in strip clubs? And that it’s all because I watch that tv show, and I have no choice over the matter and no personal responsibility for making those choices in my life? I’m powerless over the suggestion of sin presented to me on tv shows? Or anywhere else in life, for that matter?

That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. Watching the Sopranos isn’t going to turn me into a horrible, murdering mobster. Because it’s my choice and responsibility to not let it do that. IMO, it’s your fault, and weakness, that you started swearing like that. You let it affect you. People don’t absorb sin and evil like it was osmosis. I’ve watched the Sopranos for years, I own the dvds, and I’ve never once gone out and wacked anyone or spent any time in a strip club (or pork store).
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Yes, powerless, as it sneaks in regardless (unless you’re smart enough not to watch it in the first place). The only thing questionable is what degree it will lead you and what you will do about it. In my case, I didn’t want it, and what I heard around me became a part of me.

Generally the more appalling behavior takes longer to manifest though. The following doesn’t make sense to me, but I have heard of a prominent brother who was led into witchcraft by that old show Bewitched. It seemed harmless to I’m sure everyone on this forum, but sometimes you don’t know what dormant tendency is just lying in wait for the opportunity to spring. Or to put it another way, the devil may not have access to us on certain temptations until we trip over the wrong wires, and then whatever it is can become yet another very strong temptation in the very least.

BTW, how did I “let” swearing affect me? In retrospect, I wish I had said something about it, considering what happened to me, but I didn’t ask them to do it, and apart from saying something to them about it, I couldn’t do anything about it really. I certainly had no idea, just like you guys, that sitting their against my wishes it would do what it did. You guys are worse than I was, for you are watching filthy programs like that completely of your own free will. So what if you don’t replicate precisely what is on the show, who can speak for all the tomorrows and what that show will have done? Seems to me hearing all that foul language is more than enough reason not to watch it, but no, we’re tough, we don’t go axe murdering after watching it for years, so it doesn’t influence us in the least.
 
I don’t know much about the Sopranos, but for the more ridiculous cases of falling into sin I’ll go ahead and repost this from thomasf:
IMO, it’s your fault, and weakness, that you started swearing like that. You let it affect you. People don’t absorb sin and evil like it was osmosis.
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Of course, if you are the sort that can be easily influenced, then you should probably avoid things that might lead you to sin.

On a side note, you only had a six month period of having people around you dropping the f-bomb frequently? Honestly, where did you go to school?
 
CTA1967 said:
I don’t know much about the Sopranos, but for the more ridiculous cases of falling into sin I’ll go ahead and repost this from thomasf:

Of course, if you are the sort that can be easily influenced, then you should probably avoid things that might lead you to sin.

On a side note, you only had a six month period of having people around you dropping the f-bomb frequently? Honestly, where did you go to school?
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I have been out of school for over 30 years. And yes, I had heard the word before, but not so frequently in such a short period. My family never used the word, and anybody who used it with any regularity, I didn’t hang around them very much anyway.
 
Charles_22 said:
Yes, powerless, as it sneaks in regardless (unless you’re smart enough not to watch it in the first place). The only thing questionable is what degree it will lead you and what you will do about it. In my case, I didn’t want it, and what I heard around me became a part of me.

Generally the more appalling behavior takes longer to manifest though. The following doesn’t make sense to me, but I have heard of a prominent brother who was led into witchcraft by that old show Bewitched. It seemed harmless to I’m sure everyone on this forum, but sometimes you don’t know what dormant tendency is just lying in wait for the opportunity to spring. Or to put it another way, the devil may not have access to us on certain temptations until we trip over the wrong wires, and then whatever it is can become yet another very strong temptation in the very least.

BTW, how did I “let” swearing affect me? In retrospect, I wish I had said something about it, considering what happened to me, but I didn’t ask them to do it, and apart from saying something to them about it, I couldn’t do anything about it really. I certainly had no idea, just like you guys, that sitting their against my wishes it would do what it did. You guys are worse than I was, for you are watching filthy programs like that completely of your own free will. So what if you don’t replicate precisely what is on the show, who can speak for all the tomorrows and what that show will have done? Seems to me hearing all that foul language is more than enough reason not to watch it, but no, we’re tough, we don’t go axe murdering after watching it for years, so it doesn’t influence us in the least.
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I’m repeating myself, but again, that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.

If you are so affected by outside influences, you might want to find a closet to lock yourself in. We wouldn’t want you to be tempted or twisted any further.

I’ll let you know if I get any urges toward axe murdering. But I’ve got more faith in myself and my ability to take responsibility for my choices.
 
thomasf said:
I’m repeating myself, but again, that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.

If you are so affected by outside influences, you might want to find a closet to lock yourself in. We wouldn’t want you to be tempted or twisted any further.

I’ll let you know if I get any urges toward axe murdering. But I’ve got more faith in myself and my ability to take responsibility for my choices.
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Well thanks for the compliment to my viewpoint. Appreciate it.:rolleyes: And umm, thanks for answering the question too about how I “let” swearing affect me. I mean surely a guy so knowledgeable as yourself could tell me that? You made the accusation, now you dodge the question; typical.
 
Charles_22 said:
Well thanks for the compliment to my viewpoint. Appreciate it.:rolleyes: And umm, thanks for answering the question too about how I “let” swearing affect me. I mean surely a guy so knowledgeable as yourself could tell me that? You made the accusation, now you dodge the question; typical.
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You tell me. You’re the one blaming the other two guys for your swearing problems.
 
thomasf said:
You tell me. You’re the one blaming the other two guys for your swearing problems.
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I said all along I didn’t let them and it was against my will. I also said that I wish in retrospect that I had said something to perhaps force them to stop, but, just like you, I had no idea their language would have that effect. It’s not like I could leave the room, as we worked in the same room. Leave the room and your work isn’t being done. One of them was my immediate boss, which didn’t make the prospect any easier.
 
sry for restarting this, i just finished 2 months watching the entire series.

its a downright insult to read this series and its actors get called ‘filth’, ‘sin’, ‘no values’ etc., by some, even said by those not watching. its generally viewed as one of the best tv series ever, so why so quick to judge. like others mentioned, sopranos is actually a story on moral, and methaporically, portrays a lot of people nowdays, with no center in their life and looking for anwers. religion or god dont really come out as the answer too, now that would be an argument to not be interested instead of the biased remarks. its not about the violence, the mob, not even so much about italians. the great scenes are full of drama, or humour which is an important part too. just watch it. its brilliant in every aspect. hours of watching this didnt get me cursing. it rather learned me things about life and society, beside simply entertain me.

or first just watch Inside The Actors: Jim Gandolfini, @ 1:25 starts talkin about Sopranos youtube.com/watch?v=ZV1GmmMCNZQ&feature=PlayList&p=0D5C2BAE62412188&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=2
 
As a Catholic, and a writer, I am going to have to give an account for my actions. I do not want to associate with or promote something like the Sopronos. There was an episode where Tony had (non-graphic) sex with what looked like a girl in her late teens. His comment about her? “Born-again Christian.” It is not a documentary, it is not an educational program. It is an attempt to market filth under the words “great acting,” “great writing,” and words like “gritty” and “realistic.”

It should be avoided.

Peace,
Ed
 
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