Marshall McLuhan the Sopranos, the acclaimed HBO series that ran from 1999 to 2007, is widely regarded as one of the greatest television shows of all time. The show chronicles the life of Tony Soprano, a New Jersey mob boss, and his family, friends, and enemies. The Sopranos is not only a compelling drama, but also a rich exploration of themes such as identity, morality, violence, and culture.
One of the influences that can be detected in The Sopranos is the work of Marshall McLuhan, a Canadian philosopher and media theorist who coined the famous phrase “the medium is the message”. McLuhan argued that the form and characteristics of a medium, such as television, radio, or print, affect how the content is perceived and interpreted by the audience. He also suggested that different media have different effects on the human senses, cognition, and society.
Television as a Hot Medium
Marshall McLuhan classified media into two categories: hot and cold. A hot medium is one that is high in definition, meaning that it provides a lot of information and requires little participation from the audience. A cold medium is one that is low in definition, meaning that it provides less information and requires more participation from the audience. For example, McLuhan considered radio to be a hot medium, because it delivers a clear and detailed sound that fills the listener’s ear. He considered television to be a cold medium, because it delivers a low-resolution and fuzzy image that requires the viewer’s eye to fill in the gaps.
However, Marshall McLuhan also noted that the same medium can vary in its degree of hotness or coldness depending on the context and the content. For instance, he argued that color television is hotter than black-and-white television, because it provides more visual information and stimulation.
The Sopranos, as a television show, is a hot medium in several ways. First, it is a color television show, which makes it more vivid and realistic than a black-and-white show. Second, it is a high-quality production, with a high budget, a talented cast, and a sophisticated cinematography, editing, and sound design. Third, it is a complex and dense narrative, with multiple characters, subplots, and themes, that demands the viewer’s attention and comprehension.
The Sopranos uses the hotness of television to create a powerful and immersive experience for the viewer. The show invites the viewer to enter the world of Tony Soprano and his associates, and to witness their actions and emotions in a detailed and intimate way. The show also challenges the viewer to think critically and morally about the characters and their choices, and to question their own assumptions and values.
Television as an Extension of the Eye
Marshall McLuhan also argued that different media extend different human senses and faculties, and that this affects how humans perceive and interact with the world. For example, he claimed that the phonetic alphabet extends the sense of hearing, and that this fosters a linear and logical mode of thinking. He claimed that television extends the sense of sight, and that this fosters a holistic and emotional mode of thinking.
The Sopranos, as a television show, extends the sense of sight in various ways. First, it uses visual elements, such as lighting, color, framing, and symbolism, to create mood, atmosphere, and meaning. For example, the show often uses dark and muted colors to convey a sense of gloom, danger, and corruption. The show also uses bright and contrasting colors to convey a sense of contrast, irony, and humor. The show also uses different camera angles and movements to create different perspectives and effects. For example, the show often uses close-ups and zooms to emphasize the expressions and reactions of the characters. The show also uses long shots and pans to show the context and environment of the scenes.
Second, the show uses visual references and allusions to other media, such as movies, paintings, and books, to enrich and comment on its own story. For example, the show often pays homage to classic gangster films, such as The Godfather, Goodfellas, and Scarface, by using similar scenes, dialogues, and motifs. The show also draws inspiration from other genres and sources, such as westerns, horror, comedy, and history, to create variety and contrast. The show also uses visual metaphors and symbols, such as animals, food, and dreams, to convey deeper and hidden meanings and themes.
The Sopranos uses the extension of sight to create a rich and layered visual experience for the viewer. The show stimulates the viewer’s eye and mind with its aesthetic and artistic choices, and invites the viewer to interpret and appreciate its visual language and messages.
Television as a Global Village
McLuhan also argued that media have social and cultural effects, and that they shape and transform the way humans communicate and relate to each other. He famously predicted that the electronic media, such as television, radio, and the internet, would create a “global village”, a term that he used to describe a world where people are connected and influenced by each other across time and space, regardless of their physical distance and cultural differences.
The Sopranos, as a television show, reflects and contributes to the global village in several ways. First, it depicts a multicultural and diverse society, where different ethnic, racial, religious, and sexual groups coexist and interact, sometimes harmoniously, sometimes conflictually. The show portrays the Italian-American community, with its traditions, values, and conflicts, as well as other groups, such as African-Americans, Jews, Asians, Hispanics, Native Americans, and homosexuals. The show also explores the issues and challenges that arise from the contact and clash of cultures, such as assimilation, discrimination, prejudice, and identity.
Second, it reaches and influences a global audience, who watch and enjoy the show in different countries and languages, and who share and discuss their opinions and reactions online and offline. The show has been broadcasted and distributed in various media platforms, such as cable, satellite, DVD, and streaming services, and has been translated and dubbed in various languages, such as Spanish, French, German, and Japanese. The show has also generated a large and loyal fan base, who communicate and interact through websites, blogs, podcasts, forums, and social media, and who create and consume fan-made content, such as videos, art, and fiction.
The Sopranos uses the global village to create a relevant and influential cultural experience for the viewer. The show reflects and responds to the social and cultural realities and changes of the contemporary world, and invites the viewer to participate and engage in the global conversation and community that the show creates.
Here are some additional points that you might find interesting:
- Marshall McLuhan was a Canadian philosopher and media theorist who coined the famous phrase “the medium is the message”. He argued that the form and characteristics of a medium, such as television, radio, or print, affect how the content is perceived and interpreted by the audience. He also suggested that different media have different effects on the human senses, cognition, and society.
- The Sopranos is a television show that uses the medium of television to convey its message, and that relates to some of McLuhan’s ideas. The show is a hot medium that creates a powerful and immersive experience for the viewer. The show is an extension of the eye that creates a rich and layered visual experience for the viewer. The show is a global village that creates a relevant and influential cultural experience for the viewer. The show demonstrates how the medium shapes the message, and how the message shapes the medium.
- The Sopranos also makes references and allusions to McLuhan and his work in some of its episodes. For example, in the episode “House Arrest” (season 2, episode 11), a nurse jokes that a U.S. Marshal who is escorting Junior Soprano is named “Marshall McLuhan”. This is a humorous nod to the similarity between the names and the irony of a law enforcement officer being associated with a media theorist. In the episode “Made in America” (season 6, episode 21), the final episode of the series, Tony Soprano is seen reading a magazine article titled “How TV Changes America’s Mind”. This is a subtle hint to the theme of the show and the influence of McLuhan’s ideas on its creator, David Chase.
Conclusion
The Sopranos is a television show that uses the medium of television to convey its message, and that relates to some of McLuhan’s ideas. which the show is a hot medium that creates a powerful and immersive experience for the viewer. The show is an extension of the eye that creates a rich and layered visual experience for the viewer. It is global village that creates a relevant and influential cultural experience for the viewer. These demonstrates how the medium shapes the message, and how the message shapes the medium.