Above, actor Steve Schirripa who played Bobby 'Bacala' Baccalieri on the popular HBO series "The Sopranos." Not even the finale of the show has been able to stymie criticism.Soprano's critics assail anti-stereotypes of finale
New Jersey – Italian American groups, long critics of the way they say the popular HBO series "The Sopranos" stereotyped the Italian culture, are blasting the series' June 10 finale, indicating it again has again done a disservice to their culture.
"'The Soprano's'" has long perpetuated Italian Americans as nothing more than thugs, goons and mobsters," Anthony Cicarelli, chairman of People Against Stereotyped Television Association. "Now we find the much-welcomed ending has again left us with lingeromg fallacies to overcome."
Most of the concerns from PASTA, a group that works fervently to protect the Italian American image, center on the show's already controversial final scene set in a popular New Jersey ice cream parlour.
PASTA's complaints start with Soprano's choice for the jukebox song that scored the final scene "Don't Stop Believing" by popular '80s band Journey. Cicarelli said the song didn't fit the scene or the tone of the show.
"If we must portray Italians on screen, we must put them in a proper muscial context," he said. "Anything by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin or even "Mack the Knife" by Bobby Darin would have been much more appropriate."
Further, Cicarelli said Tony Soprano's decision to order onion rings was an affront to the Italian community.
"I don't care if they weren't in a traditional Italian restaurant or not, you order some fried Calamari or breadsticks," he said. "It was a travesty to see the family eating such a non-ethnic food."
Also cited in the PASTA press release was concern that daughter Meadow's inability to parallel park would show that Italian women are poor drivers which he says is an over-generalization.
"All women are poor drivers," Cicarelli said. "To have just an Italian women struggling to parallel park perpetuates a myth that any women can properly parallel park."
One criticism did deal with another aspect of the show. PASTA officials were concerned about the gruesome death of rival mob boss Phil Leotardo who was shot in the head and then run over by the wheel of his own SUV.
"The perceived, but unseen, insinuation that this character's head was seemingly split open when the tire ran over him would seem to indicate that Italians lack the skulluar fortitude to survive such an incident.
"Italians have a history of thick heads and we are proud of it," he said.
Series creator David Chase was said to be vacationing in Paris and has made it clear he won't be responding to any of the missives issued by groups such as PASTA or other groups angry about the show such as WWCPT (Women Wishing Cars Parked Themselves) or TIWCGD (Tires Irritated With Causing Gruesome Deaths).
