Family Values on Television

Paper Summary:

The paper considers family values as portrayed on two popular television programs; "The Sopranos" about a fictional Italian-American Mafia family and "The Simpsons" that has a focus on the nuclear family. The paper looks at what these popular television shows teach us about the family and whether we can use these lessons to improve our own family lives.

Outline:
Introduction
Content Analysis
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Perhaps any family man in America who is leading an organization with illegal activities can relate to the Soprano family. The latest American debacle to hit the headlines - that of Enron - brings the Soprano chief to mind. It may very well be that all American families that are involved with illegal money do feel like the Sopranos. The Soprano family is known for its harsh language. Since morality and America's deepest values have nothing whatsoever to do with this kind of language, we are made to infer that the anxieties of the Sopranos are deep-rooted, giving birth to harsh language, and all because of the fact that they are involved with crime."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Billen, Andrew. "Lives Less Ordinary: A Sociological Study That Reveals a Surprising Amount of Love." New Statesman, Vol. 133, Issue 4695, p. 47.
• Karlak, Pat. "All in the Family Some Italian-Americans Have Taken Aim at 'The Sopranos.' but Others Say the HBO Mob Drama Captures the Complex Flavors of la Famiglia." Daily Herald, 1 March 2001, p. 1.
• Shulman, Polly. "Men Know from Homer: Women from Marge Sure, We Ogle 'The Osbournes' and Love 'Everybody Loves Raymond,' but When It Comes to a Conjugal Relationship That Everyone Understands, the Hands-Down Winner Is Primary-Colored and Two-Dimensional. PT Visits the Stars of America's Real Reality TV Show, 'The Simpsons.'" Psychology Today, Vol. 36, Issue 4, July-August 2003, p. 34+.
• "Simpson Family Values." The Wilson Quarterly, Vol. 24, Issue 1, Winter 2000, p. 73.
• The Simpsons. Fox Network. 17 December 1989-Present.

More papers on Family Values on Television:

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• Essay # 43986 : "The Impact Of Television"
• Research Paper # 113739 : "The Simpsons" and Gender Roles"

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