I have read many fine papers on I-A Defamation and The Sopranos,but I think you 
will find this paper especially comprehensive and persuasive. It is worth SAVING!

It was submitted to me by our good friend, Richard A. Grace Exec. V.P. CIAA.
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THE COALITION OF ITALO-AMERICANS, INC. (CIAA)
OFFICIAL POSITION ON THE SOPRANOS

The CIAA represents 139 great Italian-American organizations.  We have been inundated with complaints about “The Sopranos” with a request to know where we stand on this issue.

The answer to this question is not simplistic.  First let us assure everyone that, in speaking out on any issue, our Organization has never intended to tread on artistic or creative expression or to infringe on the Constitutional rights of anyone in any way.  We have NEVER taken that position.

Secondly, our position regarding “The Sopranos” is not about censorship at all.  Our organization does not want to stifle anyone’s right to free speech.  That would be abhorrent to us, since we so often stand with other ethnic and racial groups in support of their civil rights issues.

To us, the root issue is about fairness.  Decades old stereotypes that associate Italian-Americans with organized crime, buffoonery and illegal activity persist to this day.  The numbers of Italian-Americans who actually participate in organized crime is a tiny fraction of the Italian-American population, but images in the popular media suggest otherwise.  The FBI statistics quote “1/20th of 1% of Italians are involved in organized crime in the United States”.

THE BEDROCK OF OUR POSITION IS THAT "CRIME IS A FUNCTION OF PERSONAL GREED, NOT SOME INHERITED IMMORAL DEGENERACY."

Our organization hopes that, by raising objections when the old, negative stereotypes appear, we can bring attention to the fact that the vast majority of Italian-Americans have always been and are decent, law-abiding people who achieve success through education and hard work.  Sadly, this positive aspect of the Italian-American culture is neglected in the media, especially by HBO.  Therefore, this is not about “The Sopranos”; this is about HBO portraying a more balanced portrayal of Italians in this Country and some of their many great contributions.  Many of those who subscribe to HBO are Italian and HBO should know of our/their concerns.  This is also free speech.

In speaking out about “The Sopranos”, we hope to influence HBO in taking “The Sopranos” off the air and short of that goal, to at least persuade HBO to give equal time to the real side of Italian-American life and to show what the vast, vast majority of Italian-Americans are really like.

We do have a sense of humor and rarely, if ever, take a stand on these types of issues.  In the past our great organization has honored many great Italians such as Frank Sinatra, Chas Palminteri, Danny Aiello, Jack Scalia, Tony Lobianco, Steven Segal, John Tuturro, etc., many of which have portrayed Organized Crime figures.  We certainly respect their right to choose their roles.  We only hope our efforts will produce additional positive roles for these very same people from which to choose.  Maybe the writers and producers should try harder so those choices are also available.  When “The Sopranos” was first aired, we tried to understand that there aren’t enough positive roles for Italian type actors.  They are unfortunately stereotyped and we understand they have to earn a living.  On occasion, we even encourage some to play these “negative roles” so they would actually have some editorial control and reduce the negative portrayals of our people.  However, our position is that while they are actually playing these roles, Italian organizations should refrain from honoring them as actors or Italians.  It only lends to publicize and shows the movies they are starring in at the time and it sends the wrong message to Hollywood and the media that we Italians condone how we are being portrayed.

Too often, the media glamorizes Italian gangsters.  They are not typical of the Italian-American and we don’t want our children or yours emulating this glamorized negative portrayal of Italians.  Please know that these are serious issues for the individuals and groups that make up our membership.  They feel – not unfairly – that Italian-Americans constitute one of the few, if not the only ethnic group, about whom such negative stereotypes are so openly tolerated without an honest attempt towards balance.  They have a right to their opinions and we as spokespersons for the Organizations that represent them, are obligated to voice their concerns.  We choose our positions carefully.

Let us reiterate that our Organization is not trying to impose censorship and does not want to suppress freedom in the arts.  We have great respect for the First Amendment.  However, we just want to achieve a degree of fairness in the way Italian-Americans are depicted.

THE SOPRANOS - THE REAL QUESTION?
What is the real question?  Are we asking if “The Sopranos” is entertaining or are we asking if Italians watch it?  Are we asking if “The Sopranos” damages the image of Italian men, women or children?  There is no doubt it is entertaining to many, including Americans of Italian decent who watch the program.

Italians can keep watching this program and do nothing - this is their right.  However, just because many Italians may think it is entertaining is no reason to attempt to justify its continued airing.  It’s not “us” we have to worry about.  It’s all those who don’t know Italians we have to worry about.  Italians know how most Italians really are, but do you know how non-Italians perceive us?  People from the South, people from the mid-west, people from Canada, and all those other countries that only see how the media portrays Italians, how do they perceive us?  When our kids apply to college or for a job in Government, the law, banks, etc., etc., how will they be perceived?  Will they be suspect?  In many, many cases they are.  Did you ever ask yourself - Why?  Is an Italian treated fairly by a jury if they happen to be on trial?  Are jury’s affected by the media?  If not, why do they change venues when there is too much publicity?  Where can an Italian go to get a totally unbiased trial?  Independent studies are needed on how prosecutors, editors, potential juries view Italians.  Would a jury more likely convict?

Italians can watch “The Sopranos” behind closed doors in their living rooms.  However, saying there is nothing wrong with that kind of programming just because you find it entertaining is totally wrong.  That just hurts today’s generations and those yet unborn.  Don’t be so naïve to think that no one is negatively affected by it.  The Sopranos spreads hate, distrust, and fear of all Italians while at the same time attempts to glamorize criminals in some perverted way.    

Current generations (our children and yours) look at these media glamorized roles on TV and in the movies and want to emulate them.  Kids drop out of school trying to emulate them (and not all of these kids are Italian.)  Future generations, when looking at these movies and program re-runs will assume that this is the way Italians always were.  Is this the way we want to be remembered by our grandchildren - as vicious killers, drug pushers, extortionists, airheads, and/or bimbos?

It seems that HBO and many in the media are attempting to mitigate the concerns of the Italian Community and try to cloud and confuse the issue by constantly saying Italians love it, produce it and act in it.  So it goes, that under these circumstances: the sensitivities of others can also be stomped and crushed.  Our concern is not and should not only be about “the Sopranos”, it should also be about HBO and the media and how often they use Italians characters as gangsters.  What is worse is how often these Italian gangsters are glamorized.  They are certainly not typical of the Italian-American and we shouldn’t want our children or yours emulating this glamorized negative portrayal of Italians.  

We find it very difficult to believe that the stereotyping does not influence an audience when we are constantly being told that this very same audience is said to be influenced by violence.  Further it is opening the floodgates of disrespect for Italian sensitivities and culture.

HBO’s series “The Sopranos” is a flawed attempt at a fictional portrayal of a very limited sector of the Italian-American community in this nation.  There is no small coincidence that when Middle America was polled, the results showed that 73% felt Italians were involved in some sort of crime.  In addition, at that very same time when Hollywood and TV was surveyed the survey showed up that 70% of all Italians portrayed in the media were portrayed as criminals, gavoons, and our women as bimbos.

“THAT CRIME IS A FUNCTION OF PERSONAL GREED, NOT SOME INHERITED IMMORAL DEGENERACY” - IS A TRUISM THAT DESERVES REPETITION!

More importantly, we shouldn’t allow our parents or us to be remembered as the media portrays us today.  Our parents and we deserve better.  Our grandkids deserve better.  Italians are the first to stand up and fight the good fight for others.  It is sad and disheartening that we find ourselves alone at a time when our friends should be coming to our defense.  I guess it’s up to us to complain to HBO and/or refuse to use products advertised.

We recognize everyone’s first amendment right to speak their mind, including HBO and Actors.  However, HBO shouldn’t hide behind the first amendment just because it’s financially rewarding.  HBO has an obligation to work harder.  There is a disgusting imbalance and lack of positive programming and positive roles for Italians and Italian-Americans on HBO.  Our position regarding “The Sopranos” is not about censorship at all.  Our Organization does not want to stifle anyone’s right to free speech. 

The justification for taking “The Sopranos” off the air is that it actually spreads “hate” for Italian-Americans and perpetuates a very negative image of Italian-Americans not only across the Country but also now around the world.  Insofar as removal from airing may be unrealistic, and since there are no laws that yet can force H.B.O. then all we can do as of now is ask for much more balance in the way Italian-Americans are portrayed in the media.  We deserve to be treated with the same respect as all the other great religious and ethnic groups, which make up this Country. 

Whether you admit it or not, HBO is not treating Italian-Americans with the same level of respect of fairness as they show other ethnic and religious groups.  When was the last time you saw a rerun of Amos and Andy?  How long would they get away with a show called “The Shapiro’s” with all the unfair negative stereotypes pertaining to our Jewish brothers and sisters?  Not to trivialize the Holocaust but what if there was a well produced show about the Holocaust and the actor who portrayed Hitler just happened to be Jewish should our Jewish brothers and sisters allow this actor to march is a Jewish parade?  They wouldn’t even air one of these shows, no Jewish person would play Hitler and they would no less allow them to march or be honored.  There is a lot to be learned from this tight knit community.

However, just examine how they justify what they do to Italians.  They say, “The producer and all the actors are Italians”.  That same justification says it would be okay to air “The Shapiro’s” as long as everyone associated with it was Jewish.  Yeah sure!

The unmistakable difference is that HBO’s programming is terribly biased towards the negative when it comes to the vast, vast majority of their programming towards Italian-Americans.  Why not – it sells!  Who else is there?  Something had to take the place of “Cowboys and the Indians” on TV and the movies.  You can isolate this show and say it’s great, or that it’s somewhat realistic, or it’s very entertaining.  This is not the point.  The point is that HBO portrays all Italians on most all their shows like they portray them on “The Sopranos”.

HBO owes it to all ethnic and religious groups to promote balance and positive images and we feel they have a moral and legal obligation not to defame.  Certainly a true balance is just.  The federal courts in Scelsa vs. The City of University, in which our Coalition, negotiated, testified and was deeply involved, the Court concluded that this kind of imbalance is discrimination and defamation.

This is not solely about “The Sopranos”; this is about HBO’s responsibility to air a balanced portrayal of Italians and Italian-Americans and some of their many great contributions. 

In summery; Yes, the Sopranos is entertaining to many, yes Italians watch it, and yes it is damaging and spreading hate for Italian men, woman, children and even Catholics.   

Richard A. Grace
Exec. V.P. CIAA