I’m making a prophetic prediction about this show: The Sopranos started in the head but it will end in the heart.

This episode, which mainly focused on Vito Spatafore being outed as a homosexual, came at an interesting time for me because I just watched Brokeback Mountain a couple days ago and was profoundly affected by it.

And for those who don’t read this blog and are coming to it from a Google search or Technorati, I am a Libertarian which means I believe that the purpose of government is to prevent citizens from infringing upon the lives or property of other citizens.

In other words, I share Tony’s perspective of “who gives a shit.” The problem is that society, like the mob, runs on the expectations of others above all other things. Tony worked hard last week to gain back the respect of his captains by beating the shit out of the new guy “with red peppa’ flakes up his ass.” And now, by giving latitude to Vito; even though he is a great earner and very profitable for the family, he could be losing more than just their respect–he could be losing his livelihood.

So Vito has to go–even though it’s in Tony’s best interest (both financially and spiritually) to keep him around despite his “weakness.”

It was very interesting to see a disarmed Vito, in scenes of social tranquility (not domestic), pondering an open and free life for himself in an environment where homosexuality is accepted in the community running along side the tense (but funny) deliberations going on back at Satriales and the Bada Bing over whether he will live or die for being nothing more than what he is.

Expand the scenario to female infanticide in China, abortions in Alabama, or the Jews, Gypsies, (and homosexuals) in Auschwitz and we can see the entire issue in clear perspective. What right does the society we create have to dictate to individuals how to live their lives, providing they are not harming another person or their property? The easy answer is that we have no right to do so–but again, society runs off of the expectations of others and homosexuality is (perhaps for biological reasons) inherently viewed as a serious moral (if not spiritual) weakness. For better or worse, this is the world we live in and the one in which Tony must abide by the rules or be left out in the cold with the law breathing in one ear while the disapproval and loss of cash flow tears apart the foundations of his existence in the other.

Tony is still fighting for his soul, even though he’s in the pink of recovery and with Vito he is now caught between doing what’s fundamentally right versus what’s practically right.

The question is: will Tony choose to store his treasure in heaven or will he take the lump sum now?

Next week should be interesting.

LINKS:
Photo by The Anti Akademie
BWP on Brokeback Mountain

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