On HBO, Cheaters Always Prosper
Karolina Lula
Issue date: 3/20/06 Section: Life & Leisure
The sixth season of HBO's "The Sopranos" has begun without Tony Soprano cheating on his wife Carmela. In season four, Tony suffered some marital troubles when a psychotic mistress phoned his wife. Tony ended the affair by the end of season five and agreed to abide by Carmela's rules in order to keep their marriage intact. Now he buys Carm a Porsche and frequently takes her out to dinner instead of frequenting his mistresses. Has HBO gotten a new story line?
Of course not. Adultery sells!
What HBO is doing is banking on our fixation of all things taboo. It's not that Western civilization is becoming more and more comfortable with cheating - because our society always has been. Throughout history, young women married older men and wound up having affairs with younger men who could satisfy them sexually. All the greatest leaders in history had their shares of mistresses: Napoleon, Caesar, Alexander. (Well, Alexander slept with men, but it was still out of wedlock.)
To keep audiences engaged before the next season of "The Sopranos," HBO took a costly risk with "Rome," a show that one on-line news source nicknamed "Sopranos 52 B.C."
Julius Caesar is a lot like Tony Soprano when it comes to cheating: they are powerful men who get what they want. Adultery is almost expected of Caesar and he indulges in it gladly for eight years with his mistress. But when his cheating ends up as graffiti on Roman walls, he ends the affair. He cannot afford to lose the political support of his wife's family. Enter Cleopatra.
Cleopatra is depicted as a conniving whore who slept with her slaves for fun. She gives birth to a son, whom Caesar presumes to be his, but it might as well have been that of the soldier Titus Pullo.
Cleopatra's behavior is in stark contrast to that of Carmela Soprano. Carmela, as the model wife, only has a brief affair with her son's teacher after she learns of Tony's cheating and they are separated. Sure, Carm has had many adulterous thoughts throughout the seasons but she has been faithful to Tony. Cleopatra is the imperfect mistress, while Carmela is the perfect wife.
Of course not. Adultery sells!
What HBO is doing is banking on our fixation of all things taboo. It's not that Western civilization is becoming more and more comfortable with cheating - because our society always has been. Throughout history, young women married older men and wound up having affairs with younger men who could satisfy them sexually. All the greatest leaders in history had their shares of mistresses: Napoleon, Caesar, Alexander. (Well, Alexander slept with men, but it was still out of wedlock.)
To keep audiences engaged before the next season of "The Sopranos," HBO took a costly risk with "Rome," a show that one on-line news source nicknamed "Sopranos 52 B.C."
Julius Caesar is a lot like Tony Soprano when it comes to cheating: they are powerful men who get what they want. Adultery is almost expected of Caesar and he indulges in it gladly for eight years with his mistress. But when his cheating ends up as graffiti on Roman walls, he ends the affair. He cannot afford to lose the political support of his wife's family. Enter Cleopatra.
Cleopatra is depicted as a conniving whore who slept with her slaves for fun. She gives birth to a son, whom Caesar presumes to be his, but it might as well have been that of the soldier Titus Pullo.
Cleopatra's behavior is in stark contrast to that of Carmela Soprano. Carmela, as the model wife, only has a brief affair with her son's teacher after she learns of Tony's cheating and they are separated. Sure, Carm has had many adulterous thoughts throughout the seasons but she has been faithful to Tony. Cleopatra is the imperfect mistress, while Carmela is the perfect wife.