In the NYT, Amy Winehouse > James Gandolfini

Once again, we're not talking about mainstream cultural influence here. We're talking about the world of New York Times readers, which may not even know Two And A Half Men exists.

But I look forward to more strong takes on Gandolfini's relevance as an artist from people who might have seen him in Crimson Tide.

 

Yeah, he was super convincing as a right-handed Joe Jackson.

 

I buy into H.L. Mencken's argument to some degree. I wouldn't have had a problem with it on A1. But I think he's overstating it quite a bit. The Sopranos was riding the coattails of other hugely influential dramas of the 1990s. It wasn't the first artistic drama ever.

 

Alma seems conditioned to believe that everything in movies is, and always will be, better. Which is fine. David Chase believes the same, actually.

It's just false. And far more snobbish than I could ever be.

David Simon, David Chase, Vince Gilligan, David Milch -- these guys are actually telling stories as opposed to jerking off their film school pals.

 

Heck, to take Mencky Jimy's argument, and stereotyping of NYT readers, to their extreme, why would those readers be slumming on HBO, when there's CNBC, public television, BBC America and the History Channel around? And heck, why would these folks even be watching TV? They'd be at the opera, holding a late board of directors meeting or having a cocktail party in the Hamptons.

 

CEOs do not watch TV. They don't have time. They get up at 7 in the morning. Did you miss that thread?

 

Of course I'm overstating it! That's what I do! Ever read what I wrote about William Jennings Bryan during the Scopes Monkey Trial?

Effing Puritans.

 

You would think that after the first five years of no one crashing through the ice and drowning the audience would get that it ain't gonna' happen. Then again, this is a country that watches poker on television.

 

Ohhh, and you were so close too.

 

Not everything is better in movies. TV does comedy better.

 

Page A22. I don't know if she got the Page 1 refer or how it was played online the day before, though.