What Does "The Sopranos" Teach Us?

"All due respect, you got no idea, what it's like to be number one. Every decision you make, affects every facet of every other thing. It's too much to deal with, almost. And in the end, you're completely alone with it." - Tony Soprano, the mafia boss, explaining to his consigliere (counsellor/advisor) on why he is soft-pedaling on a critical issue. The HBO Drama series, The SOPRANOS, is a popular take on the American-Italian mafia lifestyle and is based on a mafia family in New Jersey.

What makes The SOPRANOS, a most popular drama, that the restaurants have reported very lean crowds, during the airing of this series? And more over, what prompts almost all of the news channels and newspapers to devote separate coverage for this drama Series?

To start with, The SOPRANOS was never an attempt to serve "old wine in a new bottle". Along with the "usual" mafia story, it explores different dimensions - a dysfunctional nuclear family of the mafia boss, Tony Soprano, of the different mob members and also of Tony's mid-life crisis. The mafia boss, Tony Soprano, is played by an "overweight" James Gandolfini - and he is not in the mould of any "super heroes" that you normally see in a mobster movie. (However, the allure of James Gandolfini, in the role of a mafia boss, is worth watching!) More interestingly, Tony Soprano suffers from panic attacks (something totally unheard of, for a mob boss!), due to the stressful nature of his current job and his mob experience during his younger days. This makes him to go for psychiatric counseling - but he needs to keep this confidential from his mob members and other mafia families, and also try not to divulge his "business specifics" to the psychiatrist.

The SOPRANOS show has already made many contributions to the American literature - phrases like "sleeping with the fishes" (euphemism for killing a person and dumping the body in the sea) and a host of Italian words, which the mob members use regularly, are already very popular. There is also a website, where you can place bets on which of the cast members will get "whacked" (killed), before an episode is aired. There are books written about the show ("The Psychology of the Sopranos: Love, Death, and Desire and Betrayal in America's Favorite Gangster Family" is one) as well as a recipe book on the different Italian dishes that the mob members are seen feasting on the show. The SOPRANOS theme song, "You woke up this morning, got yourself a gun" and the opening shot of landmarks around NJ (Lincoln Tunnel, NJ Turnpike etc) are also popular. (A note of caution: The SOPRANOS is rated 'R' for adult content).

What does success of The SOPRANOS teach? There is no dearth of ideas, if you can look at (and apply) different dimensions to the same problem/theme. Selling "old wine in a new bottle" may be a thing of the past! In today's competitive world you have to generate ideas. Innovation is the ultimate word of become successful in today's market. Complete new way of thinking the business has already been started. Google is the example of innovative business solution. Did you ever think that every service or product of Google is free, how they manage that? During last April Fool Day Google made us fool with their TiSP (Toilet Internet Service Provider) and mail delivered at your door step. Who knows this is just a prelude of yet another free service by Google. I am really seeing those days when we will get broadband Internet connection in free.