The Big Big Bang

(from left to right: Karen Gravano, Drita D'Avanzo, Carla Facciolo, Renee Graziano)

For some reason, every Sunday night around 12am as I am flipping through the channels, I have ended up on VH1's Mob Wives. This new show is like the Real Housewives of New York City, minus the "class" and with exponentially greater profanity. I'm still not quite sure how I feel about it, other than to wonder, are there no Carmela Sopranos anymore?

The four women showcased are Renee Graziano (daughter of mobster Anthony Graziano, ex-wife of "Junior" who is currently incarcerated), Drita D'Avanzo (wife of Lee DiAvanzo, currently incarcerated), Karen Gravano (daughter of Sammy the Bull, who turned informant and brought down John Gotti), and Carla Facciolo (wife of Joseph Ferragamo, currently incarcerated).

Now, I've always had a fascination with the mob predating "The Sopranos" on HBO.

But these women defy the traditional stereotype I had of Mob Wives from fictional television and movies. When I first heard that VH1 was making a show called "Mob Wives," I envisioned tough, but semi-classy women like Carmela Soprano or Karen Hill of "Goodfellas." These women, although accustomed to a pampered lifestyle, were tough and often took their husbands to task, even if only in the realm of the domicile.

However, the Mob Wives VH1 is portraying seem to be foul-mouthed, spoiled, and very self-centered. I consider Carmela Soprano to be spoiled, but she certainly is more refined than these women. Carmela cared about her family, while these women seem to treat their children or husbands as an afterthought.

The women on Mob Wives hurl expletives not only at one another but also use them excessively in their everyday conversations. They think they are better than everyone else and that they deserve respect, lest whoever offends them or gets in their way face the wrath of their husbands or exes.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I rarely remember Carmela pulling the Tony card so readily to get what she wanted. That is not to say she didn't use it, or use her influence over her to get something. But she seemed more real to me. I could sympathize with her sometimes. Karen Hill and this new generation of Mob Wives on VH1, not so much.

I feel no sympathy for them. They may have gained a level of class through wealth, but that does not make them good people or classy for that matter. I enjoy watching to see what happens, or what ridiculous drama they can create for themselves.

However, these women, despite having husbands in jail, do not seem to be portrayed as having "real people" problems. Yes, some of them find it difficult to deal with being single mothers, but they have the money and resources (maids, chauffeurs, etc.) to be able to balance that out.

In one episode, Renee reacts to a drunk guy in a bar coming up to her and Karen while making disparaging comments about sex. She freaks out and rather than let it go, calls her ex-husband "Junior" to come down to take care of the problem. That, to me, seems like she is wielding her "influence" in a situation that can easily be remedied through turning a blind eye. Yet, this was the whole last 20 minutes of a 60 minute episode with 15 or more minutes of commercials most likely.

Carmela would have told the guy to eff off and left. She might have told Tony about it afterwards, but she certainly wouldn't let it ruin her life like Renee pretended it to do.

It's a train wreck, I guess, and I can't stop watching. I don't know if it's because the women are all so vapid ("Oh my gosh. Thank you so much. You're like the hundredth person who's told me that.") or if it's because just the word "mob" for me conjures up all of these late night wheelings and dealings where it is agreed who needs to get taken out, who needs a talking to for not bringing in their cut, or what. But it seems to me the old mob wife has been replaced by the spolied, entitled, self-centeredness that has become rampant in America today. I will probably keep watching just to make myself feel better about my life and to make fun of these chicas loca. Until the next blog post...