Like many other touchstones of twenty-first-century pop culture, 'The Sopranos' was hatched in the late Nineties, predicting a future that never arrived. It was designed for a decade that would be just like the Nineties, except more so, in an America that enjoyed seeing itself as smarter and braver and freer than ever before.
Rob SheffieldI was the only kid at Camp Don Bosco who would admit he was an alter boy back home, so I served two masses a day all summer. But I loved the cassock and surplice, ringing the bells, lighting the candles - it was like being a glamrock roadie for God.
Rob SheffieldWhen we die, we will turn into songs, and we will hear each other and remember each other.
Rob SheffieldThe times you lived through, the people you shared those times with โ nothing brings it all to life like an old mix tape. It does a better job of storing up memories than actual brain tissue can do. Every mix tape tells a story. Put them together, and they can add up to the story of a life.
Rob SheffieldItโs the same with people who say, โWhatever doesnโt kill you makes you stronger.โ Even people who say this must realize that the exact opposite is true. What doesnโt kill you maims you, cripples you, leaves you weak, makes you whiny and full of yourself at the same time. The more pain, the more pompous you get. Whatever doesnโt kill you makes you incredibly annoying.
Rob Sheffield