HBO's The Sopranos is one of those shows that, even if you haven’t seen it, you definitely know about. Gallons of digital ink has been spilled about every aspect of the show, and it's everywhere you look on the internet.
Nothing testifies to the show’s status as a classic like the enormous number of memes that have proliferated since the series’ conclusion. Of course, many of these are truly hilarious, and they help to remind us of the bright side in this very troubling time.
Tom and Tony
As with The Sopranos, Tom and Jerry is one of those series that has gone down in history as something of a classic. Thus, it was only a matter of time before we got the Tom and Jerry/Sopranos mashup that you didn’t know you wanted.
And the fact is that the meme tells the truth. Memes are funnier when you understand the show that the meme is referencing, up to and including The Sopranos.
Sopr-TH-anos
Though it might be a bit counterintuitive to think about, the fact is that Tony Soprano and Thanos have more in common than you might realize at first. Both of them are powerful men that think that might makes right, and neither of them can really take criticism.
The really remarkable thing about this meme, though, is how absolutely hilarious it is to see Tony Soprano and Thanos physically mashed up.
Oh, Michael
Everyone knows that Michael from The Office is one of those impressionable people who’ll jump on the bandwagon just because he thinks it’s cool. He also has a penchant for posturing and pretending that he knows something when he really doesn’t.
You really can imagine him watching all of two episodes and then acting as if he’s a tough gangster. The fact that it makes him look even more ridiculous than usual is what makes this meme so absolutely hilarious.
Wolf of Soprano Street
As with The Sopranos, The Wolf of Wall Street is all about masculinity and the way that men try to exercise their power over others. What this meme also highlights is the fact that there are Sopranos fans, and then there are Sopranos FANS.
As every member of a particular fandom will tell you, there are always hierarchies, and if you aren’t all in, you’re just a rookie, and you’d better up your game if you’re going to play in the big leagues.
Clash of the Titans
Part of what makes The Sopranos such a fascinating show is how it measures up against other shows, both on HBO and elsewhere, both past and present.
There’s no question that, in the years since its finale, it has become a classic, both in the genre of gangster shows and among television more generally. As this meme demonstrates, it truly is a titan of popular culture, towering over the cultural landscape, unsurpassed in its brutal grandeur.
Say Ah
A key part of the overall narrative of The Sopranos was Tony’s attempt to overcome his emotional issues by consistently going to therapy. It had mixed results, to say the least.
So, of course, this meme plays with the idea of Tony, of all people, not being able to keep him himself from blurting out all of the details of his emotional life, including to his unsuspecting dentist.
What’s Your Flavor?
One of the fun things about a series like The Sopranos is that it allows its viewers to inhabit a strange fantasy space, one where you can wonder what it would be like to have no limits on what you can do, that you can indulge in the fantasy that might makes right.
Small wonder, then, that the internet has run with that, highlighting how much more enjoyable it would be to be a member of Tony’s crew than to be limited by regular, though admittedly prestigious, professions.
Worshiping at the Altar of Tony
Some people might like to call themselves fans of The Sopranos, but can you really say that you’re a fan of the show if you aren’t willing to go all in and make it a part of your religion?
There’s something truly incongruous about seeing Tony Soprano, a mob boss and a man capable of and responsible for truly horrific acts of violence, dressed up as a saint. Still, you have to admit that it’s also pretty hilarious.
Get that Gabagool
Every so often, a series manages to elevate some kind of food to its own type of canonical status. That is certainly the case with the cold cut gabagool, which was such a key part of The Sopranos that it also became part of our cultural lexicon.
And let’s be real: it’s quite tasty, so it would make sense to act like Tony when you get a particularly fine cut of it.
Envious Much?
If there’s anyone who is as captivating as Tony Soprano, it is his wife Carmela, played by the inimitable Edie Falco.
She does put up with quite a lot from Tony Soprano, so it would make sense that this meme- a riff on the infamous jealous girlfriend one- would show her being a bit put out by the fact that Tony’s head has been turned by a duck. And, honestly, is there anything more unexpected than a ruthless killer like Tony being an animal lover- the symbolism aside?