Ungoverned Masculinities: Gendered Discourses of Neoliberalism in The Sopranos and Breaking Bad

This thesis examines the discursive intersections of neoliberalism and masculinity on The Sopranos and Breaking Bad through a critical discourse analysis in order to illuminate larger sociocultural issues concerning contemporary masculinity. The Sopranos and Breaking Bad are praised in contemporary discourse as “artistic achievements,” and the following project interrogates particular moments in both texts that construct gendered discourses of neoliberalism, relying on the theoretical foundations of hegemonic masculinity. Through my analysis, I establish key moments when discourses about masculinity intersected with and connected to discourses about neoliberalism. Additionally, this project analyzes moral dimensions of neoliberalism within sociocultural discourse centering on The Sopranos and Breaking Bad. I determine that the lines between entrepreneur and criminal have blurred as a product of neoliberal politics and economics, and argue that sociocultural discourse about the programs prioritizes profit making above socially responsible ethics and morality. UNGOVERNED MASCULINITIES vii TABLE OF CONTEXTS CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION . 1 Background . 2 The Sopranos and Breaking Bad . 2 The Present Study . 4 Purpose . 4 Rationale . 4 Why The Sopranos and Breaking Bad Together? 4 Contributions and Political Significance . 6 Research Questions . 6 Overview of Subsequent Chapters . 7 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW . 8 Theoretical Grounding . 8 Neoliberalism . 9 Definitions.9 Applications of Neoliberalism to Identity Issues . 11 Morality within Neoliberalism . 14 Ideology . 16 Definitions and Applications . 16 Patriarchy . 18 Definitions and Applications . 18 Patriarchy and the Family . 19 Hegemony and Masculinity . 20 UNGOVERNED MASCULINITIES viii Definitions and Applications of Hegemony . 20 Masculinity . 23 Hegemonic Masculinity . 24 Male representations in Popular Media . 33 Men in 20 Century Television . 33 Current Research on The Sopranos and Breaking Bad . 34 CHAPTER THREE: METHODS . 40 Critical Discourse Analysis . 40 Definitions and Applications . 40 Language and Power . 42 Neoliberalism and CDA . 43 Critical Analysis of Media Discourse . 44 Visual Aspects . 44 Narrative Discourse Analysis . 45 Critical Media Analysis in the Current Study . 46 Data Collections Protocols . 47 Overview . 47 Precoding Protocols . 47 Analytic Memos . 48 Sampling . 49 First Cycle Coding . 49 Narrative Coding . 49 Process Coding.50 UNGOVERNED MASCULINITIES ix Values Coding . 50 Second Cycle Coding . 50 Elaborative Coding . 50 Axial Coding . 51 CHAPTER FOUR: THE SOPRANOS . 52 Usury and Masculinity . 52 From Father to Son: Johnny Soprano . 53 David and Tony . 55 Artie and Tony . 60 The Exclusion of Women . 64 Carmela . 65 Janice . 70 Devin . 78 Skepticism about Social Programs and Social Movements . 82 Reverend James Jr. and Tony . 82 The HUD scam . 86 CHAPTER FIVE: BREAKING BAD . 91 Entrepreneurialism . 91 Violence and Business . 92 Violent Reputations and Expansion . 99 Walter and Gustavo . 105 I Am The Danger . 108 The Product . 113 UNGOVERNED MASCULINITIES x The Provider . 116 Self-Reliance vs. Charity . 117 Technical, Scientific Solutions . 124 “Yeah Science! ” . 124 Negotiations and Incorporation . 129 Skyler. 130 Gale . 141 CHAPTER SIX: SOCIOCULTURAL DISCOURSES . 144 Moral Ambivalence and the So-Called “Golden Age” of Television . 144 Praise for the “Golden Age” . 144 Rough Heroes . 147 Criminals in Literature . 150 The Liquid Morality of Neoliberalism . 154 Criminal Businessman . 155 Masculinity, Managers, and Crime . 156 “Business Lessons” from Tony and Walter . 158 Tony . 158 Walter .