The Sopranos: 10 Memes That Perfectly Sum Up Tony As A Character

Better Call Saul recently came to an end and one thing it proved is that if done right, spinoffs can be as good, if not better than the original. Sadly, fans of some other popular shows haven’t been lucky enough to get a series spinoff, and one such show is The Sopranos

With James Gandolfini’s son, Michael, having proven himself in The Many Saints Of Newark, it would have been interesting for him to be cast as the lead in a prequel, Unfortunately, HBO has no plans for that. However, fans can still get to enjoy plenty of Tony Soprano content, especially the many memes about him that perfectly sum up his personality.

Wrong Priorities

On the show, Tony is known for wearing a “you’re going to regret it” stern look on his face from time to time. Whenever he looks at someone the way he does in the picture, it means they are doing something he doesn’t approve of, hence they’ll pay for it, sooner or later.

This Book Vs Phone meme is appropriate since it emphasizes that a person will regret spending so much time texting or browsing the internet instead of acquiring knowledge. And by the time they come to this realization, it’ll be too late, just as is always the case with Tony’s victims.

The Great Pretender

Tony and Janice might be siblings, but they don’t always get along. For that reason, Tony never seems to be too thrilled whenever Janice has a small triumph.

The meme is fitting because it describes Tony’s true feelings. Unlike other mob productions, like some of Martin Scorsese’s best movies, The Sopranos doesn’t have a narrator, but if it did, this is exactly what he would say. The major reason Tony is never happy for Janice is that he believes she isn’t capable of much.

No Messing With Animals

As per the meme, Tony is appalled when he hears a dog was kidnaped. Paulie, on the other hand, seems to imply that barking is a justifiable reason to kidnap a dog.

The many times Tony Soprano was empathetic to animals paint him as very considerate towards other species. This meme shows how deeply he values animal life. As a mobster, the act of kidnapping humans and killing them is no big deal, but when it happens to animals, his fury surges. A perfect example is when he kills Ralph for allegedly causing the death of the racehorse Pie-Oh-My.

The Football Dream

In one of Junior Sopranos’s best quotes in The Sopranos, he reminds Tony that he never had the makings of a varsity athlete. Tony is said to have tried playing football when he was in college, but gave up.

Whenever Junior intends to piss off Tony, he always repeats the varsity athlete remark, and it always works. As harsh as the words might be to Tony, they serve as a reminder that he was always destined to be a gangster. They also highlight the fact that he isn’t disciplined enough to follow orders, a trait that would have been essential if he was to have a successful career in the sport.

The Boss Has A Few Weaknesses

The meme has a silhouette of the historical figure Achilles, whose only weak spot was his heel. In The Sopranos, Tony has some weaknesses too.

As one of the most macho characters on the show, Tony has very few weaknesses, but one glaring one is his anger. Consequently, he never resists the urge to engage in confrontations. This has made him a part of some of the biggest feuds in The Sopranos, though many of them could have been avoided. His love for steak also creates a pattern that his enemies can use to ambush him. By going to the diner with his family at the height of his war with Phil Leotardo, Tony makes himself a target for The Man with the Members Only jacket.

Killing Tony Isn’t Easy

In Season 1, Tony’s uncle, Junior orders a hit on him, but it fails. Tony outsmarts him and rises to the top of the DiMeo crime family.

It’s no miracle that Tony is one of the few Sopranos characters that survives the entire show. He is extremely careful, with a high sense of awareness. Moreover, he isn’t one to be stopped before accomplishing his mission. Early in the series, Tony still has lots of dreams and ambitions and there’s no way he’ll allow two assassins and a jealous uncle to get in his way.

Ye Of Little Ambition

Tony is a strict boss and father, but he always allows those around him to do as they please from time to time. But even when he does, he still judges them.

Tony doesn’t respect anyone who doesn’t strive to be wealthy and powerful like him. Because of this, he looks down on people that seem content with little things. At times, he adopts mild generosity in order to trick those under him into viewing him favorably. And that’s all for his own interest.

The Real Boss

Tony spends most of the series as the boss of the DiMeo crime family. During his tenure, he works with a couple of interesting lieutenants.

As the Don, Tony does a great job of bringing out the best in each individual. He relies on the solid advice of the consigliere, Paulie, and hands most of the “enforcer” tasks to Paulie, who goes on to become one of The Sopranos characters with the highest kill count. But as good a leader as Tony is, he still finds it hard to control stubborn and disloyal mobsters like Paulie and Sal.

The Lies

In the series, Tony lives in a costly New Jersey mansion. The meme poses fun at the fact that the cost of the house doesn’t seem to match his career as a waste management consultant.

As a modern-day mob boss, Tony is smart enough to not dangle his mob activities to the press. He presents himself as someone with investments in the waste management business, which isn’t particularly false. However, it’s all a front and a way to launder mob money, something that prevents the federal authorities from getting anything concrete on him.

Self Love?

Liking one’s own post is weird, but it’s something Tony Soprano would definitely do. After all, the boss gets to make many self-centered decisions throughout the series.

The picture in the meme points to the scene in Season 1 when Tony celebrates Uncle Junior’s coronation as the head of the DiMeo crime family, yet he knows it’s actually his own coronation since he is set to have all the influence behind Junior’s back. Most of Tony’s other decisions are also structured in a manner that only benefits him.