In American pop culture, The Godfather is everywhere. Elements of the iconic film (and novel) are present in nearly every gangster film since its release. For instance, I didn’t even notice that the protagonist of Miller’s Crossing was named Tom Reagan. Multiple elements of the Coen Brothers’ 1990 gangster film were obvious nods to The Godfather: the opening scene with a balding Italian man requesting murder from a mob boss sitting behind a giant desk, the consigliere standing in the frame with the boss, and the fact that his name is basically Tom Hagen. I knew there were references to Coppola’s film everywhere you looked, and now that I’ve studied the film and Puzo’s novel I notice them and appreciate them even more.
Out of all these allusions, however, the one that sticks with me the most is from none other than Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana. In an episode entitled “Debt it Be,” Miley maxes out her emergency credit card on a shopping spree. Upon realizing how badly she messed up, she enlists the help of her brother, Jackson, to get her out of trouble. The writers of the episode decided it would be funny to have Jackson stuff his cheeks with marshmallows, don a tuxedo, and request that Miley show him respect by calling him “Godbrother,” probably as comic relief for the parents forced to watch mediocre teen sitcoms (I mean, my ten-year-old self certainly didn’t get the reference). I’ve included the clip below:
It’s not that the impression is particularly funny or adds anything to the narrative, but the fact that Don Vito Corleone has made it into a Disney Channel sitcom for preteens is a testament to the ubiquity of the American Gangster as a cultural icon. The Godfather vanquishes his enemies using his intellect as well as his murderous underlings, much like many historical Italian-American gangsters during the 20th century, and he is respected not only by his contemporaries in Puzo’s novel but by the larger American society. By thwarting the system for his personal and familial gain, he has gained the appreciation of the society he cheated. And what better way to express this appreciation than in a TV show for American children?
Helena