Howell, Peter. "The Tao of the Godfather." Toronto Star 28 Sept. 2001, sec. B01. LexisNexis. University of Pennsylvania. 30 Mar. 2008.

            Many movies are influential within Hollywood, but few can claim that they are repeatedly referenced outside of the industry; The Godfather is one of them. Allusions have come in the form of music, political commentary, and the everyday lexicon. In 2001, when President George W. Bush demanded that Afghanistan turn in Osama bin Laden, political commentators remarked that the President was, “making an offer that can’t be refused.” This term was coined by The Godfather, but has become so prevalent, that many who have never seen the film use it on a regular basis. Other phrases such as “It’s not personal, it’s strictly business” and “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer” have equally intruded our speech.  In the music industry, rapper Raekwon of the Wu-Tang-Clan named two of his albums, Immobiality and Only Built 4 the Cuban Lynx in reference to The Godfather.  In a song entitled “Yae Yo”, Raekwon says, “I keep trying to get out, but they keep pulling me back in”, which is an exact line of Michael Corleone.  Furthermore, Slash of the rock band Guns N’ Roses recorded  his own version of The Godfather theme song based on the original written by the film’s composer Nina Rota. On bookstands there are hundreds of books written about The Godfather, its tremendous impact in the 1970’s, and the influence it still maintains to this day.  There still exists so much demand for Godfather material that a new book entitled The Godfather’s Revenge was written in 2006 even after the original author, Mario Puzo had passed away.

The Godfather’s influence has come to infiltrate popular culture. Perhaps no other movie, save The Wizard of Oz, has inspired as many copycats and tributes. One film critic remarks, "There are Hollywood people who hold The Godfather as their Gideon.” The Godfather’s incredible support can be considered a cult following. Websites such as TheGodfatherTrilogy.com, which require users to submit essays to display their knowledge, have thousands of users. Participants often abide much of their lives by the axioms of the films and often recite the memorable lines. It is evident that The Godfather’s impact is far reaching beyond a typical movie experience; it has come to exert influence on nearly all aspects of life, whether it is on the rest of the entertainment industry or parents instilling values in their children.