Monsters to heros: How popular culture views motorcycle gangs
Until a gunfight between outlaw motorcycle gangs broke out in Waco, Texas, on Sunday, many Americans' knowledge of them boiled down to the FX series Sons of Anarchy.
The lawless nature of Sons offered a compelling view of a counterculture where Jax Teller and his crew, tight as brothers, battled over turf, family ties and gun distribution. Despite the criminal nature of the show, many sympathized with the characters, especially Jax (Charlie Hunnam), the handsome, smart protagonist with a good heart born into the biker life.
But popular culture didn't always romanticize lawless biker gangs. In the past, cyclists were "perceived as a threat to the small town" instead of trying to protect it, according to Randy Mcbee, associate professor of history at Texas Tech University and author of Born to Be Wild: The Rise of the American Motorcyclist.
"Popular culture demonized motorcyclists in the past as sadistic, evil, everything that was bad, but they've been increasingly portrayed in a different light and romanticized — the brotherhood, lifestyle and the bikes." Mcbee added.
Here's a look at the evolution of motorcycle gangs in pop culture:
The Wild One (1953) Marlon Brando plays Johnny Strabler as the leader of a motorcycle gang that invades a small suburban town. Mcbee says The Wild One introduces Americans to the leather jacket that screams "1950's rebel. ... The motorcyclists in the film come off as disrespectful, rowdy and the potential for violence is certainly there."
The Wild Angels (1966) In the 1960s, the basic plot line of motorcycle films revolved around "small-town invasions and plenty of gratuitous violence," according to a passage from Mcbee's book. The tagline of Wild Angels was "Their Credo is Violence! Their God is Hate!"
Easy Rider (1969) In Easy Rider, two bikers set out to find the "real America." The movie is a right-hand turn from earlier films that portrayed bikers as violent criminals, though to be fair, the pair are selling drugs during their road trip. In 1964, "the image of the violent motorcyclist" embodied real life when members of the Hells Angels were accused of raping two women in Monterey, Calif., Mcbee says. Easy Rider offered an opposing view where "motorcyclists are not portrayed as violent but rather the victims of violence," Mcbee says. The film ends when the cyclists are killed by "rednecks" in the South.
Mcbee says the public perception of bikers began changing in the early 1980s when Harley Davidson was on the brink of bankruptcy.
He says the Ronald Reagan administration imposed a tariff on foreign-made bikes, which helped Harley Davidson regain a foothold in the market. Around the same time, Harley Davidson was able to cross over as a mainstream consumer product, according to Quinn.
"Harley Davidson motorcycles became a patriotic act. They represented an American man, and by the late '80s and early '90s middle class men were buying Harleys," Quinn said. "The accountants, doctors and lawyers helped make motorcycles respectable."
He says motorcyclists began to take on a new role in society.
"Bikers became mainstream. They were no longer thugs showing up on bikes, beating people up and running off with your daughter," Quinn said.
Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) By the mid-'80s, the violent biker gang was just another punchline in a bad movie. In Pee-wee's Big Adventure, the bloodthirsty gang members look more like pirates than bikers. Despite the groups tough exterior, they end up being teddy bears who send Pee-wee off with one of their bikes and the gang's colors on his back.
American Chopper (2002- 2015) American Chopper focuses on a family bike shop that builds customized motorcycles for customers ranging from celebrities to diehard bikers. The show premiered on the Discovery Channel in 2002 and ran for 10 years, though it changed networks and names during that time. Mcbee says Reality TV shows that focus on motorcyclists as everyday people helped further the public perception that bikers were no longer a menace to society.
Follow @MaryBowerman on Twitter.