Alas, my goal of writing a SAMCRO-related blog entry once a week in time for each new episode of Sons of Anarchy has been sabotaged by the real world. You'd think my boss would be sympathetic to my need to pontificate profusely about a fictional motorcycle club in Northern California, but no. Other deadlines are pressing. Sheesh! I hope to have a new post up by next week, but until then I hope you enjoy this great post by our Sons of Anarchy friends in Portugal: An interview with Kurt Sutter!
Enjoy!
http://sonsofanarchypt.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Anger, Rage, and Sam Crow
My copy of the Sons of Anarchy Season 1 DVD arrived a few weeks ago. Suffice it to say I've spent a lot of time in front of the T.V. watching the bonus material and re-watching my favorite episodes. The final episode, The Revelator, tied together a strange motif that's been swimming around in my brain for the last couple of weeks: Understanding rage and violence.
I just finished reading Sherman Alexie's Flight. If you've read any Alexie, you know that some common themes in his writing are absent fathers, Indian identity, and anger. Flight is no different. Alexie filters these themes in Flight through the eyes of Zits, a half-Indian teenage boy with a history in the foster care system, an absent dad, and a dead mom. This formula works like as a crucible for his anger and frustration and culminates in an act of Columbine-like violence, egged on by a friend (known only as Justice). At the moment of crisis, Zits is transported into the body and time of another man. He spends the better portion of the book traveling through time, into the bodies of other men in unenviable positions, from a Civil War scout responsible for the death of an Indian village, to a flight instructor who not only betrays his wife, but gives flying lessons to a terrorist. What Zits communicates, subtly, through his excessive profanity and dismissive language (lots of "whatevers") is frustration. Lots of it. He's frustrated that his mom is dead, that his dad is a drunk, that each person he inhabits hurts other people for reasons that don't seem to make much sense, and that those same people can be kind, compassionate, even heroic. Zits returns to his body still angry (though not as much), still an orphan, still cursed with terrible acne, but aware of the pain of the world and aware that he has control over how much he causes. Alexie asks us to try to understand where rage comes from, what its impacts are, and if understanding the rage could lead to the prevention of its consequences.
I just finished reading Sherman Alexie's Flight. If you've read any Alexie, you know that some common themes in his writing are absent fathers, Indian identity, and anger. Flight is no different. Alexie filters these themes in Flight through the eyes of Zits, a half-Indian teenage boy with a history in the foster care system, an absent dad, and a dead mom. This formula works like as a crucible for his anger and frustration and culminates in an act of Columbine-like violence, egged on by a friend (known only as Justice). At the moment of crisis, Zits is transported into the body and time of another man. He spends the better portion of the book traveling through time, into the bodies of other men in unenviable positions, from a Civil War scout responsible for the death of an Indian village, to a flight instructor who not only betrays his wife, but gives flying lessons to a terrorist. What Zits communicates, subtly, through his excessive profanity and dismissive language (lots of "whatevers") is frustration. Lots of it. He's frustrated that his mom is dead, that his dad is a drunk, that each person he inhabits hurts other people for reasons that don't seem to make much sense, and that those same people can be kind, compassionate, even heroic. Zits returns to his body still angry (though not as much), still an orphan, still cursed with terrible acne, but aware of the pain of the world and aware that he has control over how much he causes. Alexie asks us to try to understand where rage comes from, what its impacts are, and if understanding the rage could lead to the prevention of its consequences.No, I'm not on Sherman Alexie's payroll, or the payroll of his publishing house. And I’m getting to a connection with Sons of Anarchy.
We've been thrown into the tumultuous world of an outlaw motorcycle club without a lot of back-story. So far, we know that the founding members of the MC were Vietnam War vets and that they returned to an ungrateful country. With almost every episode, we're being fed slightly more of that back-story. Most obviously, we know that John Teller became jaded with what the MC became - less about social anarchy and more about retributive violence - and that Piney sympathizes with his views and Clay Morrow (and Gemma) do not. Gemma may be the reason why the MC is in charming at all (and I’m so excited to get that whole story, aren’t you?).
Rage and anger come from somewhere. They are actually secondary emotions to frustration, and frustration comes from unmet expectations and disappointments. Unfortunately, for the residents of Charming, the results of frustration are ever-present. The town is protected by an MC full of members of a disenfranchised group of society: war vets. Most are vets from the Vietnam War, but Chibs and Half-Sack represent a new generation of Vets – those who were created because wars were fought over oil.
But there are a number of other disenfranchised groups who we’ve encountered through the show, whose issues and frustrations are now becoming clear. The One-Niners, Mayans, the True IRA, and even the League of American Nationalists represent populations who, in one way or another, have been denied resources, cast aside because of the color of their skin, or castigated because of their beliefs. Because these resources have been denied, these groups have turned against and fought each other. You could even say that Gemma represents the 50% of the population who has fought for equal rights to resources longer than any of the others: women. (For more on this, see Tim Wise’s video).
But there are also members of this cast of characters who aren’t really members of any disenfranchised groups. Instead, they represent a generation who has had to fight for identity in a world defined by commercialism, the technological revolution, and wars fought not for ideals but for wealth: the generation on the cusp between Generation X and the Millennials). Jax, Opie, and Tara. Neither are war veterans. Jax, Opie, and Tara all grew up “in the club,” so for them the MC culture truly is their culture and provides them with an identity that people who enter the club from the outside don’t necessarily have.
The transformation Jax has experienced after the birth of Abel is similar to the transformation experienced by Zits in Flight. He sees the bigger picture now. He understands the impacts his actions and the club’s actions have on other people. He has the will to act in ways that preserve both the life of the Club and the lives of people connected to the Club. Yet, as we’ve seen this season, Jax’s ability to stop a lot of violence has been curbed at nearly every turn by the Club itself. Will he be able to turn the frustration of the Club members into something less than anger? Will he be the salvation of the club? Will he be the “balm of Gilead?”
Gilead - Day after news
Gather.com Episode Recap
SAMCRO looks good in orange. Good for them, because on Sons of Anarchy Season 2 Episode 7 they're all in the slammer. Gemma and Tara are hard-pressed with the seven figure bail (They'd need 300k even with a bondsman), so in the meantime, Clay is searching for protection from Zobelle's skinheads behind prison walls. He decides to team up with a group of black guys, but to do so, he must deliver a few enemies to them. One such enemy is Dion, a snitch in protective custody. Dion has developed certain tastes since he's been behind bars, if you catch my drift. Jax offers up cute little Juice as bait and ar
ranges for the two to meet undisturbed in the infirmary. Juice lures him into the bathroom, unaware, and under the guise of going to retrieve some condoms, lets in the group of black guys, who proceed to jump Dion. Clay set these events in motion in his attempt to take care of the club; all that happens is that Juice is stabbed in retaliation out in the courtyard, yet another example of his poor leadership.
Sons of Anarchy Season 2 Episode 7
October 20, 2009 11:16 PM EDT
SAMCRO looks good in orange. Good for them, because on Sons of Anarchy Season 2 Episode 7 they're all in the slammer. Gemma and Tara are hard-pressed with the seven figure bail (They'd need 300k even with a bondsman), so in the meantime, Clay is searching for protection from Zobelle's skinheads behind prison walls. He decides to team up with a group of black guys, but to do so, he must deliver a few enemies to them. One such enemy is Dion, a snitch in protective custody. Dion has developed certain tastes since he's been behind bars, if you catch my drift. Jax offers up cute little Juice as bait and ar
ranges for the two to meet undisturbed in the infirmary. Juice lures him into the bathroom, unaware, and under the guise of going to retrieve some condoms, lets in the group of black guys, who proceed to jump Dion. Clay set these events in motion in his attempt to take care of the club; all that happens is that Juice is stabbed in retaliation out in the courtyard, yet another example of his poor leadership.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Sons of Anarchy News - Monday, 10/19/2009
Here's a little Sons of Anarchy fix for your Monday morning:
‘Sons of Anarchy’ creator Kurt Sutter weighs in on TV business: Emmys, ratings and Leno in primetime
Clark’s Kurt Sutter, creator of FX’s ‘Sons of Anarchy,’ explains how he really feels about Jersey
‘Sons of Anarchy’ creator Kurt Sutter weighs in on TV business: Emmys, ratings and Leno in primetime
Clark’s Kurt Sutter, creator of FX’s ‘Sons of Anarchy,’ explains how he really feels about Jersey
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Gertrude was no Gemma
I've compared Gemma Morrow and Gertrude (Hamlet's mom) in recent posts. I vow never to do so again. Gemma transcends Gertrude.
Now, the similarities between Gertrude and Gemma can't be denied. Gertrude's husband and father of her child dies (is murdered) and she marries the king's younger brother, Claudius (note: similarity to Clay). Shakespeare surrounds Gertrude in a little bit of mystery: because she marries Claudius so soon after King Hamlet's death, and doesn't really appear to mourn, was she involved in the murder? In Sons, we haven't really been told how long it took Gemma to marry Clay after the accidental death of John Teller (hit by a semi...that's about all we know, and that he took two days to die). Gertrude clearly loves Hamlet and wants him to be happy. She wants him to marry Ophelia, and it pains her to see his descent into madness. She's also relatively aware that it was her hasty marriage to Claudius that causes Hamlet's malaise.
Much about Gertrude is left to interpretation; Gemma is no different.
However, when Shakespeare penned Gertrude's lines, the reader is not provided with a great deal of character depth. In fact, if we follow Hamlet's vision of his mother, she represents the so-called weakness of the female gender: driven by passion and sex. While she obviously loves her son and does want him to be happy, we have no sense that she will make a sacrifice for him. In the final scene of the play, Gertrude does die in Hamlet's stead, but only by accident.
Gertrude was no Gemma.
Compared to Gertrude, Gemma's character depth is like a glacial lake. Now, it's undeniable that Gemma is heavily power-driven. She enjoys her role as Queen and doesn't take kindly to anyone who she perceives as a threat to her influence. I'm only speculating here, but Gemma might be the type of person who allies themselves with people of power, and when they perceive their power to be waning, they find a way to separate. Case in point: Gemma knew John Teller's philosophy about what the MC should be, and that if he was allowed to move the MC forward in that direction, his power in Charming would diminish. Enter Clay Morrow. The great thing is, Gemma doesn't appear to be so completely enamored with Clay that her vision for what her life should be is clouded. Maybe it was when she was younger - but it isn't now. Does anyone get the sense that Gemma's starting to explore her options now that Clay's arthritis (and judgment) are weakening his stance in the club?
There's a great quote from My Big Fat Greek Wedding, where the matriarch of that family tells the heroine: "The man may be the head of the family, but the woman is the neck, and she can turn the head any way she likes." It's a great reminder that, even in the most paternalistic societies and subcultures, the power dynamic between men and women is always present...sometimes even more so in a culture like Sam Crow. Gemma knows she's the heart of the MC; perhaps she doesn't understand the depth of that power until her rape...she knows that if Clay and Jax realize she's been attacked (and therefore the center of the MC's power), it will truly break an already weakened club. She could so easily turn the "head" of the club in that direction, but she's wise enough not to.
Within this MC power structure, Gemma sees her role as matriarch as one that requires actions that often cross the ethical divide. When it comes to family, you gotta do what you gotta do. Jax (and now Abel, too) are practically the center of her universe, and she didn't really appear to juggle with the ethical implications of giving Wendy enough crank to make Jax a widower. On the flip side of that coin, Gemma wants to protect what Jax loves - even if she didn't trust Tara in season 1, she gave her a hand gun (serial removed) to protect herself, without knowing who she needed protection from.
Maybe that's why the Gemma from Season 2 is so much more dynamic and real than the Gemma in Season 1. I'm not going so far as to say that Karma has come to call, because no one -- and I mean no one ever deserves to be raped, ever -- but I am not afraid to say that the rape was a catalyst for Gemma. It was a catalyst for a lot of things on the show, but especially for Gemma's character arc. We've seen her engage in some major self-reflection over the last three episodes, from paging through a bible and John Teller's book, to spending a lot of time in the hospital chapel. We know Gemma is completely averse to being a victim, and we know she's definitely not going to be made to feel like a victim in a therapists office. She's going to seek her own path. I'm willing to bet Gemma's understanding of John Teller's words will come none too soon.
In a previous entry, I asked that Gemma be given an opportunity to right the wrong that was done to her, and I meant, basically, that I hoped she got to kick someone's ass...really kick it, like, cause enduring, painful, debilitating injuries. Although I do think the whole "eye for an eye" deal is one that is sometimes useful (and will still cheer Gemma on if she gets to have her retribution), I'm not sure that would be the best outcome. Maybe if she just gets to face her attacker, confront A.J. about what he and his crew did to her, and let him see that she has not been broken, and that her spirit has transcended the need for physical retribution, then justice will be served.
Then Clay and Jax can have at them.
But where will the similarities between Gemma and Gertrude end? Will Gemma spend spies after Jax (has she done so already?). Will she witness Jax's murder of whoever fills Polonius's shoes (hmmm..who is Polonius on the show)? Will she sacrifice her own life (accidentally or not) to save Jax?
Images:
http://img.timeinc.net/time/photoessays/2008/mothers_day/bd_mom_hamlet.jpg
http://www.daemonstv.com/images/fx/sons_of_anarchy3.jpg
Now, the similarities between Gertrude and Gemma can't be denied. Gertrude's husband and father of her child dies (is murdered) and she marries the king's younger brother, Claudius (note: similarity to Clay). Shakespeare surrounds Gertrude in a little bit of mystery: because she marries Claudius so soon after King Hamlet's death, and doesn't really appear to mourn, was she involved in the murder? In Sons, we haven't really been told how long it took Gemma to marry Clay after the accidental death of John Teller (hit by a semi...that's about all we know, and that he took two days to die). Gertrude clearly loves Hamlet and wants him to be happy. She wants him to marry Ophelia, and it pains her to see his descent into madness. She's also relatively aware that it was her hasty marriage to Claudius that causes Hamlet's malaise.Much about Gertrude is left to interpretation; Gemma is no different.
Gertrude was no Gemma.
Compared to Gertrude, Gemma's character depth is like a glacial lake. Now, it's undeniable that Gemma is heavily power-driven. She enjoys her role as Queen and doesn't take kindly to anyone who she perceives as a threat to her influence. I'm only speculating here, but Gemma might be the type of person who allies themselves with people of power, and when they perceive their power to be waning, they find a way to separate. Case in point: Gemma knew John Teller's philosophy about what the MC should be, and that if he was allowed to move the MC forward in that direction, his power in Charming would diminish. Enter Clay Morrow. The great thing is, Gemma doesn't appear to be so completely enamored with Clay that her vision for what her life should be is clouded. Maybe it was when she was younger - but it isn't now. Does anyone get the sense that Gemma's starting to explore her options now that Clay's arthritis (and judgment) are weakening his stance in the club?
There's a great quote from My Big Fat Greek Wedding, where the matriarch of that family tells the heroine: "The man may be the head of the family, but the woman is the neck, and she can turn the head any way she likes." It's a great reminder that, even in the most paternalistic societies and subcultures, the power dynamic between men and women is always present...sometimes even more so in a culture like Sam Crow. Gemma knows she's the heart of the MC; perhaps she doesn't understand the depth of that power until her rape...she knows that if Clay and Jax realize she's been attacked (and therefore the center of the MC's power), it will truly break an already weakened club. She could so easily turn the "head" of the club in that direction, but she's wise enough not to.
Within this MC power structure, Gemma sees her role as matriarch as one that requires actions that often cross the ethical divide. When it comes to family, you gotta do what you gotta do. Jax (and now Abel, too) are practically the center of her universe, and she didn't really appear to juggle with the ethical implications of giving Wendy enough crank to make Jax a widower. On the flip side of that coin, Gemma wants to protect what Jax loves - even if she didn't trust Tara in season 1, she gave her a hand gun (serial removed) to protect herself, without knowing who she needed protection from.
Maybe that's why the Gemma from Season 2 is so much more dynamic and real than the Gemma in Season 1. I'm not going so far as to say that Karma has come to call, because no one -- and I mean no one ever deserves to be raped, ever -- but I am not afraid to say that the rape was a catalyst for Gemma. It was a catalyst for a lot of things on the show, but especially for Gemma's character arc. We've seen her engage in some major self-reflection over the last three episodes, from paging through a bible and John Teller's book, to spending a lot of time in the hospital chapel. We know Gemma is completely averse to being a victim, and we know she's definitely not going to be made to feel like a victim in a therapists office. She's going to seek her own path. I'm willing to bet Gemma's understanding of John Teller's words will come none too soon.
In a previous entry, I asked that Gemma be given an opportunity to right the wrong that was done to her, and I meant, basically, that I hoped she got to kick someone's ass...really kick it, like, cause enduring, painful, debilitating injuries. Although I do think the whole "eye for an eye" deal is one that is sometimes useful (and will still cheer Gemma on if she gets to have her retribution), I'm not sure that would be the best outcome. Maybe if she just gets to face her attacker, confront A.J. about what he and his crew did to her, and let him see that she has not been broken, and that her spirit has transcended the need for physical retribution, then justice will be served.
Then Clay and Jax can have at them.
But where will the similarities between Gemma and Gertrude end? Will Gemma spend spies after Jax (has she done so already?). Will she witness Jax's murder of whoever fills Polonius's shoes (hmmm..who is Polonius on the show)? Will she sacrifice her own life (accidentally or not) to save Jax?
Images:
http://img.timeinc.net/time/photoessays/2008/mothers_day/bd_mom_hamlet.jpg
http://www.daemonstv.com/images/fx/sons_of_anarchy3.jpg
Monday, October 12, 2009
Falx Cerebri
Here's what one looks like, in case you were wondering. It's very scythe-like, don't you think?
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Routing: From Kurt Sutter, a thought-provoking video
Kurt Sutter's Blog: Posted video "The Creation of Whiteness"
A really thought provoking youtube video of Tim Wise, noted anti-racist speaker and author. This really speaks to the idea that the only differences we think there are between "us" and "them" are artificial, and created because it is more profitable for "the man" to propagate otherness than it is to foster brotherhood.
Fuck the man.
A really thought provoking youtube video of Tim Wise, noted anti-racist speaker and author. This really speaks to the idea that the only differences we think there are between "us" and "them" are artificial, and created because it is more profitable for "the man" to propagate otherness than it is to foster brotherhood.
Fuck the man.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Sam Crow and Stereotypes
His garage blurred the lines between mechanics and art. Two of the slots in his garage were for routine oil changes and other maintenance jobs; the other two were for the custom builds - classic cars and motorcycles, and there was some fairly amazing metal working going on.
"John's" office was what really made me like him. He had a billboard full of pictures of him and his daughter, "Mandy." From infancy through toddlerhood and beyond, John had documented Mandy's development. Pictures of him and Mandy on his bike, at her dance recitals, as him dressed as a Hog-riding Santa Claus and her as an elf were my particular favorites. Sure, there were the requisite posters of scantily clad women on the walls of the shop, some raunchy bumper stickers. John was also the head of the local group of motorcycle enthusiasts. They rode together in the town Christmas parade and collected funds for anything from the local library to the Lutheran church's food drive for the homeless.
I didn't need Sons of Anarchy to break down the stereotypes I carried around in my head about dudes on bikes. I had John. What the Sons of Anarchy is doing is helping the rest of Suburbia understand that this culture is more than what has been typically portrayed in the media.
For example: James Frey in his book Bright Shiny Morning provides a typical description of an MC member who owns an auto shop. His name is Tiny. He fits the description of John, but that's pretty much where the similarities end. Tiny spends most of our time with him shouting at his wife on the phone. He also seems to take pleasure in constantly reminding a new employee that his life is in danger. And, after a particularly violent attack on Tiny's garage, Tiny completes the image of the terrifying biker dude. I wont spoil the ending for you.
Stereotype successfully propagated.
And we're the happy beneficiaries of his research. God, I love this show.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)