Reflections on Sons of Anarchy
Courtesy of anieto2kRecently, I participated in somewhat of a staycation. My wife and I, like so many others in this down economy, decided that a getaway to our preferred destination wasn't in the budget this year. So instead we decided to take it easy on the couch for a couple days watching a show we hadn't seen before, Sons of Anarchy. This FX series is a crime drama about an outlaw motorcycle club that is challenged by an ethical conflict. Like many mafioso type organizations often featured in movies and TV, the members of the Sons of Anarchy gain illegal revenue through violent and corrupt means, but justify their lifestyle by always striving to protect their families, their small town of Charming, and a few other standard principles (brotherhood, protection of the innocent, independence, etc.). While I enjoyed the motorcycle gang's story, the show left me conflicted on some of my own principles.
Though I don't usually watch shows of this type, I have to admit I found this series compelling. Sons of Anarchy has fast action every episode, intricate family drama, believable characters, and plenty of rival factions competing for political influence in Charming. My wife and I liked the show so much that we paid by the episode for season three on Amazon instead of waiting for it to come out on Netflix.
Now season four is coming out and there's even a Sons of Anarchy iPhone app. And even though I found myself fixated on knowing more about the SAMCRO (the club's acronym) during my staycation, I'm reluctant to watch again. There was something about the show's juxtaposition of violence and loving family relationships that really messed with my head.
While watching the romance between high school sweethearts, Jax and Tara, I couldn't help but question what I was watching. Jax, the vice president of the MC, consistently committed horrific acts of violence on behalf of SAMCRO, only to go home and engage in a seemingly normal, tender relationship with his girlfriend Tara, a surgeon by day. I kept asking outloud (thanks to my wife for her patience) how this well-adjusted successful doctor could want anything to do with a brutal criminal who would surely hurt her by getting himself jailed or killed, and most likely bring nothing but trouble to her life.
This conflict of love and allegiance to crime repeated itself in many other of the show's relationships. In one sense, unconventional bonds between unlikely matches are always interesting to follow. But in another, my disbelief in the viability of their love even in the face of more violence as the seasons went on became too much to handle. Also, the scenes became more and more visually disturbing. Graphic images of drive by shootings, stabbings and rape scenes were alternated with cut shots of emotionally touching scenes like friendly gatherings, couples in bed, or a woman holding an infant child. At some point, I had to ask myself what exposing myself to these contradictory images was doing to my psyche.
Call me too sensitive if you like, but in the end, I decided to curtail my viewing of Sons of Anarchy. It's not because I'm all that sensitive to graphic violence. I've withstood the worst Quentin Tarantino could throw at me, but at least that violence was in context. When television shows like Sons of Anarchy start juxtaposing scenes of love and hate in rapid sequences spliced together, it can't be good for our brains. I fear we'll start equating the two extremes as mutually coexistent, glamorous, and part of a normal lifestyle. That mindset could potentialy seep into our own behaviors.
Furthermore, the introduction of a genre-bending iPhone app may even advance this ethical confusion. No longer on a TV screen, the narratives with all their mix of tenderness and cruelty will now be found in our pocket, ready for portable, instant consumption. As much as we might be tempted to find out what will happen to Jax, Tara and company next, at some point we have to resist the siren call of media and think about our own well-being. When it comes to Sons of Anarchy season four, I'm going to err on the side of self-awareness and moderation, well, at least until it comes out on Netflix.
Here's a recap of seasons 1-3, so you can decide for yourself:
FX, Sons of Anarchy, drama, iphone app, media, motorcycle gang, sex, tv, violence 
Reader Comments (7)
Nick,
That is not a trailer for Season 4...it is kinda of a summary of the past 3 seasons.
Along with another F/X show, "Justified", this is my favorite show on TV. F/X has sort of cornered the market on the "Anti Hero" as the protagonist in most of their original programming when you think of "The Shield", "Nip/Tuck" and "Rescue Me", and "SOA" is no exception.
I like how you said the transition between violence and love is seemless and would be disturbing to our pyche. The seemingly separate actions that can break the personality in half. I think the ability to disassociate is what we would term a pyschopath.
I go back to Sopranos when this issue is brought up. I liked Tony and yet the disturbing things he did dampened any idea of a hero. It wore on me and I lost interest after the second season. I guess the show I watch the most is Jersey Housewives. I find it revolting how they can separate their lavish lifestyles from the real events around them. They seem to have no problem spending thousands of dollars, spoiling themselves, and then acting like idiots when it comes to relationships and social behavior. They can turn on charm and affection any time.
The insular world of violence in life causes us to create a ego outside of reality. We can rationalize our actions and thus cause incredible damage and evil. Evil is wrong. It is not part of life. It is not justified and it is clearly seen with reason and logic. It is not natural and should be avoided. A episode or show of that theme needs to be explored. If not, then there is real reasons for flash mobs as justifiable human interaction.
Thanks for the lunch.
CJ,
Correction on the video duly noted. I don't want the plots to be spoiled for anyone who hasn't seen seasons 1-3. So you commented that you like the shows, because of the anti-hero motifs, which I get, but why? I enjoy these kinds of characters too, but don't you agree there might be a danger in over-exposure to the graphic images and themes they always come with? Or do you think maybe I just watched too much all at once, and a week between episodes is necessary?
Dugan,
I agree with your points about the effect of insulated violence on our egos. What I'm confused on about your comment is where you draw the line. You say that you watch Jersey housewives, and although their not as violent as an motorcycle gang, don't you think their greed and callousness represent a kind of evil in their own right? What shows will accept as okay for your psyche, and which are not? For example, I started watching Mad Men last night, and the culture of misogyny and racism in the first few episodes is terrible. However, it's certainly not as psychologically shocking as seeing brutal violence. In small doses I think we are able to separate the fantasy of tv from our lives, but I wonder about the effects of prolonged repetition of these images. I'll probably keep exposing myself to shows you may term evil in some degree, but I think the conversation is worth having.
I don't think literature or film can be evil because it is in the imagination. The reality shows and their behavior will always be closer than the fantasy fictional world. Fiction is a place to explore the id at a safe distance. Does it have an impact on real world behavior? I think limited because the line is drawn.
The problem with reality television is that the line between fiction and non-fiction is not clear. I think I am more shocked by improper social behavior in these types of television because I feel the line is being blurred. Fiction is a great escape, like theater and music. It allows us to live our roles in a safe environment and purge our "darker" side perhaps. Fiction is not evil, though it has always portrayed malice in all its forms. As long as the human mind can distinguish between fiction and reality, then right and wrong will exist and our ability to differentiate will exist.
Thanks for taking the time to answer my comment.
Nick,
Truth be told that if anyone did a one week cram session of all three seasons of SOA...the cumulative effect of all the murders, rapes, tortures, mutilations and beatings would have some sort of reverse "Clockwork Orange" effect on the most rational of sorts. But it is also a work of fiction. I think most developed people can watch Hollywood violence and blow it off as entertainment while real life violence is abhorrent to them.
You bring up the idea of the interest in the "Anti-Hero". In TV, shows that are revolved around such a character like a Tony Soprano, Vic Mackey or Jax Tellar are relatively new. It is a risky proposition to develop a TV show that could have 100 hours or orginal programming dissecting a character whom the average viewer does not know how they truly feel about. I do not think the story's about do gooders who follow the rule of the law without question because it is right to do is as appealing as those who make their own rules. It is why Superman is not as interesting as a character as a Wolverine. I think people are now drawn to those TV characters who do not follow the traditional routes of today;s American society and in secret, envy them. We have liberties taken away everyday with speech, choices, finances, governing, etc and allowing yourself to get swept away by a TV character who says "Damn it to the rule sevryone else needs to follow" is appealing to many.
Thanks for the replies back. Definitely some good ideas to think about here. I hope our A&E page on the Lunch Break can serve as a place to talk about the aspects of pop culture film and tv in more depth than we are used to. I know I enjoy it.
I've been a huge fan of SOA since season 1. To me, it's another wonderful reflection of TV at its best. Whereas HBO started with OZ, The Wire, and The Sopranos, FX matched with shows like The Shield, Rescue Me, and Nip Tuck. SOA though is certainly their most ambitious and I feel most successful endeavor yet. And while I understand your reservations (probably more form watching so much at once), I still think there is great merit to exploring the underbelly of the criminal mind and the conflicted morality of what we would see as the other side.
The show explores many themes through solid acting, writing, and directing/filming. There is unquestionably the idea of conscience apparent in this show, through the voice of Jax's father, and it is played out so well as Jax himself battles with his allegiance to his son's future vs. his club's. The show is actually meant to be a modernization of Hamlet, to some degree, which you can read more about here, http://articles.latimes.com/2008/oct/26/entertainment/ca-sonsofanarchy26. Supposedly SOA's creators expect it to last exactly five seasons, much like The Wire did, in an effort to mirror each act of Hamlet. It will be interesting to see if the creators are willing to sacrifice huge success for literary/artistic values, assuming there would be a major demand for a sixth or seventh season.
I think the show has a lot more to offer than its extreme violence and flagrant sex, and I hope you stick around for the rest of it.