Fear the Reaper: A content analysis of the Sons of Anarchy

By: Garrett Sommer

Soci 4309 Qualitative Research Methods
Final Project: Unobtrusive Method/Content Analysis
Dr. Rachel Romero
Department of Sociology

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INTRODUCTION
Images of violence, dominance, drugs, alcohol, and the tough guy flood our television
screens and mass media. But what is it that triggers these images, why are these triggers so
abundant now, more importantly: How is the culture of masculinity portrayed in the media?
Within the next few sections, masculinity in the media will be discussed in order to provide
valuable sociological insight on the topic at hand. The research will present a review on previous
literature on the topic, and then it will move on to discuss how the show Sons of Anarchy
portrays masculinity.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Throughout the years, there has been a great deal of research published regarding
masculinity in the media. Surrounding everyday life, the media portrays men who are strong in
their appearance and violent in their actions. As individuals become socialized in the culture,
they are conditioned into the definition of what it is to be a man. When the socialization occurs
to these masculine stereotypes, the situation becomes a problem to society. Children begin to
think that it is socially acceptable to solve problems with violence. From the research
surrounding masculinity in the media, society is able to understand what is going on easier. This
literature review provides a deeper understanding of the problem to discuss masculinity in the
media. Following are the current key themes regarding masculinity in the media.
Research on masculinity in the media was very scarce until the 1980s. Around this time,
the media boom surrounding masculinity was attributed to hyper-masculine films. These films
were Ruled by bodybuilder-actors and they showcased hypermasculine characters engaged in
various feats of heroism (Ayers 2008). You may have heard of some of these films, in fact you
can probably names some when the thought comes to mind: Terminator, Rambo, and in recent

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years: The Expendables. Ayers describes how the main character uses their bodies as tools. For
instance, characters are often represented by hyper-masculine characteristics such as, strength,
toughness, and physicality of the sculpted male form (Ayers 2008). The author notes that the
masculine characters also portray that by enduring pain, the character denotes a congruent
strength of mind and willpower (Ayers 2008). By highlighting a hyper-masculine hero, males
in society are shown that violence can solve problems.
As time passed from the 80s, more outlets of media became saturated with masculine
attributes. Along with movies, television series also became focused on masculine aspects.
Tragos and Mazzarella highlight their research on television series specifically targeted to males.
Both articles discuss the show American Chopper and its relation to modern culture and
masculinity. Before discussing the show itself, Tragos states that American culture has
generally relaxed its implicit yet potent gender expectations for men and women over the last
few decades (Tragos 2009). While stating this, the author makes it clear that Contemporary
gender roles have new expectations in which women are both strong and beautiful and men are
both strong and sensitive (Tragos 2009). In other words, over time society is beginning to break
down gender barriers that have existed over the long haul. However, as society begins to break
down these gender barriers, shows like American Chopper provide males with a nostalgic desire
for traditional masculine identities (Tragos 2009). When discussing the importance of the show
even further, the author states American Chopper recreates the cave in its modern avatarthe
garagefor men to be in the company of men, albeit for sixty minutes, where they do not have
to negotiate a blurred gender role nor assert their manhood by objectifying women (Tragos
2009). Mazzarella also highlights the garage and its relation to the absence of women, the first
season of which is easily described as away from the world of women both literally (a glaring

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absence of women) and symbolically (the construction of an overall male tone to the program)
(Mazzarella 2008). These shows targeted to males and their masculinity provides a sense of
isolation from the world. In this fictitious world there are no females challenging their masculine
authority, and males are able to perform physical labor in hopes of achieving a goal all on their
own. Goal oriented physical labor is also highlighted in these shows. Mazzarella states that
American Chopper, men prove their worth through their work, a factor which, not
coincidentally, chimes with the values of both patriarchy and capitalism (Mazzarella 2008).
The literature shows that masculinity provides in media through television and movies. Music is
another avenue in which male artists promote hyper-masculine ideas.
When discussing music, Penelope Eate provides an in-depth look at the rapper Tyler, The
Creator in the article entitled: Scribblin Sinnin Sh*t: Narratives of Rape as Masculine
Therapeutic Performance in the Strange Case For and Against Tyler, The Creator. This article is
important because it highlights a masculine media situation brought about by a society focused
on moving towards equality. The article addresses the rapper Tyler the Creator and his hypermasculine lyrics focused on aggression and rape. Within this article, the author quotes such
songs by Tyler the Creator as Sarah, Bastard, She, Transylvania and Ass Milk. Each of
these songs contains an aggressive tone and a theme of rape. The author describes Tylers
behavior as an attempt to restore masculine agency and authority thought undermined in an era
of improved gender equity (Eate 2013). This attempt to restore masculine agency is vividly
apparent in the song Sarah, the author states, After Sarah rejects his invitation to the prom,
Tyler, The Creator proceeds to abduct, beat and later shoot Sarah before sexually violating and
cannibalizing her corpse (Eate 2013). As shown, the culture of hyper-masculinity is depicted in
many different types of media. The next article highlights another example of this.

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Another case of hyper-masculinity brought from the article entitled Hypermasculinity &
Dickwolves: The Contentious Role of Women in the New Gaming Public by Anastasia Salter and
Bridget Blodgett. This article is important because it examines another form of media in which
the culture of masculinity appears. The article examines the videogame culture within modern
day media. Speaking in terms of technology, the videogame form of media has seen exponential
growth in the past twenty years. As sociologists when a growing trend appears it is necessary to
study the culture. From this article, the reader is able to understand that women are not
necessarily a target market for the videogame business. Many aspects of hyper-masculinity, such
as rape and sexualization are pushed very hard within the videogame culture. This also relates to
the subject from the previous article about Tyler, The Creator. Both of these articles joke about
forms of violence against women, such as rape. Again, it appears that hyper-masculinity is
pushed as a possible result of growing equality in society. The gaming culture itself is almost
similar to the show American Chopper described above. This form of media outlet targets males
specifically, and females have little options when they enter the culture. One example within the
article states that The choice of female characters and actions within games leaves women with
few realistic, non-sexualized options (Salter 2012). Over time, barriers may be broken
regarding the gender inequality in the gaming culture, but only time will tell.
Analyzing the research methods, the article uses case study analysis of the Dickwolves incident
as an exemplary case of hypermasculine discourse and conflict within the gaming public (Salter
2012). This case study analysis resulted in the association of casual games with femininity,
while hardcore games and technology are intertwined with masculinity (Salter 2012).
Regarding technology as a whole, social media is another aspect of media in which masculinity
is portrayed in another light.

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In the article entitled Internet banging: New trends in social media, gang violence,
masculinity and hip hop by Desmond Upton Patton, Robert D. Eschmann, and Dirk A. Butler
discuss masculinity in social media regarding gangs. The article provided quantitative data,
summing up statistics of active gang members and hours per week they use social media.
Building upon this, it is more readily available for more individuals to use the internet and buy
computers because computers are more affordable than ever and Internet access is easily
attainable. Barriers to Internet access are easily overcome through public institutions that provide
it as a free service (Patton 2013). From a collection of data regarding the online presence of
gangs, the National Gang Threat Assessment suggest that gang members uses social medial to
conduct drug sales, market their activities, communicate with other members, coordinate gang
actions, recruit new members and to brag about acts or violence or make threats (Patton 2013).
Even in videos across YouTube and sites like WorldStarHipHop, Pattons argument is apparent.
YouTube offers the ability to upload videos worldwide for free, while WorldStarHipHop offers
the user a place in which the video will be seen by the rap culture. Rap and hip hop videos in
particular often have aspects of masculinity and gang related activity, especially in the situation
of an up and coming artist from the hood. One instance of a rapper making himself upon his
masculine reputation is rapper Chief Keef. Chief Keef is a 17 year Chicago born rapper who
has gained national attention for his chilling rap lyrics touting gang affiliations and promoting
violence (Patton 2013). Chief Keef had a rival known as Lil Jo. Lil Jo was murdered in early
September after tweeting his location (Patton 2013). In response to Lil Jos death, Chief Keef
went to the social media outlet Twitter and tweeted Its sad cuz that nigga JoJo wanted to be just
like up, # LMAO (Patton 2013). That is to say, social media can bring about urban violence.
By killing certain individuals, others gain a reputation in which can enhance their following. It is

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far easier today than ever to make a name for yourself using social media, and that is what is
happening in the rap culture. To do so, all they have to do is promote hyper-masculinity in order
to gain respect from the culture.
Scholarly literature provides a significant amount of knowledge regarding masculinity in
media. Most of the articles are different in the fact that they strike different aspects of media.
Overall, the similarities are apparent even though the forms of media are different. Most of the
hyper-masculinity is stemmed from the growing gender equality in society. When looking at
disagreements throughout the literature, it is apparent that they are not so much as disagreement,
but they build upon each other in order to discuss the complex topic of masculinity in the media.
Analyzing shortcomings, it is apparent that urban gangs were analyzed in relation to social
media, but gangs themselves were not analyzed on television, and white gangs were also not
studied. Regarding shortcomings, my research will help to fill the gaps in the literature by
analyzing the television series Sons of Anarchy in order to take and in-depth look at the
masculinity surrounding white gang members on television.

DATA AND METHODS

Within the study, I utilized the unobtrusive method to analyze How the culture of
masculinity is portrayed in the Sons of Anarchy. I chose this method because it provides the
ability to collect a lot of data, the data was of easy access to collect, and the data will not change.
The show Sons of Anarchy has just had its series finale, running a total of seven seasons on FX.
From the current literature presented in the above literature review, there is very little known
about white motorcycle gangs and their association with the culture of masculinity in media.
With a total run time of seven seasons, there is no doubt that the show was widely popular.

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Intrigued by the culture of masculinity and the motorcycle gang culture I selected the
show in hopes to discover and fill gaps in the literature. By using visual research as well as
content analysis I was able to collect valuable information that led to an analysis and conclusion
about the show and its relationship to the culture of masculinity.
In total, I chose six episodes running across a few different seasons of the show. While
watching these episodes, I looked for certain images, acts, and characteristics to analyze in hopes
of answering my research question. After I had collected the data, I began the process of coding.
While coding, I grouped my data into three key fields that were vividly apparent.
When discussing the study and the research process, it is important to discuss the possible
limitations. The first limitation is that the study only analyzed one show based on white
motorcycle gangs. By not analyzing how other motorcycle gangs are portrayed in the media, I
may have not grasped the full depiction and may have missed out on some important data.
Another possible limitation regards how motorcycle gangs are portrayed in movies. Some
movies have different ways of portraying motorcycle gangs, for instance, the Sons of Anarchy
depicts white males who ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles and wear leather cuts. There are
movies that stray from this style of rider and portray street-bike gangs rather than HarleyDavidson gangs. By not analyzing the other group of rider, I am further limiting the study. The
last limitation is that no other methodologies were used. By not using in-person methods, such
as in-depth interviews or focus groups I do not grasp a realistic image of the differences between
real life motorcycle gangs and their media depictions.
DATA ANALYSIS
The purpose of this study is to provide insight on the question: How is the culture of
masculinity portrayed in the Sons of Anarchy. To answer this, I analyzed six episodes of the

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television series Sons of Anarchy across a few seasons of the show, and especially the final
season. The titles of the episodes that I have analyzed are the following: Black Widower (Season
7, Episode 1), A Mothers Work (Season 6, Episode 13), Hands (Season 4, Episode 10), Giving
Back (Season 1, Episode 5), Red Rose (Season 7, Episode 12), and Papas Goods (Season 7,
Episode 13). Analyzing these episodes provides further insight, information, and understanding
on how the culture of masculinity is present in the television series. The findings surrounding
my data answer my research question: How is the culture of masculinity portrayed in the Sons
of Anarchy.
After completing my analysis on the six episodes, three major themes appeared. (1)
Violence is respected amongst the group and reinforces group solidarity. (2) Dominance is
culturally valued and heavily enforced, while opposition to group power is targeted. (3) From
group logos to overall appearance, hyper-masculinity and culture is reinforced.

Violence: The solution to all your problems

Theme 1: Violence is respected amongst the gang in the show Sons of Anarchy, and
violence further reinforces group solidarity.
Regarding the masculine theme in media, there is without a doubt theme of violence.
When analyzing the Sons of Anarchy, there were copious amounts and various forms of violence.
The first sub-theme in violence that was present in the episodes I studied was domestic violence.
In season 4, episode 10 entitled Hands, the president of the Sons of Anarchy unleashed a furious
and vicious attack on Gemma Teller, his wife, and the mother of Jax Teller. This attack left
Gemma beaten, bruised, and dripping blood; a scene that would be forever burned into a
viewers eyes. The reason for Clays acts of violence in the show were sparked by Gemma

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telling Jax that his father had been killed by Clay (the now step-father). When Clay was
threatened head on by Gemma, a confrontation occurred leading to Gemma pulling out a gun,
missing a shot, and Clay ferociously beating her. In this situation, it is vivid that the masculinity
of Clay is being threatened throughout the episode. As Clays power over Gemmas secrecy
began to wither away, so did Clays dominance. When things such as power, respect, and
territory begin to be at risk, the male defense shoots high. In our society, males are socialized to
not engage emotionally but rather physically when dealing with problems. The scene in which
Gemma threatens Clays dominance is a mirrored image of a social problem that is apparent
throughout the literature. Acknowledging the literature, the theme of hyper-masculinity appeared
as a defense against growing equality regarding gender roles. As Gemma, the female character
begins to grow power, Clay, the male character resorts to violence to solve the problem.
Domestic violence hits huge on the sociological issue of masculinity in the media, but regarding
violence and masculinity, there is much more.
When violence reaches its brutal climax we are introduced to the act of murder. Murder
is the ultimate act of violence; it is the end of all life, the dark hall we all know as the unknown.
In the media, images of murder from males represent an image of the badass. There is no
exception to this rule regarding the show Sons of Anarchy. While watching the six episodes
chosen for this project, two episodes were strikingly violent regarding their climax. Firstly,
season six, episode thirteen is climaxed by the death of Jaxs wife. In this episode, Gemma ends
up killing Tara in order to keep her quiet about the club. Tara had grown weary season through
season dealing with the clubs drama, and the fact that she had children put her in the situation in
which she did not want them growing up to be like the Sons of Anarchy. Gemma, essentially the
mother of the club did not like the fact that she was losing control and power to the wife of Jax.

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Eventually the threat grew so large and powerful it pushed Gemma to her breaking point and she
stabbed Tara in the back of the head. Being ingrained in the club culture for so long, Gemma had
taken on hyper-masculine characteristics in the sense that she also solved problems with violence
rather than talking things out. Viewers saw Gemma as a vicious alpha female that kept the club
together while protecting them from authorities. Violence was heightened while Gemmas
reputation skyrocketed due to her masculine acts. Analyzing the scenario, it is quite apparent
that a threat to masculinity was occurring. You see, Tara was threatening the masculine group
Sons of Anarchy, Gemma however did not take this kindly. As Gemma became more and more
masculine in her actions, she was seen as a masculine figure in dealing with problems. Gemma
murdered Tara in order to solve club problems, this is important because it shows how a female
can be masculinized in the media to support masculinity. To take on these masculine traits
presents a new type of ideal woman to males. This type of woman that takes on masculine traits
rejects the cultural image of the stereotypical female, it is everything against feminine culture,
and it shows strong support to males over females.
After the murder of Tara in the season six finale, Jax was led to believe that a Chinese
gang member had murdered her in season seven, episode one entitled Black Widower. Upon
capture of this gang member, the viewer is exposed to the dark side of Jax. The mutilation of the
gang members body was disturbing. To describe in detail, Jax not only performed multiple
lacerations upon the live corpse, Jax then pressed salt into the wounds, and finished off the
Chinese gang member with a two-pronged fork into the back of his skull as the Sons of Anarchy
crew watched in disbelief. In this scenario, we see the main character bent upon revenge. The
suffering of the death of his wife hurt him deeply. The only way in which the male knew how to
solve his problems was through revenge; and masculinity teaches us that revenge is best served

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in a violent manner. It is a reoccurring theme throughout the series and media that males are
better to solve their problems violently than to communicate through their problems.
Masculinity regarding males and females can overall destroy valuable bonds. The means to
solve problems only through violence can hit pretty close to home.
In season seven, episode twelve entitled Red Rose, we see an image of a mother and son
with a strong bond, Gemma and Jax Teller. Throughout the show we were exposed to the death
of Jaxs wife Tara. Later on, in season seven, Jax learns the truth about his wifes death, and he
now knows that Gemma killed Tara. From this point, the viewer ponders the question: will Jax
actually kill his beloved mother? From the shows hyper-masculine approach to violent problem
solving, the answer should be a no-brainer. Again, the problem is solved through violence in a
highly climatic manner. Jax finds Gemma, the two converse about the murder, Gemma walks
out into the backyard garden and gives Jax permission to murder her. Jax then shoots his mother
in the backyard. Violence reached its maximum climax in the show as a mother is shot by her
son. It was not like the two were distant and despised each other, in fact, they loved each other
very much and it was vivid throughout the series. Gemma however was loyal to the masculine
group and would do anything for the group, she would even give her life if she knew that she
was getting in the way, and that is exactly what she did. Jax and Gemma both knew that the
children could not be in either one of their lives; or grow up in the club culture. Jax knew he was
destined for death to save the club, and Gemma knew that she was no longer at service to the
club,1 and too deviant to raise the children on her own. But the murder of Gemma speaks
immensely on the domination of males over females regarding gender equality. Gemma did all
she could to save the club and in the end she also gave her life to the club.

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Always hungry, never satisfied
Theme 2: The Sons of Anarchy promotes the idea that dominance is culturally valued and
heavily enforced. Any opposition is a target and competition must be destroyed.
Within the episodes analyzed, there is a central theme that appears that I have labeled as
dominance. Characteristics such as: power, respect, and territory were all included in this label
as I was coding. Formulating the label, it was known that the characteristics stated above
occurred frequently and all had a connotation to this idea of dominance. It is very possible and
quite likely that dominance has a very influential part in masculinity as gender equality grows in
society. After all, the culture within the United States is still very much patriarchal. The
overwhelmingly hyper-masculine attributed media carries with it the authority of dominance. To
rule by force, aggression, and to be territorial is very masculine and pushes against gender
equality as a defense mechanism.
Analyzing the episodes, the show itself is all about dominance while the Sons of Anarchy
motorcycle club fights a war against multiple gangs regarding territory, respect, and power.
Dominance is the ultimate goal for the club, to rule a great amount of territory guarantees them
safety, income, and the ability to stop illegal activity and go legit running businesses. The series
finale (Season seven, episode 13) Papas Goods is the single best example of dominance in the
whole series. This episode not only ends the series, but it also shows the main characters
sacrifice in order to achieve the end goal of dominance for the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle
Club. Jax, the president of the Sons of Anarchy had one final rival who was named Marks. This
rivalry was sparked by gang member deaths and fights for territory and power. Marks was the
single biggest problem for the club going legit, he did not want the Sons of Anarchy to stop
running guns or drugs. In the end, Jax knew the only way to solve the problem was by going out

Sommer 14
with a bang and in the end killing himself in the process. The brotherhood that was so heavily
attributed to his death will be discussed in detail in the next section regarding appearance, but the
fight over power, territory, and respect played a big part too. Without these attributes, the show
itself would have very little masculine substance. Dominance itself brings about opposition from
others that are trying to also achieve the same goals; we see this from rival gangs. The idea of
masculine violence and solving problems through violence are stemmed from the illegal business
that the club dealt in. From illegal activity, comes illegal activity and illegal opposition. To gain
dominance in the field that they are in requires heavy and frequent acts of violence. It is vividly
apparent that the show promotes hyper-masculinity in the sense that the only way to achieve
respect, power, and territory as a male is by way of masculine and deviant acts.
The idea of power and respect go hand in hand within the show. It is vividly apparent
that the more hyper-masculine acts an individual performs, the more he is seen as a badass. The
bigger the badass in the show, the more respect they gain. The viewer gains the viewpoint that
the more violent an individual is, the more they should not be messed with. If someone is not to
be messed with, they are known for their reputation. Respect goes a long way when talking
about the motorcycle club. Within the club is a hierarchal system in which there are power
players with high status and there are subordinates. Jax is the president of the club, it is clear to
understand why he is too. Jax has a reputation for being extremely violent, unstable, and
spontaneous in his actions. It is apparent that within the show, the more violent the character, the
higher status, the more respect, and the more power. Hyper-masculinity is encouraged, it is there
to promote the idea that: you have to be the biggest badass and the most violent person in the
room to be the most important.

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Fear the Reaper
Theme 3: The appearance of members in the Sons of Anarchy portrays culturally valued
symbols and hyper-masculine features.
Throughout the series symbols are presented revealing much about the club. These
symbols are hard to miss because they promote the gang, and members are almost never seen
without them. The culture is vivid. The Sons of Anarchy are ride or die when it comes to their
motorcycles. Across the series, members wear an abundance of Harley-Davidson type gear. The
gear is leather, tattered, and worn for character to present this rugged image of the outlaw biker.
The leather cut, also known as a leather vest is a symbol of passage and belonging to the
group. On these vests, there are symbols that depict their ranking in the gang, their membership,
and the symbol of the gang. The symbol itself screams masculinity to the viewer. Analyzing the
symbol, it is vividly clear that violence, anarchy, and death are presented. To explain in full what
the symbol is, the symbol is a grim reaper holding an assault rifle with the head of a scythe in its
right hand, and in its left hand is a crystal ball with the anarchy symbol on it. In a symbolic way,
the grim reaper reveals the coming of death, the hyper-masculine ak-47 scythe represents
violence, and the crystal ball with the anarchy symbol means that anarchy is predicted to come in
a violent way.
Motorcycles were another apparent image in the series. There was almost never a
moment in which members traveled in any other vehicle. When they traveled by motorcycle it
presented this image of freedom, and from the literature review we see that dissociation away
from the increase in gender equality. A man and his motorcycle, and Jax describes this feeling in
season five, episode one by stating: All your problems, all the noise, gone. Nuthin else to worry
about, except what's right in front of you. (Sutter 2012). In the very last episode of the entire

Sommer 16
series (Season 7, Episode 13 Papas Goods), we see the main character Jax shoot up almost
every obstacle in his way to solve the motorcycle clubs problems. Although he did this, he also
knew that he could not bring his club into the media and destroy their lives too. Jax visited his
fathers deathbed on the highway where is father crashed his motorcycle and died. At this
moment, an officer drove by, saw Jax and the two were led into a high-speed chase. With a fleet
of cop cars behind himself, Jax embraced his death bed with open arms and led himself straight
into a semi-truck. Symbolically speaking, the outlaw embraced the ride or die philosophy that
the club so deeply believed in. Going out in a full fashioned death, riding on the iron pony, with
a fleet of cherries behind him, and the blades of choppers cutting through the air, the death
couldnt have been more hyper-masculine.
The third and final symbol that was recognized throughout the series on members was
tattoos. Tattoos were noticeable on all members, and location did not matter. One member by
the name of Juice had tribal tattoos on his skull, while others had tattoos everywhere.
Significantly, the logo of the motorcycle club was tattooed on each member signify that they
belong to the gang. When a member violates the gang rules and is forced out of the gang, the
tattoo is then violently removed off of their body. This violent tattoo removal is seen in Season
one, episode five entitled Giving Back. In this episode, an ex-member is led into the garage and
the Sons of Anarchy ask him if he would rather have his tattoo removed by fire or by knife.
Kyle, the ex-member states that he would like it to be removed by fire. You see, ex-members
must black out their back tattoo signifying that they are not a part of the gang anymore. Kyle is
given a bottle of alcohol in which he chugs halfway before his punishment. The gang then
chained Kyle up in the garage, poured tequila all over his back, torched his back with a car torch,
violently burned off his back tattoo, and then dropped him off at the hospital. These tattoos

Sommer 17
signify brotherhood and reinforce group solidarity. By tattooing their club logo on their backs,
they are dedicating themselves for life to the club and will do whatever is necessary for the club.
By using the fire or knife method to punish ex-members, the viewer is presented a hypermasculine violent theme of the club once again. The imagery in this scene is vivid, members are
shot close up sniffling at the smell of burning flesh, no remorse is present in their tones,
aggression can be heard by a raised voice in opposition, and the broiling of skin is vividly
apparent. The appearance of group members is heavily reinforced through this scene, and no
remorse is taken to those outside of the group.
CONCLUSIONS
When taking a look at masculinity in the media, the literature provided great insight on
the subject. Building upon the research, it was noticeable that white motorcycle gangs were not
included. To fill these gaps, it was important to ask: how is the culture of masculinity portrayed
in the television series Sons of Anarchy? Centering my research on the subject, an analysis of six
episodes was conducted.
The first major finding was that hyper-masculinity is established in the media as an
attempt to reassert masculine aspects and power to the male gender in a world with growing
gender equality. From this, three major themes were reoccurring throughout the show: violence,
dominance, and appearance. Each one of the themes provides substance and characteristics of
hyper-masculinity in the show Sons of Anarchy.
Violence is without a doubt the seemingly answer to all problems when regarding the
Sons of Anarchy motorcycle club. From the series, problems were rarely, if ever talked through.
Rather than talking through things, violence in the forms of: murder, domestic abuse, and battery
were almost always used. Not only were males in the show conformed to the masculine method

Sommer 18
of problem solving, but we also saw Gemma Teller fully integrated and willing to do anything
for the club.
Just as the club had power over Gemma, the second theme of dominance is overarching
through the series. Dominance in this case includes the characteristics: power, respect, and
territory. When any characteristic of dominance is challenged, masculinity is threatened leading
to the above discussed violence. To stay in power by authority is heavily masculine, just as
police are uniformed to enforce power, so is the motorcycle club Sons of Anarchy.
Appearance is distinct throughout the series. The club and gang members are branded
with masculine attributes such as: leather, emblems, tattoos, and motorcycles. Instantly the
viewer is shown the image of the biker badass as the reaper with an assault rifle is branded across
their backs as they ride into the sunset. These images present deviance, violence, and present
fear into those that see them.
In regards to limitations, it is important to note that the study is exclusive to the white
motorcycle rider, no other methods were used, and there is no distinction between those riders in
television shows and those in movies. It is important to further analyze the motorcycle culture in
order to gain more insight on the limitations. For further research, a suggestion would be to
study how races differ between motorcycle groups and levels of masculinity.

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Eate, P. (2013). Scribblin' Sinnin' Sh*t: Narratives of Rape as Masculine Therapeutic
Performance in the Strange Case For and Against Tyler, The Creator. Journal of African
American Studies, 17(4), 529-545. Retrieved March 29, 2015, from Academic Search
Complete.
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. (2012, January 1). Retrieved March 30, 2015, from
http://www.iep.utm.edu/hume-cau/
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