What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this violent show glamorizes the
lifestyle of some very unlikable outlaw bikers. The members of
the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club drink heavily and brag
about it. They beat up their rivals as part of doing business
and pummel each other for fun. They swear constantly,
manipulate each other, and flout the law with their illegal
arms-trafficking business. Though they don't sell drugs, other
gangs do, and there's plenty of discussion about them, as well
as some explicit scenes of people using them. There's also
implied sex. Though the characters do have a soft side and are
careful to watch out for each other, they're so unpleasant that
it's hard to have much sympathy for them.
Families can talk about biker gangs. Plenty of movies and TV shows have featured motorcycle gangs in the past -- does this series show them in a new light, or do the Sons of Anarchy seem similar to previous portrayals? Do these shows make it seem like all biker gangs are criminals? Do you think that's true? If not, why do you think bikers tend to be demonized? Families can also discuss whether it's possible to truly care about characters who aren't sympathetic in a traditional sense. What, if anything, makes this show's characters worth your time?
Common Sense Media Review
The SONS OF ANARCHY motorcycle club sells guns for a living.
They like to brawl with each other for fun, regularly drink
themselves into a stupor, and will beat to a pulp anyone who
crosses them. Members of opposing gangs who threaten their
business get shot, execution style -- and, just to make sure
the right message gets through, the Sons will dynamite the
corpses. And, believe it or not, these are the
good guys in this violent drama about gang rivalries in
Southern California.
The show paints an interesting contrast between the obvious love and affection these men have for each other and the disdain they feel for people who aren't part of their brotherhood. The heart of the show is Jax Teller ( Charlie Hunnam), who has a newborn son and is starting to question his lifestyle. His mother. Gemma. ( Katey Sagal) is now with Clay ( Ron Perlman), the head of the gang. They're both devoted to both the biker lifestyle and its underground business and are threatened by the idea that Jax might be considering a new direction.
But make no mistake: These men are all vicious, hardened criminals who will do whatever it takes to protect their lock on the Southern California arms trade. Guns, threats, and violence are their most useful tools, and no matter how much the show tries to humanize them, they're simply not nice people. They're not pleasant to watch, and most viewers will find it difficult to sympathize with their problems -- a discrepancy that becomes a serious flaw. Other shows have tried to humanize criminals, notably The Sopranos , which made the mob seem exciting. But that series featured sharply drawn characters and some of the best writing on television, while Sons of Anarchy seems to be more like a caricature of everyone's clichéd idea of a biker gang, and it doesn't work very well.
Fans looking for a show from the point of view of criminals will probably enjoy The Sopranos . For a classic motorcycle movie, try The Wild One. And for a nonfiction look at real motorcycles, check out American Chopper .
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
