“Listen for
the roar of the Harleys. You will hear it in the distance like thunder. And
then, wafting in on the breeze, will come the scent of dried blood, semen, and
human grease…the noise will grow louder and they will appear.”
“Sex,
violence, crime, craziness and filth—all in one package.”
I chose to analyze
two pieces that both dealt with the same subject – America's most infamous
motorcycle club – The Hell’s Angels. And while the subjects are the same, the
times they reflect are not. There is a multi-generation gap between the two.
Hell’s Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga by Hunter S. Thompson and the
History Channel’s Gangland: Season 4: Episode 12; are the two pieces. Rebels,
Huns, ruffians, outlaws, hoodlums, thugs, animals, hopheads, bastards, they
were the Hell’s Angels, All-American terrorists with a “them vs. us” mentality.
This world of “motorcycle clubs” or biker gangs consistently fits the concepts
associated with ethnography. This is an infamous sub-culture where
participant-observation seems lethal, reckless, and dangerously conducted.
The
History Channel’s documentary gave more of a thick description to the whole
culture of motorcycle gangs. The documentary gave the history of where and why
they started, along with the social environment which spurred this movement. As
for the numerous reasons for these motorcycle clubs being founded, three
remained constant; a passion for riding on two wheels, living outside the norms
of society, and war. Many members were veterans and had returned home from
hellish environments. They were “missing” something. They had a taste for
excitement and adventure and were hungry—wearing a suit and tie could not satisfy
such a hunger. The documentary dove into the era of American culture that dealt
with the Second World War and the Vietnam War. The films gave a contextual look
at American society during that time and a better understanding of these
barbaric clubs.
The documentary
explained the goals, the power dynamics within, and the norms of this culture.
Through Engestrom’s Activity Theory Triangle it is simple to understand that
motorcycle clubs and specifically the Hell’s Angels organization functions as
an activity system. The subjects are the members of the clubs, those who wear
their jackets with patches signifying their affiliation or known as “colors”.
The uniform. The crucial identity. Generally, there are three patches on the
backs of the jackets. The “top rocker” or patch provides the name of the club,
the “bottom rocker” usually names the state, city, or country in which the
members’ chapter is from, and the third is the logo of the club, in the Hell’s
Angels case, the skull wearing a winged helmet (the ‘winged death-head’). Not
many rules or laws apply to the Hell’s Angels, but one does for certain, don’t
be a snitch. In some versions of the logo the skull has his mouth stitched
shut, meaning Hell’s Angels will never talk to police or federal officers. As
for the community aspect, there are roughly 2,500 members and 230 chapters of
the Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Club. If you’re a member of the club you must have
a clear understanding of the power hierarchy. At the top are the Presidents and
Vice Presidents, then the Sergeant of Arms, then Treasurer, then Warlord and
club members, then probationary members and female associates. So, what’s the
point of this global organization?
It’s
difficult to label one purpose for the Hell’s Angels and many would argue
differently, but it may be valid to say; making money, belonging to a
sub-culture, or riding a motorcycle and partying, may each or all be the
purpose and goal of the Hell’s Angels. Like every culture there are individuals
and the actions of these individuals do not define the culture as a whole. Or
in the theme of filth and infection, one symptom does not give an accurate
diagnosis. What I’m getting at is some Hell’s Angels are in it for the money,
some sell drugs, some are thieves, and some use women for prostitution. In the
same breath I would argue some have families, some have children, and some are
“good people”. Many are felons. Many are criminals. Many are addicts. Whatever
the goal is the Hell’s Angels use fear and violence to achieve it. No matter
the reason or purpose of the Hell’s Angels, whether it’s for the sense of
belonging, riding the bike, or financial gain, the organization functions as an
activity system where Engestrom’s Triangle applies. Now on to the book.
I read the first
four chapters of Hunter S. Thompson’s book and it was much different than the
History Channel’s documentary. In the sense of ‘time’ and the ‘era’ of these
motorcycle gangs, these two pieces differed greatly. The book described events
and the culture of the Hell’s Angels during earlier years, the mid 1960’s for
example. The documentary gave information on these clubs during the 1990’s and
into the 2000’s. Two different accounts. Two different eras. Two different
generations of miscreants.
Hunter
S. Thompson is considered to be one of the Great American writers and is the
originator of gonzo-journalism. Gonzo-journalism is first-person, experiential
journalism usually fueled by a substance, but not always the case. Readers
gravitate to Hunter’s writing because of his ability to place them in his
participative situations and his unforgiving rhetoric.
The documentary
gives surrounding details and facts about society meanwhile, Hunter S.
Thompson’s book jumps right into the story offering his made-famous gonzo
journalism flare to his accounts of riding with the Hell’s Angels. Thompson
describes the setting and environment in detail. He gives the reader the
imagery and sensory information, but with somehow less context. “Early, with
ocean fog still in the streets, outlaw motorcyclists wearing chains, shades and
greasy Levi’s roll out of damp garages, all-night diners and cast-off one-night
pads in Frisco, Hollywood, Berdoo and East Oakland…” (Thompson, 1966, p. 2).
Hunter S. Thompson gives the scene, but no setting for the story, a thin
description in relation to the documentary. The two different approaches by the
documentary and the book allow for two different understandings.
I
had differing perceptions of the same group while analyzing the two pieces.
Maybe it was just my lack of understanding of the culture or maybe it was the
different ways each piece presented the counter-culture and lifestyle. The
perception I had while watching and noting the documentary was that the Hell’s
Angels were nothing more than a worldwide club of two-wheeling gangsters
predominantly heavy, white males with beards and leather jackets. Burley
brawlers with bad-ass bikes bearing bandanas, chain whips, and bruised battered
knuckles. Greasy, inked-up gorillas acting like guerillas--or visa
versa--occasionally decorated with a swastika. On the other hand, while I read
Hunter S. Thompson’s book he made the group seem like a more fearful modern-day
Genghis Khan nomadic tribe or rather characters out of Mad Max. The way he
described them it was as though the Hell’s Angels were collectively a
fast-moving, heavy-breathing machine capable of destroying a community in just
a few hours. Tribal and mechanic or just wild-ones, they communicate a
significant message to outsiders: Be afraid.
The
Hell’s Angels trend has become global. I consider this culture to be involved
in and host discourse communities. In the most basic sense, members communicate
face-to-face, yet that isn’t the only source of communication. As I discussed
earlier, their jackets and vests carry the utmost importance. Their colors and
earned patches communicate the individual member’s ranking, longevity of
membership, and in some cases crimes committed. Tattoos also communicate
affiliation and ideology, a common thread of neo-Nazism, many bear Luftwaffe iron crosses and SS patches.
Thompson
describes a memorable event in 1964 in which state-wide communication through
California must have happened in order for this event to work. The Labor Day
Run where communication between dozens of Hell’s Angels chapters coordinated
this monstrous meeting of members. This massive migration of a couple hundred
members must have been the product of communication through telephone, letters,
and/or direct dialogue.
“the biggest event on the Hell’s Angels
calendar; it is the annual gathering of the whole outlaw clan…No Angel would
miss it for any reason except jail or crippling injury. The Labor Day Run is
the outlaws’ answer to New Year’s Eve; it is a time for sharing the wine jug,
pummeling old friends, random fornication and general full-dress madness” (Thompson, 1966, p. 5).
As for how the book by Hunter S. Thompson
relates to ethnographic studies and the concepts related to ethnography, it’s
simple. Hunter S. Thompson’s book is considered participant-observation. He was
involved with the culture of the Hell’s Angels and they allowed him to ride
with them. In his writing, subjectivity and objectivity find balance. “Local
cops waited nervously at intersections, hoping the Angels would pass quietly
and not cause trouble. It was almost as if some far-ranging band of Viet Cong
guerrillas had appeared” (Thompson, 1966, p. 8). He tells it how it was and
explains what he felt. In the first pages of the book, Thompson lends a short
poem that appropriately abbreviates his participative experience.
In my own country I
am in a far-off land
I am strong but I
have no force or power
I win all yet remain
a loser
At break of day I
say goodnight
When I lie down I
have a great fear
Of falling.
by François Villon
A lot has changed through the decades from
Hunter S. Thompson’s account to the reality of the motorcycle club today. As
the book and documentary portray this culture in different lights and different
eras it is easy to see that change, they went from filthy Huns to common thugs,
but if you encounter an Angel remain cautious. Take a drive and keep your eye
out for such motorcyclists. If you hear that distant thunder, the objects in
your mirror may be closer than they appear.
