Sons of Anarchy - TV-MA

Violent biker show glamorizes unpleasant people.

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TV Rating: TV-MA
Network: FX
Cast: Ron Perlman, Charlie Hunnam, Katey Sagal
Genre: Drama
>Available On: Download

Parents need to 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?

Message
Violence
Sex
Language

Message

Social Behavior:

The gang is clearly a tribal society that cares only for its members. The Sons talk about each other as brothers and frequently demonstrate that they care deeply for each other. Men are often encouraged to take care of their families, sometimes at the expense of participating in important gang activities. But these characters definitely aren't good role models. The gang's main business is selling guns, and they're quick to resort to violence to protect their livelihood and their turf. Anyone who threatens the gang is a threat and dealt with swiftly. People who try to leave the gang are considered traitors and insulted bitterly. There's also plenty of manipulation and deception within the gang -- particularly a mother who feels threatened when her son starts thinking about living a cleaner life and encourages her husband to quash the younger man's ideas.

Consumerism:

Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco:

Lots of drinking, often to excess. No social gathering seems complete without plenty of beer, and there are references to marijuana. The Sons don't deal drugs, but other gangs do, and there's plenty of discussion about making and selling methamphetamine. Some scenes also show people using drugs, including explicit shots of people preparing needles and then shooting up.

Violence

The Sons of Anarchy often use their fists to express their feelings, and the fight scenes can be very graphic. There are frequent brutal beatings, sometimes involving sticks and other weapons, and scenes include shots of people hitting and kicking victims who are lying helpless on the ground. The gang is also willing to shoot people who anger them, and there are several explicit gun battles. The bikers sometimes brawl with each other for fun.

Sex

Some scenes are very suggestive. For example, a woman kisses her way down a man's chest until her head disappears below the frame. Women also often appear in skimpy outfits.

Language

The bikers swear frequently and sometimes use racial epithets to denigrate rivals. Women are called "whores" and "bitches," a Mexican gang is described as "Mexi a--holes," and just about everyone says "s--t."

Common Sense says

What's the story?

Reviewed by Will Wade

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.

Is it any good?

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.