In the past there were cult movies: today we also have acclaimed TV shows that empower the "myth" of the motorcycle and of a lifestyle marked by freedom.
A young Marlon Brando in the film The Wild One, and then Henry Fonda, Jack Nicholson and Dennis Hopper in the cult movie Easy Rider are a true hymn to freedom. Cinema has always paid homage to the myth of the motorcycle and the freedom that brings with it.
After all, it’s easy to romanticize something that has always been seen as a synonym of freedom and, by extension, of an unconventional (even transgressive) lifestyle. The “borderline” motorcyclist character is part of the collective imagination. Today we think about this cliché with a smile, but after the release of The Wild One, in 1953, the British motorcycle manufacturer Triumph protested the use of motorcycles in the movie, because they could be associated with not really positive characters.
In 1969, Easy Rider was not exactly a film for bourgeois conformists! As a landmark counterculture film, it explored the societal issues and tensions in the United States (hippie movement, drug use, communal lifestyle). Plus, real drugs were used in scenes showing the use of marijuana and other substances. Of course Easy Rider gained the reputation of a transgressive, dangerous, corrupting movie! And motorcycles were stars, at the same level of the three legendary actors. Try to think about those badasses driving cars instead of motorcycles: the impact would never the same!
And today? The growing popularity and the exceptional quality of TV shows in the last 10 years, made the small screen the hotbed of new trends. The TV show Sons of Anarchy, broadcast from 2008 to 2014 and set in California, revived the myth of the motorcycle and of all the related subculture.
The show started a bit on the sly, but then it gained more and more popularity, thanks to a well-structured and never predictable plot and to charismatic, extraordinary characters. Also in Sons of Anarchy the equation bikers / borderline characters is evident: none of the protagonists of the show, as you might infer from the name, shines for virtues like honesty and gentleness ... these are people who do not bend to the rules and does not hesitate to resort even to the most extreme violence to get what they want.
But today the prudishness of the past no longer exists: the biker look is getting extremely popular, and so the beautiful and damned Jax Teller (played by Charlie Hunnam), the troubled star of Sons of Anarchy, became an icon style.
If you love motorcycles, or if you like the “rebellious look” and you are looking for the perfect outfit, start your research on a well-stocked online store and purchase the leather jacket of your dreams tailored for you: a wide range of motorcycle clothing will meet all your needs.
