American Chopper and Masculinity

Carroll's article on "American Chopper produces a recuperative blue-collar masculinity that attenuates the putative losses suffered by working-class men under the postindustrial service economy of the contemporary United States."After reading this article I googled about the masculinity crisis in America and found a blog post about the Super Bowl Commercials and how masculinity is presented to America. Carroll's article highlights the idea of the "American Dream" and the "rags-to-riches" mentality that the Tetul's embody whereas, the commercials in the blog present tropes of the alpha male, which seem almost satirical. The blog states that the men in these advertisements "seem to promote an atavistic, hypermasculinity, while at the same time suggesting that such a masculinity is absurd and even laughable." Another section of the blog post discusses how, "by 2002, the advertisements of mega media sports events began to construct 'a white male ‘loser’…who hangs out with his male buddies, is self-mocking and ironic about his loser status"--the setting of these ads is ironic because it is a hyper-masculine event (sports) and the ads show ironic tropes of vulnerable and self-conscious males.

This reminded me of the irony and knowingness that we studied with feminism and got me to thinking about females in comedy. We noted that women can only be funny if they are presented in loud and crude manners so is it possible that males can only be seen as sensitive and vulnerable in the midst of irony and satire? The fact that we even see these ads as satire shows how we view masculinity in our society; if these tropes were true and acceptable, we would not see them as humorous. Does this present Carroll's description of hegemonic masculinity as ultimately, unattainable?

Relating back to American Chopper, the idea of the unattainable seems to shine through when one considers Carroll's argument. He mentions the "mythic status of the custom motorcycle and the 'outlaw' biker lifestyle in American culture" (266), which embody a sense of this unattainable masculinity. While American Chopper presents somewhat of a fantasy when it comes to attaining the custom bike, it seems that hegemonic masculinity is coupled within that fantasy as well. This article got me thinking about representations of males in media and how they are held to just as high a standard as women when it comes to how they act and look. We are quick to disregard the possibility that men may feel offended by representations of their gender in society and it seems like American Chopper helps men to achieve a sense of belonging and if anything, a goal that resorts back to one of hard work rather than the theme of unrealistic expectations and entitlement.

Blue is the New Masculine

Throughout this entire course thus far, one thing I have taken note was how the idea of masculinity has changed throughout the course of history. This example of American Choppers offers a completely new way of looking at masculinity through the lense of a blue-collar worker. Before this trend in blue-collar television, I believed masculinity to be defined as a high-powered businessman in a nicely tailored suit, a white-collared man. But through the popularity of American Coppers, a new idea of masculinity has emerged. Working class identity is now linked to hard work and patriotism. Throughout this article I kept thinking about the “Its Halftime in America” Chrysler commercial. Just like the men in American Choppers and other blue-collar hard working shows, they are referencing their masculinity through the idea that American was built through the blood, sweat and hard work. These men have had to make sacrifices in order to achieve the “American Dream”. This commercial explains how for sometime now the blue-collar of Detroit have been down and out, but they are back and ready to succeed. These men and women are the backbone of the American car industry and their hard work is needed for the industry to succeed. The Teutul’s are a vivid example of how through hard work and perseverance one can come from nothing and become a celebrity.

One thing that I though was extremely interesting was the use of recovery in the show as a symbol of masculinity. While I think this at times could reinforce stereotypes of the blue-collar labor class. Drug and alcohol addiction, depression, and destructive behavior are themes of the early years for the Teutul boys. But this is just used as another way to show masculinity. “American Chopper sites individual responsibility that eschews the welfare state as the proper way to deal with addiction. The example of Senior and Paulie’s self-help situates the privatization of public life under neoliberalism at the heart of a sentimentalized masculine citizenship”.

'Friday Night Lights' and Masculinity

Hamilton Carroll discussing some very interesting points about blue-collar masculinity, how it is portrayed through a working-class lens, and why it is such a phenomena through media.  The points were really interesting, but I would like to discuss the messages discussed in this article and where else we see them in the media (frankly, I would not like to discuss/read about motorcycles anymore-HA! And because 'Friday Night Lights' is one of my favorite shows and deals with masculinity).

Football, like motorcycles, represents an authentic American identity and masculinity.  As society shows the over-paid, bad-boy athlete, or the white-male in power and part of the "1%", it is interesting to see the portrayal of working-class, patriotic, and religious culture.  Throughout the first couple seasons of 'Friday Night Lights', we see coach Eric Taylor portrayed as the ultimate masculine character.  He is like a God in this small Texas town and so is high school football.  This is exactly what we think of when authentic America comes to mind.  High school football, religion, patriotism, racial and gender relations, and tradition.  The coach and these players are not wealthy, but they are extremely well respected and powerful.  I cannot help but think that the tradition of high school football is one of the only concepts of American authenticity and identity that says you do not have to be rich to be powerful.  The ultimate portrayal of masculinity therefore, has nothing to do with money, but instead respect.

But as the seasons progress, we see this idealistic image of masculinity turn into a more realistic portrayal of masculinity and the real struggle between the private and public spheres of society.  Suddenly, Eric realizes his power is not untouchable and that vulnerability and loss of confidence leads to a loss of masculinity.  It is as if the first season sets the viewers up with an idealistic image of masculinity and authenticity and by the time the series finishes, we see a completely new portrayal of masculinity.  In this clip, we can see how Eric's wife (the private sphere) confronts him about family decisions based around his job (the public sphere).  What this clip does not show, and one of the scenes that stands out in my mind, is when the team comes to Eric's doorstep to ask him to be a coach, while his wife stands on the other side of the door inside the house and says, "I've been a coach's wife for 18 years.  It's my turn".  It is literally the confrontation between the private and public sphere.  Ultimately, Eric chooses the private sphere and follows his wife to her new job.  As "How To Make A Critically Acclaimed TV Show About Masculinity" explains, Eric realizes that he has to stop ignoring the private sphere influences and has to allow a balance between the two:  "Friday Night Lights starts off as a show about a man with a housewife and a football team, and by the third season, it would be better described as a show about a married couple tackling the world as a team, with Tammi Taylor's career getting nearly as much screen time as Eric's".


While many shows on TV are shifting their view about masculinity and we see the portrayal of different types of masculinity and what it means to be a man, there is something to be said about a plot revolved around this American authenticity and tradition.  It is authentic because it portrays many of the problems we can all relate too, and luckily, we get to see how masculinity shifts from a patriarchal stance to one surrounding equality.

Motorcycles=Masculinity?

I found this article on American Copper to be very interesting. In the time of a decrease in blue collar "traditional" masculine job it has led to a a hit to the America male psyche. Because of men's inability to prove typical norms of masculinity that comes along with physical labor, such as dominance, control and working a "man's job," resulted in the creation of alternative modes of expression. Carroll offers the symbol of the motorcycle in American Chopper as such an alternative. In addition it has come to represent a symbol of rebellion and masculinity, part of the Wild Wild West, and in times such as post-World War II.
In other forms of media the motorcycle has come to represent this as well, even if just subtly. Like in last week's episode of Pretty Little Liars, one of the main characters', Spencer, ex-boyfriends, Toby, comes riding out in the middle of the street with the helmet during the night. Although the audience cannot see his face, Spencer makes it's clear when shading her eyes, she asks to know one in particular, "Toby?" He stops and then turns his motorcycle around without saying anything. Even though this is such a seemingly small detail in this overarching show, this moment shows that Toby has the power. Another such example is seen in the more recent Batman movies. When Batman's not riding in the Batmobile, he'll hop onto his super-emasculated motorcycle, further asserting his dominance and rebellion by wearing his mask and darting in between cars to save the world. As seen by both these media examples, the motorcycle can also represent a sense of mystery, which can be used in many aspects, such as to increase the allure of a male figure. 

Who said men can't be dramatic -- Men Soaps

Carroll highlights the Men’s Soaps Automotive Television Programming and Contemporary Working-Class Masculinities and does a great job with using American Chopper as a great example. WE can immediately distinguish such working class men, being burly, chizzled, aggressive, innovative, and independent identifying with blue collar. In this clip we quickly see such working class men being defined as masculine.  As America Chopper highlight working class men and reinforce the honor and recognition working class men should have they quickly deter that by having such viewers of the soap operas create a realm of masculine interactions that add to the decoding of masculine and feminine. We see the, “Collapsing the separate spheres of public and private, work and home into pseudo-domestic world of fraternity and labor that is the OCC workshop, American Chopper relocates the franchise of masculinity.”

One of interesting the arguments Carroll presented was the counterculture going mainstream. Contradiction within the message we see of inspiring working class men to accept their occupation in society is essential just as great and cool as playing in the NBA, NFL and major leagues of Baseball. As they show a different man on television by embodying the working class man we also see the set up to have such working class men expose products such as motorcycles as a manly and popular purchase although such motorcycles they present are extremely expensive. We then see this contradiction of empowering working class men by also reminding them of their economic standing and how their goals should be centered on working to pay for such costly products. “The counterculture has gone mainstream; the motorcycle has gone from being a countercultural symbol of dissatisfaction with the traditional values.” We see a blue collared man living the financial life of the white collared business man.

Such white collared approaches do most certainly reinforce masculinity and along with whiteness it can really create a setting where such influences and effects are beyond not empowering working class men to be proud of their position in life. We see such effect in politics. Running across this quick ramification that such highlight in masculinity really draws women away and reinforces a patriarchal society.

Who Knew a Show About Motorcycles Could Represent So Much

I thought Hamilton Carroll’s article “Men’s Soaps” took a very interesting approach on analyzing the show American Chopper. I have never watched the show, but I have seen previews and I even from the few clips I have seen I thought I understood the basics of the show, but I never could have imagined someone packing as much meaning into the show as Carroll has done. What I found most interesting was the connection Carroll made between the traditional blue-collar work and white-collar work. I have always pictured anyone associated with a motorcycle to be more similar to the blue-collar sector of society. I was surprised to hear how economically successful the Teutuls and their team have been in a blue-collar job. The amount of money and profit made customizing their choppers has made them financially successful to the level (and even further) of white-collar workers.

While today I feel like bikers are more closely associated as lower class people in society, the show American Chopper contradicts this common belief. Carroll discusses the desire of various members of upper and middle class to redefine their masculinity by being rebellious and riding motorcycles. American Chopper challenges the stigma attached to bikers because they design and customize motorcycles for all different types of clients. While the show usually only shows bikes made for commercial purposes, the Teutuls design and manufacture motorcycles for all types of customers able to afford it. The show American Chopper redefines the culture of motorcycles and the work that goes behind designing a motorcycle in today’s culture.

The American Dream and a Shift in Working-Class Masculinities

I found that this article took on a very interesting perspective by analyzing American Chopper. Over the past few years, with the American economy in turmoil, we have seen a shift in TV shows reflecting this ideal of blue-collar work, and people still striving for the American Dream even when unemployment is still very high in this country. However, what this article observes is that the decline in traditional "masculine" jobs has led to a rise in insecurity in the American male psyche, and that American men are becoming increasingly marginalized in our society, so much so that its causing a "crisis to masculinity."

And I guess I honestly have to agree. While shows like American Chopper are presenting, "idealized realm of masculine interaction that reproduces traditionally coded divisions of public and private, masculine and feminine, labor and leisure while updating those divisions in the face of the corrosive pressures of the neoliberal service economy" (p. 280) we are seeing more and more, TV shows where the stereotypical masculine identity it put into question or has shifted. Reality based shows such as, Interior Therapy with Jeff Lewis, It's a Brad Brad World, or Million Dollar Listing show this similar theme of striving for the American Dream, but it's taken from a much more gender fluid and more feminist viewpoint. So I could understand where there could be questions raised about this "crisis to masculinity" that we are seeing in the media, however, I wonder if this is even a threat at all, but rather just engaging more with the spectrum of gender roles and stereotypes that our culture possesses now?