As a person who thinks that the bicycle is the best way to travel, I have an interest in how bicyclists are represented in popular culture. Careful observation has led me to formulate this law:
The Law of Bicycles in Popular Culture
All adult characters shown riding a bicycle for utilitarian purposes in a creative work will be depicted as either perverts, losers, or both.
Clause A: This law applies only to works set in the years from 1970 onwards.
Clause B: This law applies consistently only to American works, though foreign examples may occur.
This blog will catalog examples of The Law's validity.
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13 comments:
what about in gooney's when the big brother has to chase after them and he is met by the so-called "cool kids" in their red convertable and he ends up getting thrown over the side of the road? yes, he was a douchebag to begin with, but there's definitely an anti-bicylce message in there.
oh man, i forgot about Pee-Wee! that's huge. case in point. this blog rocks.
Yeah, I also immediately thought of Pee-Wee
oh yeah, how could I have left out Pee-Wee...
what about Butch Cassidy and Sundance? Criminals yes but definitely not perverts or losers.
Sorry, please see Clause A of The Law.
Can't leave out that loser Dupree in "You, Me, and Dupree" (http://www.youmeanddupree.com/game/) with cameo by Lance Armstrong
A notable exception to your law may be American Flyers. While the protagonists in this movie may have problems or represent the underdog, I would not consider them losers.
Also as an FYI, check out the CBF bicycle-themed film review, Roll Film!.
Thanks for the Roll Film heads-up. I haven't seen American Flyers, but isn't it about bike racing? The Law applies only to depictions of utilitarian bicycling.
check out bicycle scenes in Two for the Money
I think that part in the Goonies was not so much the big brother was riding a bicycle, but the fact that it was a little girl's bike with training wheels.
Have you seen "21"? The main character rides a bicycle and he is far from a loser. He develops and loses the bike and comes back to it in the end after learning some life lessons. Overall, I'd say that there is a positive message regarding bicycles in this film.
E.T.?
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