Michael Sylvester wrote:
> Subject: Harley-Davidson myth?
>
> I have not met those doctors and lawyers bikers and random sampling
> of those bikers do not reveal any. So why does this myth persist? Given
there are no Hells
> Angels and Outlaws riding through,where do the Ph.D,doctors and lawyer
bikers go?
The part that's a myth is the claim that _most_ of the bikers are
professionals, right? Of course, there are _some_ who are professionals, and
I believe that the myth persists because those who are professionals are the
ones who get interviewed on local news shows when the bikers come to town.
One of the standard stories is "guy who looks like one of those dirty
bikers, but in his other life, is a well-respected professional". For some
reason, we find that story particularly entertaining, right along with
"person who grew up poor and now runs a large business" (the "Alger myth"),
"old person doing something that requires great persistence", and "child who
is now interested in carrying on a parent's work/hobby" (as in the countless
"circle of life" songs). Oh, and "kid from the inner city who becomes a
boxer and fights his way out, now returning to help kids who grew up where
he did".
The real question, then, is "what is it that gives these stories their
perennial appeal?". We've seen them all countless times (I've always thought
it would be really revealing to splice together a couple of weeks' worth of
"human interest stories" into a single tape, just to show the remarkable
repetition of just a few basic themes). I suspect that the appeal of each
story tells us something particular about who we tend to perceive ourselves
as being or wanting to be.
I also think it's worth noting that while we accuse the media of skewing
our perceptions of the world through racist and sexist portrayals of
characters, and by exploiting sex and violence for profit, these stories
reveal a more subtle and unintentional effect of media decisions on our
beliefs. For example, I personally believe that the countless
"rags-to-riches" stories are a significant contributor to the popular
perception that poverty is typically the result of laziness and immorality
("after all, look at that woman on the news last night! _She_ worked her way
out of poverty!"). The 7-Up/14-Up/21-Up etc. documentary series gives a much
more honest look at the extent of class mobility.
------------------
Incidentally, Michael, this question and especially your question about
random assignment of lab animals are among the best contributions you've
made to this list. Thanks.
Paul Smith
Alverno College
Milwaukee
