Kurt Sutter often refers to the story of Sons of Anarchy and its characters as a mythology. That’s pretty appropriate considering the impact the events of the show have had on its fans. When new episodes would air during the show’s run, Twitter would fill up with phrases like “Dammit Gemma!”, “The Irish!” and “#SAMCRO,” words that probably meant absolutely nothing to anyone else. But if you were one of those watching the series, you probably felt like you were a part of something bigger than a TV show.
We may not all ride Harleys or have cuts with the reaper on our backs – even though you can still buy one from the online store – but there are still subtle ways for fans to show their appreciation for the series in their everyday actions.
So here’s a list of ways to know that you’re around a Sons of Anarchy fan. You may already do some of these things yourself or start to notice fellow members everywhere now that you know what to look for.
They always think everyone is working with the Irish.
Throughout the entirety of Sons of Anarchy, the most constant threat didn’t come from rival gangs, drug cartels or even the police. It was the members of the IRA who were constantly going back and forth between being the club’s business partner and enemy seemingly every season.
They’re the people that hold up the line to back into their parking spots.
The next time you go to the grocery store, look for the cars that went out of their way to back into a spot instead of pulling in like most shoppers. One of the early lessons Sons of Anarchy taught us was to take the time to back in so you could leave quickly if need be. Quick get-aways are a pretty important part of life when you’re a criminal.
They get really nervous when someone wants to arrange a meeting.
When five people would walk into a meeting on Sons of Anarchy there was no telling how many would walk out. It could be anywhere from no one to twice as many people than went in because half were hiding behind bales of hay with assault rifles.
They don’t see anything wrong with wearing baggy jeans, a loose flannel shirt buttoned all the way up and fresh Air Force Ones in 2015.
Said flannel shirt can also be substituted for a plain white T-shirt. One thing you can’t take away from Jax is that he always had a fresh pair of ones on. Sure, he dressed like an extra from a 2007 hip-hop music video. But it worked for him.
You hear someone mumble “all alone” when you sing the phrase, “Riding through this world…”
There are only a few theme songs that can spark an ensemble rendition after saying the first few words. Sons of Anarchy has joined the ranks of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Golden Girls, and Growing Pains. Just as a test, walk around randomly singing the first few words to people. If they don’t stare at you like you’re some weirdo at the mall singing to strangers, you’ve found SAMCRO fam.
They have a deep-seeded fear of lead pipes.
If you know, you’re probably still not over it. If you don’t, you will soon enough and should know that we’re here for you.
They always have a fresh haircut to show off the fresh tattoos on their heads.
Juice’s trademark tattoos were one of the most recognizable elements of the show. It was even how Theo Rossi’s name was introduced in the opening credits. Let’s just hope not too many people looked to them as inspiration to do the same.
They say “Jesus Christ” every five minutes.
Just look at the video and remember that that’s only from one season. Sure, they were technically on basic cable and couldn’t curse too much, but come on. It also didn’t help that Jax often said it in an off-British accent.
They’re always talking about “going legit.”
There’s some room for debate on whether going into the porn industry can be considered going “legit.” But then again, compared to selling guns to gangs, it’s practically being a Boy Scout.
They take who sits where at the dinner table way too seriously.
SAMCRO had a president, vice president, sergeant-at-arms and secretary. And they all had specific seats at the table whenever they met for church. But Denny’s isn’t church. It’s Denny’s.