And the next celeb RIPs are..............

[Weisse Schlange]

Yup. 65yrs a MC member.

Quite the character.
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Hing Oan

[Bhud]

The BBC didn't even pen the briefest article reporting it. Strange, as they did report some kid who died from cancer because he was famous for playing Minecraft (?)

Anyway, I do like watching American movies of the 60s and 70s, and Sonny Barger was in a couple of them. Must admit though, for most of us today, if the world of motorcycling was just a tenth as exciting as how it was back then, we wouldn't have anything to do with motorcycles. In those days, it was only a certain type, it seems. Electric offroad bikes are probably today's equivalent. Anyway, I digress.

[Nobby the Bastard]

Bbc should report the death of some washed up scummer? He's hardly al copone and had none of his redeeming features.
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Sprint ST 1050

[Bhud]

Think that might be a little judgmental dude. He was the cream that rose to the top of what were the morals and environ of 1960s/1970s America. Just a guy who was willing to take it a step beyond what was accepted... To a greater or lesser degree, many people of today have a little touch left over from that era but try to keep it to themselves for fear of punishment. For better or worse, what he represented was a totally defunct system of values and mores, and I realise that, but it's the same spirit that lets that throttle rip or makes us rev unnecessarily, or run a red or whatever. That's just a fraction of a percent of what once was. A tiny fraction.

[Freddyfruitba...]

[Islander]

[Bhud]

Virtu vs vicio...

Some people (quite a lot from that generation) think that to get anything done, you can't be a good guy. Only bad guys achieve anything and get the job done. He was a celebrity though, especially on the America planet (where Hollywood is more real than real life), so I'm a bit surprised they didn't do a short piece about him.

It's just a general sense of badassery that used to be intrinsic to motorcycles. It wasn't people like you and me who were interested in riding bikes. In the old days, only callous and rough people were into bikes. It deviated considerably from the American Way. He played up to that image and built something. It was at just the right time (1960s) to ensure that bikes were considered youthful and cool.

Imagine today, some stabby youths on an estate causing mayhem for "clout". There will be some people who consider that disorder and rule-breaking is the only way to get things done in the world. The rest, who just vaguely look like them, will be considered cool. I might not even be able to a wheelie on an e-bike (never ridden one) but if the only people seen to be riding e-bikes are athletic, miscreant youths - vicious criminal teenagers, then I would have that "halo" around me if I bought one and started riding it tomorrow even though I couldn't wheelie it. Whereas one of us, if we were the sort who first bought e-bikes lawfully and started riding them around lawfully, we would probably instantly kill the coolness of e-bikes in a deft stroke. Doesn't matter what colour it was painted, or how much it was made to resemble a dirt bike. You have to be Steve McQueen or even Sonny Barger to make anything seem cool.

I guess what it comes down to is that he was notable because he didn't have any gifts from Olympus so he stole the secret of fire and did something with it. Sort of like Robin Hood, but without any regard for the poor.

[Nobby the Bastard]

Basically scummy with no redeeming features, as I said.
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Sprint ST 1050

[Islander]

[Bhud]

Your father riding motorcycles at a time (pre-WW2) when they were either a mainstream form of transport for ordinary working class men, or a sporting hobby for the very wealthy, isn't relevant.

This is how post-War motorcycling was seen (rebellious, edgy, cool, borderline criminal):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waAQd5W6Yi4

I am talking about the 1960s. The above clip is from a 1970s movie, but you can see parallels with America, in many Youtube videos.

It isn't necessary to say you're opposed to some guy's historic crimes from a different era, in another country. I know we're all normies here. Plus, we who are still into petrol motorcycles are increasingly irrelevant - I hope you realise that. We aren't considered cool and our opinions aren't important. It's a new era all over again. However, the past did actually happen and it isn't BS.

[Nobby the Bastard]

He was a cunt. Stop trying to defend the undefenable or go buy a Harley and go full on 'lifestyle'


I'll stick with telling people that I ride.a.bike rather than a biker because that's an accociation I don't want.
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Sprint ST 1050

[Islander]

[Bhud]

Nah, I just like old movies. I'm not trying to defend him - obviously, if I cared about victims of any crimes he did then I would probably hate him. However - just too far removed in space, time and culture for me to care. It's just old movies and pop culture. That's fair enough with what you're saying though. I appreciate that many people have strong feelings about what's right and wrong, and want to dissociate themselves accordingly. I think it's rather admirable to be against things like hard drugs and firearms and violence just on a matter of principle. However, for me it's just a moving picture on a screen and that's all it is, really. I'm not going to buy one of those awful bikes any time soon.

[Bhud]

[Hong Kong Phooey]

That's not a man. It's a machine. It doesn’t feel pity, or remorse, or fear, and it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead.
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'81 CG125, '97 FZS600 : '99 CBR600F4, '09 KTM RC8

[MCN]

So what are we getting at here?

Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot were simply, Poorly Understood influencers of a bygone era?



I'm going to stick to my narrow minded opinion and judge them as the Four Worst Sort of Cunts in The 20th Century. I don't count Pot as he was a cunt in his own element.
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Disclaimer: The comments above may be predicted text and not necessarily the opinion of MCN.

[hellkat]

But is his name Pot? Or Pol?
Cos I can never decide.

Was he actually Mr Pol or Mr Pot?
Or indeed Mr PolPot, kind of like MeatLoaf.
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Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[to v or not to v]

[hellkat]

So many googles, so little time.

https://i.gifer.com/JWE.gif
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Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[hellkat]

I am now ankle-deep in the Wikipedia of Pol Pot and what a LOT of interesting indochinese history there is in that one entry.

I may be some time ...
I thought I might try and read it whilst listening to The Dark Side of the Moon, maybe see how many revolutions around that I end up doing before I finish the damn entry.

But I am already distracted with thoughts of the finance guy at work when he was lecturing me on NHS financial structures.

https://i.gifer.com/3HWu.gif
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Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[Nobby the Bastard]

[hellkat]

Calm down, lad.
You're perfectly safe.
I gave up married men for Lent back in 1998
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Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[Hong Kong Phooey]

[hellkat]

Not at all.
The operative expression is "You're perfectly safe".
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Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[Hong Kong Phooey]