Harley Davidson - Rituals and stereotypes.

Rituals and stereotypes both apply to the Harley Davidson topic. 

Regarding rituals, the Harley Davidson museum has a special exhibit from June 14 to September 1, 2014: “The American Road.” It shows the importance of the road trip as an American ritual. The American road trip ritual began in the 1930s, when the roadway provided Americans an escape from their everyday lives. Although the gas crisis of the 1970s ended, “the Golden Age,” this ritual is still a basic American experience. Over 500,000 Harley Davidson motorcyclists make an annual road trip ritual to Sturgis, South Dakota, as a commitment to Harley ownership.

Regarding stereotypes, traditionally, Harley Davidson owners were viewed in a stereotypical manner. They were perceived as wearing no helmets, black leather or denim clothing, bandanas, and dark glasses. They put the Harley Davidson logo on nearly everything. Their motorcycle tailpipes were as noisy as they could get away with, and throttle blipping at red lights was mandatory. The bar/restaurant was the preferred travel destination. However, in 2012, Harley Davidson initiated an ad campaign to dispel this stereotype and show that people from all walks of life own Harley motorcycles. This video can be viewed at www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnI_HgcE5ss .

I learned that a group ritual such as the Harley’s Sturgis yearly road trip can express a group’s loyalty and commitment to the community of Harley owners. I also learned that stereotypical images, such as the Harley owner image, tend to be negative.