An under-explored aspect of motonormativity is what I call Chekhov's Bicycle. If a character is seen cycling in a TV show or film, then they will almost certainly be involved in a crash.
Comments
Log in with your Bluesky account to leave a comment
The car chase in GoldenEye where the group of cyclists were put in solely to provide a "ho ho, isn't it funny how two speeding cars cause a domino effect of cyclists falling over"
Think how important bikes were in the ET film. The classic image of ET in the bike basket as Elliot cycles along. Images of kids with freedom to move around independently.
To be fair, this isn't universal. Sometimes the bike breaks down and the rider is given a lift by a passing driver (whose car never breaks down), who goes on to murder them.
(Source - yet another Scandi cop show on Netflix, yesterday.)
Pointless portrayal, indeed. Cycling in Copenhagen daily, I rarely let go of the bars for a blissful hands-free few minutes. Yet, in debates about our crowded bike lanes, a main line of storytelling seems to be exactly that :"cyclists are insane" and "insanely irresponsible" as well as "dangerous".
I am visiting Copenhagen for the first time later this year and I am excited to see the cycling infrastructure! Interesting to know there are still debates and complaints even in a pro-cycling city.
Thing is, at certain intersections through the city centre in the morning rush, the capacity for cyclists is almost full. Pro-cycling and pro-PT signalling policies seem to be a possible way to go. Enjoy your trip.
Yes!! I’ve seen three recent films/shows where that has happened. It’s awful. I get all excited seeing a character cycling and then they die in a crash. ☹️
This is something I've also noticed a lot. One noble exception: Tommy Lee Royce in Happy Valley uses the invisibility of cyclists slip away and pedals up into the moors where he has a near-spiritual experience from the exercise and oxygen. Yet another mould broken by that magnificent series.
No he wasn't. So it is somewhat tainted, of course. My point is that it demonstrated the bicycle literally as a freedom machine, as a means of physical and mental escape.
Fully agree. The writing, the acting, the setting. An utter triumph in every respect. In fact just after it finished we headed off on a little tribute overnight mini-tour, video below – complete with TLR voice cameo!
Or more likely, then the bicycle will be used as a prop to highlight the character's weirdness and that they're basically not "normal".
Gavin & Stacey - Rob in a Strava top.
W1A and the whole Brompton thing.
Jeff Goldblum in Independence Day
Go back a few decades, and "lives on a barge in east London" (like, Surrey Quays or something) is a trope for a complete outsider, somebody who's shunned society entirely.
OTOH, Matilda (the Netflix version) used a bike as a costume prop for Miss Honey. Plus the "When I Grow Up" opening.
I agree with your point but the Brompton thing in W1A was a proper stereotype of “I build my identity around my Brompton” Londoners. It equates to ‘BMW Jacket’ type characters more than silly cyclists.
It's still outgrouping of slightly weird personality traits and they did it bicycles instead of cars.
I don't get this building of identity around bike brands anyway😉
And don’t get me started on Goldblum in Independence Day! Bike=eco warrior but then “you know how I’m always trying to save the planet?” Throws can in bin, and proceeds to save the planet the proper American way.
Another exception was the superb Viz magazine which positively portrayed Christ on a bike, defeating not only money lenders, but the Praetorian guard and Pilate himself, while pulling wheelies, giving backies to lepers and turning water into 3 in 1.
Or they are a social outsider, a misfit. If not they'll be a pious eco warrior (ref - an early episode of casualty where a cycling road club appeared to be led by an eco warrior zealot who chased down a car driver for chucking a dog-end out of his car, the car driver rammed him off later on...)
Either that or it's visual shorthand for "This person is a massive loser but we didn't want to waste two pages of exposition getting that across to you"
The character Mike in Suits gets around by bike, at least in the early seasons. It’s characterizing him as “entry level”, waiting to get far enough up the ladder for a car. (I still commuted by bike. Even in the final years of my career.)
Yes. Don’t even need to cycle. Can just show them with a bike helmet or high vis and the audience understands the wink and nod. See also “using an asthma inhaler”. It’s so lazy
even disappointingly shows up in 30 rock! One nice exception was “singles” where if I remember the cyclist character was considered by all the best dating option.
The most useless member of Slow Horses starts cycling in S2 - part of a seemingly eternal midlife crisis, and obvious, brutal, shorthand for "how much sadder can he get?"
That's interesting, I call this the 'Bikedel test'. If a person uses a bike in a film or a book it has to be used as a method of transport or for pleasure. Not as a plot service for them to have a crash/die.
I came up with this after watching City of Angels.
How the midwife who delivered me arrived at my parents house in the 50s. She been refused entry to two previous addresses on account of her colour the same evening. Imagine that, being able to insist on a white midwife...would never happen now...would it...
Counterpoint: In really bad weather, some reporter will be sent out to do an OB piece about how traffic is completely snarled up and no-one is going anywhere. In the background of the shot, someone will pedal past on a bike clearly wondering what on earth is going on.
I think this is one of those perception vs reality things. See also: “Oh sure you can commute by bike in the summer. But how will you cope when it’s raining?”
Seen the ITV4 into to shows where people try get on a near empty train & there's a Referee directing them onto the train & someone walks up to get on with a cycle instantly gets the red card & refused & directed to leave. No words so insinuates cycles not allowed on trains.
The 720s don't go there, though? Maybe the Southend line or a station between Chelmsford and London. The red brick looks like it rules out West Anglia stations.
Good point. On a bit of checking Streetview, you're spot on. Filmed on P4, the Covid 'keep your distance' markings on the ground line up here, older photos have the correct paintwork on the column beside the cyclist.
Comments
(Source - yet another Scandi cop show on Netflix, yesterday.)
And then there’s Premium Rush…
Maybe they need a content warning a la "does the dog die?"
https://youtu.be/5SSYp-V-mUU?si=6De5AXTrhzzXr4fx
Gavin & Stacey - Rob in a Strava top.
W1A and the whole Brompton thing.
Jeff Goldblum in Independence Day
I could go on, but... It's just more outgrouping
OTOH, Matilda (the Netflix version) used a bike as a costume prop for Miss Honey. Plus the "When I Grow Up" opening.
I don't get this building of identity around bike brands anyway😉
Though the guy she started riding a bike to meet ended up being into her roommate.
I came up with this after watching City of Angels.
Some people still try it on, I think. Nurses and home care workers have to put up with a lot.