Thompson and the Angels

Thompson’s assignment to describe the actions of the Hell’s Angels for this book forced him into a strange coexistence with the outlaw gangs. Normally, the gangs hate reporters. “ ‘I don’t mind [the newspapers] calling us punks and that kind of stuff, but…Even when we pull off some really bad shit, they still get it wrong. When I read those things I don’t even recognize myself. Hell, we should probably kick your ass just for being a reporter,’”(168), one outlaw told Thompson in an interview. So why do the outlaws tolerate his presence? Thompson claims that, “…they were eager to get the ear of any journalist who might give them a boost up the status ladder,”(168). The gangs definitely want their exploits to be publicized as a means of proving their toughness, but at the same time, they don’t want to be distorted. A journalist has power over his subjects because he can twist a story any way he pleases and make his subjects appear as he wants them to. The Angels resent the very concept that a non-Angel could have this sort of power over them and that is why they hate journalists, but still are forced to tolerate journalists like Thompson who, they must assume, will paint an accurate picture of the gang.

Even more interesting is the direct relationship between Thompson and the gangs while on-location at a wild party in Bass Lake, California. This was a massive party which 200 motorcyclists planned to attend and which had the police up in arms. The locals of the area were understandably upset that the gang had chosen their region to have a wild, violent party. In this context, Thompson became useful to the Angels not only for publicity, but because he was a normal person. When the Angels needed to buy beer, they sent Thompson to the nearest store to buy it. Locals, they figured, would not react as harshly to Thompson as they would to a smelly, gruff-looking outlaw with swastikas and crosses tattooed all over him. Besides which, Thompson had a car to carry the beer. No Angel would be caught dead driving a car. This is interesting because it shows how difficult it is for the Angels to interact with normal society. They need to use intermediates, like Thompson, who are members of society but are also friendly to the Angels in order to get the supplies they need from normal society. They hate what Thompson stands for, and yet they could not have had their wild party without him.