SutterInk

SEASON 6 VIEWERSHIP CHALLENGE

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 30 Aug 2013 19:39:00 +0000

Hey Kids, as a reminder --

If we increase our SONS OF ANARCHY season 6 premier numbers by any percentage in the key demos, myself and some unwilling cast member will show up in your home town and take over your favorite bar, club or theatre and watch a season 6 Son's episode with you, your friends and your highly dysfunctional family.

(It will most likely be episode 610, 611 or 612. We can't do the the finale because we are doing SOA AFTERWORD that night.)

We will come baring gifts, good cheer and basically disrupt your neighborhood and piss off all your neighbors. Fuck those neighbors, I hate those shitheads anyhow. With their stupid fucking non-permitted construction and their ugly faux stone wall and their ridiculous fucking purple pool... (sorry, I'm working out some local shit)

My plan is to tape the whole event for some awesome Season 6 DVD bonus material.

The winner will be chosen at random from social media. Anyone following my Twitter @sutterink or my Sutterink Facecock page will be eligible. Sorry, international fans, this one is limited to residents of these United States.

So please spread the word.

Sons of Anarchy Season 6 premier
SEPTEMBER 10TH
10 PM ON FX

It promises to be the most memorable season premier to date.

POP GUNS

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 16:19:00 +0000

This is the article I wrote for Variety's special issue on violence in the media.

(In the spirit of outlaws, I stole the above image from another blog.)

I live in two worlds. The right wing, gun-toting, meat-eating, Harley-riding, racist, homophobic, masochistic fantasy dynasty, that is SOA. And the centrist-liberal, anti-gun, vegan, Tesla-driving, gay-priding, civil-minded, pro-choice existence, that is my personal life. I often struggle with how much of each spills into the other. For Sons of Anarchy, I struggle with not letting my personal politics pollute my creative choices. The same way I clash with how my creative choices often rub hard against who I am as a person. I am very aware that SOA is an imaginary world. That’s why I lean so heavily on the absurdist quality in the show. The pulp nature of the violence keeps me in the creative arena of fantasy. I might as well be writing about wizards and fairies. Although I infuse my characters with my dreams, desires, defects and defenses, they do not share my outlook on life.

The awareness of my professional duality always becomes heightened and challenged in the face of gun violence and tragedy. I write a brutal show about guns, death and violence. Because of that, I have to take stock of my responsibility as an artist and understand my impact on the viewers. Self-awareness is a bitch. It requires humility, openness and the willingness to change. It is absolutely necessary for growth, individually and collectively.

When the NRA broke their weeklong silence about the tragedy in Newton, and placed the blame on Hollywood, my immediate reaction was stunned rage. Really? This is how you take responsibility? This is how you help heal the wounds? It was reckless and absurd. But I didn’t tweet or blog about it, I did something I often have trouble doing, I paused. I realized that the NRA’s response was a tactic. A familiar tactic. By creating another conflict, Guns vs. Media, the gun machine continues to distract from the real issue, Gun Reform. So rather than retaliate, I think it’s imperative to stick to the quest for a solution. The NRA is not the bad guy, but they need to cooperate in our need to end the violence to be a good guy.

What is the solution? I don’t know. No one does. Yet. Many people have spoken up about the desperate need for reform. From Obama to Howard Stern, folks have shared their sympathy and hope for change. The promising thing, and perhaps the only real different message that has landed, is the awareness that there is not just one thing responsible for the carnage. It’s not just gun laws or bad parenting or our mental health care system. It’s all those things and more. The truth is, as our world grows exponentially, so do our problems. Evil always manages to adapt, re-invent, circumvent and find new and extraordinary ways to rip out our hearts. Good needs to follow the same path. It’s time for our solutions to get off the linear track. We cannot save ourselves working in the same sick box.

As far as my own responsibility in the Newton tragedy -- I made a comment after the shooting in Aurora, which I still believe to be true: “Man's inhumanity to man is as old as humanity itself. Some people just do evil things. Most do not. A billion people have seen Batman movies over the past 20 years, and they have been entertained and inspired. One man saw it as a sick entry point for mass murder. The one is tragic. The billion are not. I choose to write for the billion."

Having said that, if in this three-dimensional quest for reform, empirical data surfaces which proves that the violence in Sons of Anarchy is responsible for an uptick in violent acts, I would be forced to amend my current philosophy and take responsibility for the impact of my art. Until then, I’ll keep writing about wizards, fairies and bikers. And if need be, I’ll bite off my own tongue.

SEASON 5 PREMIER CHALLENGE (UPDATED)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 14:42:00 +0000

UPDATE:

I guess folks are confused about the parameters of the challenge. It's not a contest where you need to enter anything. Like last year, the challenge is to spread the word about the SOA premier on 9/11, then if we get the uptick, I choose 4 fans to join us for the celebration. Last year, I chose winners based on seniority and substantial contribution. This year it'll be more of a lottery. I'll take all my followers on Twitter (I'm assuming most people that follow on Facebook, YouTube and this blog also follow on Twitter... if not, follow now) then I'll pick four random numbers from 1 to whatever my total followers are on that day. The first four US-based names will win. I'll do what I did last year and also chose four random international winners and send them swag baskets.

I'm doing it again bitches. Can you make my motherfucking dreams come true and party with the SONS like it's 1967?

With every passing season, more and more fans are watching Sons off their DVR and other devices. Such is the future of television. SOA had a huge jump when the show caught fire between seasons one and two. We grew almost 90%, which was fucking crazy. It settled back down the next season; we only had a marginal bump between seasons two and three and then we upticked in season four to become the MOST WATCHED show ever on FX. You know I'm still semi-erect about that shit.

I know how unlikely it is to beat those numbers. Shows begin to lose viewers in later seasons and with more and more people watching the show through, you know... questionable means, it's hard to get people in front of a television these days. Destination TV is becoming a thing of the past. Especially if you have a Nielsen box in your homes.

So in SEASON FIVE the challenge is simple: ANY PERCENTAGE of a bump in 18-49 or household viewers and I pick... let's say FOUR viewers to come to Los Angeles and watch an episode of SOA with me, the cast and a few of my closest birds. We'll fly you out, put you up and turn you on. We'll also include your visit in the season 5 DVD additional content FAN APPRECIATION CHALLENGE.

So pass it on to the cyber-universe and all orbiting bodies with Nielsen boxes -- watch September 11th.

That's right, 9/11 bitches -- we're gonna blow some shit up... too soon?

I love you.

SOA SEASON 5 TEASER #1 - DEAR BROTHER

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 01:17:00 +0000

BEFORE THE ANARCHY TEASER

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 23:43:00 +0000

Just a tease of what's to come. Begins next week.

How Fox News is Killing the Republican Party And Other Things I Have No Business Talking About.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 06:30:00 +0000

John 8:32: “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

This was going to be my next GQ Anarchy Diaries Blog, but I decided that it be best if I didn’t run it through their site and kept it free of the show.

I love what I do and I work very hard to deliver a good product. I get tremendous satisfaction every time I complete an episode. But beyond the creative and financial reward, I also look at my job as service. SOA employs hundred of people and we entertain millions. That’s the real payday for me. In it’s that vein of service that I deliver this blog. What follows is a controlled diatribe about an issue that’s been chewing away at me for years now. And I know my half-bright assertions will hardly have an impact, but it’s something I need to unload.

Just a warning, if you're a grizzly mom who loves Sons of Anarchy, you may wanna have a cocktail before you read on.

My angst was triggered recently when I heard an NPR show discussing the dangers of spin and fact fabrication. They quoted a recent survey that showed over 60% of Republicans still believe Barack Obama isn’t a US citizen and that some 40% think Bill Clinton was responsible for 911. I listened as both left and right commentators discussed the fallout of our current state of misinformation. I dwelled on this for the remainder of my traffic-snarled, 405 clusterfuck commute. It really struck a personal chord in me.

As you all know, I’m constantly berating cuntbloggers for wrapping a story in manipulated, singular stands of truth. It’s all about the headline and the site hits. Journalism and truth are no longer goals or guidelines. For me, the impact is a biased reputation: I’m perceived as an arrogant, defiant, hotheaded, foul-mouthed hater. Now, I’m not saying that I don’t possess those qualities, surely I do. But if the lazy cunts perpetuating that image actually read the lion-share of my social media -- tweets, blogs, vids, interviews, etc. -- they’d see that I’m actually a few shades lighter and dare I say, maybe a bit more complex.

Now I know my little social media freakshow is minutia compared to the bigger issue that my title suggests. But I lead with it as context. Because a much larger, more dangerous version of this is happening in this country. We have a major political party that is slowly retarding because of the onslaught of misinformation. The stutter-step has nothing to do with intelligence; surveys suggest conservatives are better educated and have a higher IQ than liberals. Republicans are falling behind because they are starving for truth. Wisdom feeds on empirical data; facts propel us into the next right action. But regrettably, the most prominent source of news for Republicans no longer recognizes truth. Whatsoever.

I respect journalists tremendously and I know Fox News probably employs some brilliant men and women. But not unlike the cuntbloggers that beleaguer me, Fox New’s agenda has clearly become more important than the truth. Opinions are good -- right, left, center, we all have them and passionate points of view fuel discussion that moves issues forward. But that discussion only works if opinions are based on truth. There can be nothing subjective about empirical data. Truth is truth.

Over time, Fox New has adopted a philosophy that only uses empirical data when it supports their agenda. If it doesn’t, the truth is either manipulated, ignored, or blatantly turned inside out to represent something it’s not. And yet the result of this shell game continues to bring viewers to the channel. Why? The same reason the choir fills up to hear their favorite preacher. It gives them comfort to think that what they believe is always right. It’s easier, it’s highly consumable and at the end of a hard day’s work, it doesn’t require the energy of examination.

Unfortunately, I believe this fast-food unformation is already backfiring on the Republican Party. The adage “the truth will set you free” is not only a biblical lesson; it’s the core need of our human nature. We need truth to evolve. It’s the basic building block in all our relationships -- with God, spouses, children, friends, employers, everyone. Without honesty we die inside. We can exist in nontruth, but we cannot grow. Now that might sound like ethereal, psychobabble bullshit, but it’s not. It’s pretty fucking simple. Lies kill us.

FYI: That’s what Sons of Anarchy is all about.

Fox News is not only preaching to the lowest common denominator, they are in fact, creating it. And the peers of its viewers, who chose to get their news from other sources, are passing them by as they slide backwards in comforting ignorance.

Now I know every news source has an agenda. MSNBC and CNN are seen as liberal media. And I guess that’s true, they do lean left. But there is nothing wrong with a slant -- liberal or conservative -- as long as you’re leaning on fact. MSNBC and CNN don’t twist empirical data the way Fox News does. They, at least presently, still lead with truth before they lay their sway.

I’m pretty certain that Republicans didn’t ask for Fox News. But they have obviously embraced and supported it’s point-of-view. So now, the two are intrinsically tied. Hannity, O’Reilly and their ilk are seen as the media extensions of the RNC. And although we are now seeing a portion of the conservative base try to distance themselves from this nearly-absurd bias, the damage is already done. And getting the rising tide of the rhetorical buzzfest to recede will be a hard-pressed task. Obama’s re-election in 2012 will begin to paint a very clear picture of this. The president will win significantly because any potential voters who are on the fence -- the ones that determine victories -- will fall into his camp. Why? Because no one believes the Republican message.

I realize this is potentially a damaging blog post for me. I work for Fox and I know a large percentage of my SOA audience are middle-America conservatives who watch Fox News. They get very upset when “tattooed TV boy” goes political. But I take the risk because I’m truly worried for these people, who do indeed represent the core of our country. I respect their opinions and their philosophical beliefs. I just want them to be treated fairly. I’m tired of them being lied to night after night, issue after issue. The breaking point is near and it's gonna be fucking messy.

Yes, you can dismiss me as a rich, manipulative, loud-mouthed Hollywood elitist. But the truth is, there’s a much louder, much richer, much more manipulative Hollywood elitist you should be dismissing. And you’re watching the “fair & balanced” broadcast at five and eleven every night.

GQ BLOG: Kurt Sutter's Anarchy Diaries: 504 -- We Are TV Family

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 14:40:00 +0000

We began shooting episode 501. It feels all new and all familiar. I sat at that table during the first read-through and looked at the faces. It's fascinating watching the cast members grow over the years. I notice the shift in energies, personalities, and relationships. Some folks have embraced the flow of the show and have taken the success in stride; some, not so much.

Charlie Hunnam, not unlike his character, has matured into a strong, gracious leader. Early on, I think Charlie struggled with the concept of being number one on the call sheet. The attention and that identity made him uncomfortable. Now, he owns it. He is the president. He sets the tone for the rest of the cast. He shows up early, comes prepared, and gives more than he receives. In Charlie's own words, he's come halfway to meet Jax. Meaning, he's dug deep to tap into his primal, outlaw nature and keeps that accessible. As "actory" as that may sound, I know the work that entails and the struggle it presents. "Being raw" is not something that is easily turned on and off. It's that struggle that separates performers from actors.

TV is littered with performers.

My wife, Katey Sagal, has transformed herself from a sitcom cartoon to a dramatic powerhouse. I've taken her to some very dark places as Gemma and she continues to dive, balls first, into whatever comes her way. I knew the chops that Katey had before we started this project together, but she continues to surprise me with the depth and nuance she adds to Gemma Teller. It's a sensitive, sometimes difficult situation for Katey. She loves being part of an ensemble, loves her cast members, but yet, she's married to the boss. So understandably, there's a bit of distance that people put between themselves and her. Most days it's a non-issue and she navigates it with grace, but I know sometimes she feels that separateness.

Ron Perlman probably enjoys his character more than any other actor. He'd play golf with Clay if he could. He wears Clay Morrow like a tailor-made sharkskin suit. He's almost as much fun to write for as he is to watch.

Sweet Maggie Siff brings to Tara Knowles a complexity and sensitivity matched only by her own. More so than any other actor, I use Maggie's personal traits to inform my choices for Tara. I'm sure that happens with all actors and writers on long-running shows, but it still fascinates me every season that often Maggie's concerns about Tara parallel Tara's emotional life. I've said this before, but the character of Tara is often the most difficult to write. Tara is the bridge between the civilian world and the outlaw world. Often adopting the point of view of the audience--wondering why she's falling in love with men that do such bad things. Her opinions and feelings ping-pong back and forth across the emotional table. Sometimes her arc feels like a runaway train. Fortunately, in the hands of Maggie, that runaway train is always real and fascinating to watch.

I love all my guys, Boone, Kim, Ryan, Tommy, Theo, DL, Dayton... I could spend pages talking about every one of them. But I think you get the point, I'm grateful and aware of what a tremendous cast I have. We've become a big artistic, dysfunctional, outlaw family. And whether they like it or not, I'm your daddy.

As we break episode seven and eight, I'm very aware that this is a different kind of season of Sons. Yes, there are large thematic and serialized arcs. Yes, there are new antagonists and allies. Yes, there are high stakes and testosterone driven narratives. But for the first time, intentionally so, I've not locked down my endgame. I'm letting the season unfold, seeing where relationships and emotional lives lead us. Basically, my grip is looser. I'm trusting my writers, my directors, and my creative team much more. Not unlike my personal life, I've realized that my obsessive need for absolute control ultimately leads to absolute stagnation and ultimately, remorse.

Unfortunately for the interweb, my life, my struggles as an artist are an open fucking book. This is the "Rolling with the Cunts" chapter.

GQ BLOG: Kurt Sutter's Anarchy Diaries: 503 - The Emmys. Don't Ask. Don't Tell.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 01 May 2012 20:13:00 +0000

I love my job. Truly, I do. I know how lucky I am. I think it was Warren Beatty who said (and I'm badly paraphrasing), "Success is having a job that pays you a lot of money, that you would gladly do for free." I feel that way.

Most days.

This is my favorite time of the season. My hours are split between the writers' room, gearing up production, and writing. I'm a writer who loves to write. I know that sounds obvious but you'd be surprised how many writers actually hate writing. Not me. Being alone with a white board, a computer and the voices in my head is fucking nirvana. And not the part where he puts the shotgun in his mouth. That comes later. Right now, I'm happy, relaxed, invigorated and grateful.

Then it happens. The shotgun in my mouth. Emmy Award season. For people like Terence Winter, Matt Weiner, Vince Gilligan, gearing up for the Emmys must be a very satisfying time of year. Recognition of your peers for all the hard work. The process leading up to the awards is time-consuming and tedious, but at least these guys know, at the end of the day, it'll all be worth it. History has played that out.

For me, award season continuously just feels like an angry kick in the scrotum.

I know I shouldn't give a shit. It ain't about the prize; it's about the work. The fans are the ones who determine our success. Logically, I know all of that. I enter the award season detached and philosophical, but after a few months of engaging in the build up, that distance gets washed away and I'm neck-deep in expectation and self-righteousness. I always end up broken and bloody the morning the nominations are read.

From season two of The Shield to season five of SOA, that expectation and disappointment has rubbed me raw. Say what you want about Sons not being Emmy worthy. You're probably right. But there is no way you can say the last two seasons of The Shield were not as good or better than any drama on television.

So why no Emmy love?

Simple. People didn't vote for us.

Why?

The supporters (fans, network, my wife) give me a laundry list of reasons. All logical and ego-soothing.

The haters (cunt bloggers) say it's because the show sucks.
My guess is both camps harbor some truth.

What do I say?

Really. Haven't I said enough?

Yes. I have.

I'm exhausted by my own obsession for recognition. It goes deeper than just pride and ego. I'm sure it's some kind of daddy-thing I haven't had the courage to dig into. Who knows? But it's just scabbed me over. I can't do the dance anymore -- the submissions, interviews, panels, photo-shoots, predictions, polls, post-mortem snubs -- Fuck me, I'm done.

This season and hopefully for the rest of the run of Sons of Anarchy, I say nothing about any award. Other than, "thank you," "good luck," and "congratulations".

And to clean it all up before I put it away:

I apologize to academy members (of every age) for the bombastic comments I've made in the past. I apologize to my cast, crew, studio and network if my arrogant reaction to snubs has embarrassed them or impeded their chances for recognition.

This blog will be my last comment on the Emmys. And yes, I can hear the snarky comments echoing through cyberspace as I type that statement. And they'd be correct to assume that me keeping quiet is a great idea in theory, but difficult to implement. So time (and all the cunt bloggers) will be the judge.

You can say many bad things about me and they'd all be true -- I'm arrogant, abrasive, narcissistic, juvenile, over-sensitive. But I'm also a man who lives in a perpetual state of change. I have no choice. There is no stasis. If I'm not moving forward, I'm sliding back. And behind me there is only wreckage and remorse.

In front of me there is only opportunity.

I may be a dick, but I'm a dick in progress.

FOD'S "GRANDSONS OF ANARCHY"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:37:00 +0000

Grandsons of Anarchy from Kurt Sutter

OUTLAW EMPIRES

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:32:00 +0000

GQ BLOG: Kurt Sutter's Anarchy Diaries: 502 - Please Don't Say That...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 22:16:00 +0000

So as I was working on my draft of episode 502, I flew out to NYC for the network "upfronts." These are traditionally a big dog and pony show where a network parades the talent in front of advertisers and affiliates. FX does a much hipper, scaled-down version at a bowling alley. As much as I struggle with crowds, it's always a fun night. I've been in this family for over ten years now and it's really cool watching the network grow and flourish. I'm really happy for Landgraf and his team. And that's not just me sucking up to my boss. I actually mean this. Hey, I don't like many people wearing suits, so let me enjoy this one.

It's also at this event where I begin the process of talking to TV reporters about the upcoming season. I have such a love-hate relationship with the TV media. I'm the dick who desperately wants to be noticed and interviewed while at the same time bemoaning the inconvenience and intrusiveness. (The only thing worse than false humility is false humanity.) I'm very aware of the value of the media and how they help keep the show alive, but I also hate the invasiveness of spoilers and the gossip component. The season doesn't premier for another six months and already I'm answering questions about how Season 5 will end. It always turns me around a bit.

It's in this process that I'm also reminded of my responsibility as the voice of the show. Meaning, that the things I say and do, because of my "created by" association with Sons, directly impact the show. I can no longer just "vent" with impunity.

Twitter is one thing. If some cunt wants to spin a story on a single, absurd 140 character tweet, that's their desperate prerogative.

But the blog, where I'm able to formulate ideas and present an argument—I now need to think twice before I vomit my bombastic subjectivism in this forum. As a result, I continue to struggle with topics and ideas for this blog and my own personal blog. That problem in itself suggests who I am as a person—clearly, I feel most alive and creatively stimulated when I'm in the state of self-righteous agitation.

I constantly self-edit these days. Just this week alone I kyboshed three ideas for this post. I started writing about my disdain of episodic reviews by cunt bloggers, but killed it because I realized it would look like sour grapes and ultimately create reviewer vengeance that could hurt the show. I started one about Charlie Collier's fluffy THR interview, but killed that because it made me look like an envious bitch (which is probably true). I started one about the flawed broadcast network development process, but killed that one because the truth is—I've never developed a show on a broadcast network, so it was all second-hand fact and bitter speculation.

Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, things I say about TV these days carries weight. Me qualifying with, "This is just my opinion," doesn't allow me the freedom from scrutinized feedback. People don't give a shit if it's just opinion, they'll spit it back at me and the rest of the entertainment community, as ungrateful fact. So for self-preservation, self-editing has become necessary. In the big picture, I'm not whining about any of this. I'm a guy in need of a little self-editing and clearly I still say and do shit that gets me in trouble. So, I'm not complaining about the scrutiny, I guess I'm just adjusting out loud.

I had a funny conversation with Glenn Howerton of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia at the upfronts. We were bemoaning the lack of the balls in our business. And he was complimenting me on my ability to generally not give a fuck about whom I piss off. He said he expects all my blogs and tweets to be signed off with, "Goodbye, Hollywood..."

Anyway. 502. I finished it. I get notes today. I don't think it sucks. But I guess I'll have to wait until September for the thickly-bullshit-detrimental-invasive-episodic-cunt-bloggers to tell me if it's any good.
Goodbye Hollywood...

BIO:

Kurt barely graduated high school, had the lowest SAT's in his class and went to the only state college that would take him. A fucked-up home, childhood obesity, food/drug addiction, and relentless television watching all contributed to his absurd, insular world of violent fantasies and sexual dreams. He hardly reads books, he plays a fuckload of games, and his only marketable skill is his imagination. If he respects you, he'd gladly take a bullet for you. If he doesn't, he may very well be holding the gun.

Professionally, this shit is happening: He signed a three-year deal with FX and 20th Century to continue running Sons of Anarchy and develop new projects. He ventures into reality programming this year with a new documentary series set up at the Discovery Channel, called Kurt Sutter's Outlaw Empires. Along with his TV work, he has feature projects in development at MGM, Sony, and Warner Bros. His script, Southpaw, written as a starring vehicle for Eminem, has Antoine Fuqua attached to direct and will probably never get made.

The thing that makes Sutter remotely human and considerably happy is his family—his wife, Katey and their three kids, Sarah, Jackson and Esme'.

Kurt's latest passion is birds. No one has the courage to ask why.

GQ BLOG: Kurt Sutter's Anarchy Diaries: 501 - The Beginning of a New Season

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 15:28:00 +0000

BECAUSE I'M TOO FUCKING LAZY TO DO AN ADDITIONAL BLOG, I'LL POST MY GQ ENTRIES HERE.

I always experience this odd disconnect when I come back to the show. It's an out of body experience—where it all feels familiar, yet it all feels very far away. I think the rhythm of my job gets moving so quickly and so intensely that when I slow down and unplug anything other than a chaotic pace feels off. So to "ease back into it" just feels fucking weird.

A little insight into me.
You may have already picked up on this already, but I'm a guy who has problems with moderation. All or nothing. Binge and purge. Kill or be killed. Gray is not a color I wear well. I should be dead. I know that. I should not be successful. I know that too. My daily existence is a toss of the coin—one side, fear, the other side, gratitude. I flip that coin all fucking daylong. As a result, I navigate through the world with the excitement and determination of a child. That's why I'm an artist. I'd die without an outlet for expression. Unfortunately, more often than not, that childlike energy is the maturity level I bring to many circumstances. More on this as we get to know each other better. This is Gentlemen's Quarterly, so I'm not gonna let you fuck me on the first date.

Now, back to the show.
So I just turned in the first draft of the season five premiere of Sons of Anarchy, entitled, Sovereign. The studio and network cancelled the notes call because they had none. That's a message that's music to a showrunner's ears. No notes, is good notes. I will say that both Fox 21 and FX are very respectful of my process and have placed a lot of trust in my ability to deliver this show. Most of my notes are really questions. Not so much, "Don't do that!" but "Why are you doing that?" It's about making sure we're all on the same page. I've said this before, but it's true, I value their input. John Landgraf, the president of FX, is a very story-savvy dude. His notes are usually well thought out and more often than not, help the episode. Sometimes my sense of the violent and the absurd will cross the line. I tell the story of a feature script of mine, Delivering Gen, to illustrate this point. In that script a baby's life is in mortal jeopardy like twenty fucking times. Literally, I almost kill an infant every other page. When we went wide with the script, there were several Parental Advocacy Groups who took exception and pointed that out. I was clueless. Not just to the level of near infanticide, but to the fact that was even a bad thing. Being a father has changed that perspective. Clearly, I'm a guy who needs someone with a better grip of reality looking over his shoulder. My writers and the network provide that service. Considering the level of violence in my show, you can only imagine the shit we didn't do.

So now I'm about six weeks into the season and I'm finally finding the groove. We've broken the first four episodes. Drafts of 503 and 504 are being written and I begin my draft of 502 today. It's like the workload almost has to reach a certain pace for me to recognize my position.

I'm just a Thurber character.
Although it always feels different every season, my wife informs me that I experience the same thing every year. I'm lost and then suddenly when I'm overburdened, I'm found. I have to believe her. Katey knows me better than I know myself. She refers to me as her "Twisted Walter Mitty." I'm often a million miles away, lost in a daydream, where terrible things are happening to innocent people.

One time, during a car ride where I was supposed to be paying attention to something important Katey was telling me, she realized I had "gone away." She asked me where I was and what I was thinking about. I deflected and feigned interest in whatever the fuck she was talking about. She called bullshit and after some prodding I told her where my mind had taken me:
I was in the basement of an old house in Jersey, where an obese, mentally challenged teen was vaginally raping the corpse of his dead mother with a forearm he just chewed off his nearly-dead, thin older brother. It wasn't the story as much as my emotional connection to the characters that unnerved her. Katey no longer asks me where I am. She just says, "Let me know when you're back."

I'm back.

DOUCHEBAGGERY IS THE GREATEST HUMBLER

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 04:25:00 +0000

Recently, Chuck Zito's lawsuit against FX was dismissed. We proved that there was absolutely no connection between SOA and the show that Chuck pitched four years prior.

My blog rant against Zito back in season two came at a time of heightened job stress and intense scrutiny. It was a vicious, arrogant response (I took down the blog, my reasons here). I can list all the pathetic reasons why I wrote it, but that doesn't matter. The fact is I said some incredibly inflammatory and hurtful shit about a guy I never met or even talked to. When I sat in the deposition for the case and watched Chuck's reaction to my testimony, I realized that this was a guy who sincerely thought he was wronged. He wasn't some dick trying to squeeze Fox or fuck me over. He truly believed he was owed recompense. I knew legally he had no case, but personally, I came out that depo feeling really shitty about myself.

I knew Chuck would have the option to appeal, so I had my lawyer arrange a lunch before that process began. What I wanted to say to Chuck couldn't happen with litigation pending. Chuck agreed. He actually showed up to lunch wearing an SOA cut (it was the one I gave Charlie Sheen. Chuck and Charlie are friends). When I saw the cut I knew it was either a really good thing or a really bad thing. It was good. He wore it to let me know that he was a huge fan of the show. With the eminent threat of death removed I was able to sit down with Chuck and apologize for the blog. Man to man. He was gracious and accepted. Turns out we have a lot of mutual friends in and around the outlaw world. He knows most of the guys in the 81 who I ride with and use as advisers. We shared a meal, he told me some amazing stories and we buried the hatchet. As I suspected, he's a very sweet guy.

I also told Chuck that it would be great to get him on Sons. I'd love for him to play a bad ass Nomad from NYC. Add a little Sinatra bling to the table. Details are still being worked out, but I think that's going to happen. I'll keep you posted.

The main point of this entry, as is all my blogs, is to document this journey. I'm sure I'll continue to say and do shit that almost gets me fired or killed; that's just part of my cuntish charm. But I'm also a guy who cleans up his shit. I have to. I'd drown in fecal swells.

SEASON 5 UPDATE

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 05:33:00 +0000

I've turned into such a lazy fucking blogger. Really, Twitter is like the fast food of social media. I never want to sit down and eat a good blog anymore. I'm turning into the rest of the loser hackycunts who write blogs about television.

Season 5... fuck me, season 5. Really? How did that happen? Wow. Seems like only yesterday that all the fucking critics were saying we were just The Soprano's on motorcycles and that we'd never last.

Anyway, writer's room is in full swing. Big arcs loosely broken. New characters loosely defined. 501 on the board. We'll finish beating it out tomorrow and I'll start writing this weekend. My hope is to have four scripts completed before we begin production. All my actors' options have been picked up, so everyone is scheduled to begin work mid-May. Right now we have four new major characters for season 5. One is Damon Pope, who's daughter Tig killed at the end of season 4. The other three characters... well, I'll tell you this much. One wears a patch we've never seen. One is hard, curvy and very sexy. One packs a platinum .45 with a walrus tusk handle, he's incredibly dangerous, but really, he just wants to be loved. Vague enough?

I'll gear up WTFsutter again next week. Hang in there, kids. More shit to keep you amused on the way.

PALEYFEST... I GOT TICKETS, BITCHES.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:11:00 +0000

Sons of Anarchy has been invited to the Paleyfest this season. Normally, I avoid anything that contains the suffix, "fest", but this one is an exception. Here's some info from their website --

Mission

The Paley Center for Media, with locations in New York and Los Angeles, leads the discussion about the cultural, creative, and social significance of television, radio, and emerging platforms for the professional community and media-interested public. Drawing upon its curatorial expertise, an international collection, and close relationships with the leaders of the media community, the Paley Center examines the intersections between media and society. The general public can access the collection and participate in programs that explore and celebrate the creativity, the innovations, the personalities, and the leaders who are shaping media. Through the global programs of its Media Council and International Council, the Paley Center also serves as a neutral setting where media professionals can engage in discussion and debate about the evolving media landscape. Previously known as The Museum of Television & Radio, the Paley Center was founded in 1975 by William S. Paley, a pioneering innovator in the industry.

Events

Throughout the year, The Paley Center for Media hosts discussions with influential newsmakers, journalists, and world leaders on today's important issues. The Paley Center also celebrates excellence in drama, comedy, and documentary film with a range of events that examine the creative process behind great entertainment.

The William S. Paley Television Festival: PaleyFest

Named for William S. Paley, founder of CBS and the Paley Center, this annual Festival began in 1984 to celebrate the collaborative creativity behind making great entertainment content. In connecting media enthusiasts with individuals who bring to life outstanding programming, PaleyFest creates an extraordinary interactive pop culture event.

On Wednesday, March 7th, 7pm, at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, myself and the cast will do a panel for the very reputable Paley Center. Why us? I haven't figured that out yet and I'm hoping they don't think on it too hard.

You can purchase tickets here -- SOA TIX

If you can't afford tickets, have no fear, I purchased 10 tickets on my own dime and I will give them to the first ten fans who tweet "Give me my ticket, bitch" on 2/22/12 at 2:22pm. Here's the qualification, you have to live in SoCal. I ain't flying anyone in for this, kids. So if you can drive here in under two hours, you qualify. You tweet, I check, you get the tickets. And yes, I know it's unfair for those of you who don't live in Southern California. But you know what... not my fucking problem, 'cause I'm the one with the tickets.

And yes, I love you.

Stop Online Piracy Act

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:31:00 +0000

It's a bad idea.

I'm all for protecting the rights of artists and intellectual property, but I believe it is the responsibility of the individual websites and owners to protect its users. And the burden is on the user/consumer to make intelligent, researched decisions. I know I'm oversimplifying, but you get the point. Leaving the policing up to Uncle Sam will just really fuck things up.

I do not trust laws that in any way, shape or form begin to infringe on free speech and artistic expression. There are too many dangerous agendas out there. Someone, something, some cunt always turns these laws upside down; they find loopholes and back doors to expedite agendas that ultimately do more damage than good.

Take a hard look at the Patriot Act.

No, I don't have the solution. I just know SOPA isn't it. So I support Wikipedia and the others who are blacking out today.

SEASON 5

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:46:00 +0000

I've returned to my office in the asshole of North Hollywood. Feels like only yesterday that season 4 ended (that's sarcasm). Taking meetings, hiring a couple new writers. Slowly slipping on the leathers. And the ball-gag.

I'm back with my writing team at the end of the month and we'll go back into production mid-May.

Here's what I know about season 5. No spoilers. Just thematics. I've always seen the show as the Prince's journey. Jax is a man, but he's been unsure of the kind of man he will be. He has yet to decide on his legacy. Season 5 will force him to make those decisions. This season will be a pivotal one in the arc of the series. Not that all the seasons haven't been essential in shaping the mythology, but this season will begin to lay track for how the series ends. In a feature film, season 5 would be the end of act two. Where the hero has been faced with the primary conflict and obstacles and is forced to make a decision that either ends well or not-so-well.

I see season 5 as being a more deliberate season. I'm not sure how to expand upon that other to say that the decisions our hero makes will be less impulsive and more permanent. The stakes will be ratcheted up while the pace will be slowed down. Not that we won't have all the pulpy goodness we have every season (we will still blow shit up), it'll just have a different rhythm.

I'm also working with the network, studio and home entertainment group to get something to the fans much earlier this season. Some kind of behind-the-scenes project that will plug folks back in as early as June. I know how long of a wait it is to September and I'm thinking of a weekly segment with the actors that teases the new season without spoiling. Basically bringing you into our world as we produce the show. We'll make it available on the app, the website and I'm hoping to actually get it on air (although that's me talking out of my ass right now). I'll keep you posted about that and anything else that falls out of my ass.

And I'll try to blog more. Twitter is really spoiling my blogging. Every time I think of something to blog, I'll say, "fuck it", and tweet the 140-character version. My father was right, I'm a fat, lazy fuck.

Happy new year, bitc...

Oh, yeah, one of my new year's resolutions is not to call my kids, "bitches". I'm lumping you into that as well.

Happy new year, kids.

CRITICS LAMENT...WHAT IS SONS OF ANARCHY?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 20:51:00 +0000

It seems that SOA continues to delight and frustrate critics/reviewers/bloggers/guys-that-haven't-been-laid-since-911. As you can imagine, that fact also delights and frustrates me. Time after time, reviewers will complain that Sons always flirts with greatness, yet never achieves it. It lays the track to perfection, but always derails. Perhaps. In some ways, I guess it parallels it's creator. I'm a half-smart guy with a flare for the absurd, but I'm more than a few runways short of brilliant. But, self-deprecation aside, I think the bigger issue is a lack of understanding of what the show really is. And that isn't to say that critics are stupid. Some are. Most aren't. But a lot of critics don't seem to understand what I'm trying to do season after season. It's like going to see a Summer blockbuster movie and being disappointed because it's not as complex as the Godfather.

Some critics get it. Ken Tucker, Matt Zoller Seitz revel in the giddy truth. Sepinwall and others continue to bang their heads against a wall, applying a level of analysis that is best reserved for a David Simon show. The Wire, we ain't, nor do we aspire to be. For the record, SOA is an adrenalized soap opera, it's bloody pulp fiction with highly complex characters. Often, I think the depth of the characters, the emotionality of the writing and the amazing performances is what confuses critics. Those qualities put the show on par with other great dramas. But then I'll go and cut the balls off a clown or turn a plot point absurdly upside down and I will most certainly blow something the fuck up. It's those things that drive critics crazy. Why can't I just stay the course. Be what they want me to be -- measured and predictable.

So why don't I do that? Why lean so heavily on the pulp? Maybe this backstory will shed some light: When John Landgraf wanted to move ahead with SOA, he went to his then boss, Peter Chernin, and told him he was going to greenlight the show. Chernin told him it was a mistake. No one would watch a show about a bunch of dirtbag bikers. He thought it was a nasty, unpleasant world. But Landgraf knew the operatic Hamlet approach of my pitch might be able to avoid the ugly, meth-reality and deliver the thematic attractiveness of the subculture. Yes, the MC world can be a dark, brutal place. It doesn't have the glamor of the Mafia or the urban sway of street gangs. Chernin was right, a straight up drama, no matter how well done, wouldn't have lasted more than a season. I knew instinctively, as did John Landgraf, that dark humor and pulp operatic storytelling would be the best way to open up this world to viewers. That to balance the danger and brutality of the world, the show needed to be entertaining and, dare I say, fun. The truth is, I have a very healthy ego. I have no desire to run a show that only a few hundred thousand people watch. I'll go do theatre if I want an audience that size. My challenge as a showrunner, season after season, is to balance art and commerce. How do I keep the show rich, complex and authentic and yet entertain the fuck out of people? It sounds easy, but it's not. Trust me, it would be much easier to write a straight ahead drama to please the critics. You guys are easy. But I'm not writing the show to convince people how brilliant I am. I'm writing it to excite, thrill and engage an audience. And I can only hope that my talent as an artist and producer shine through.

Clearly, sometimes it doesn't. As I look at the WGA Award nominees this morning, I realize the thing that frustrates critics is probably the same thing that keeps us an arms-length away from awards. I'd confidently put the quality of our writing, acting and directing up against any other show. But the pulp, entertaining nature of Sons will always keep us a few rungs down the ladder from the obvious choices. Or maybe we just suck and I'm delusional. That's very possible.

Anyway, I'll keep writing the show the way I always have and hopefully the audience will continue to show up. And the critics will lament how imperfect and frustrating the show is to watch and yet they'll continue to watch it and write about it, week after week, after week, after week... it's almost as if they're being entertained.

I was going to tag this entry by calling them all cunts, but maybe that's a little harsh.

Half-cunts.

A LITTLE BIT OF MY SEMANTIC THEORY OF SLURS AND HOW THAT RELATES TO MY AFFECTION FOR THE USE OF "SEE YOU AND TEA"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 23:44:00 +0000

http://www.flickr.com/photos/atrophyheart/3537533466/

WARNING: THIS BLOG POST CONTAINS POLITICALLY INCORRECT LANGUAGE. IT INCLUDES WORDS CONDEMNED FOR RACIAL, SEXIST AND HOMOPHOBIC OVERTONES. THEY ARE USED TO CONVEY A THEORETICAL POINT AND ARE NOT MEANT TO ENCOURAGE OR CONDONE HATE. PLEASE DO NOT BE A CUNT AND TAKE THEM OUT OF CONTEXT TO CREATE A TITILLATING HEADLINE ON YOUR BULLSHIT ENTERTAINMENT BLOG. THANK YOU.

My use of the C-word seems to be a very polarizing semantic choice. People either rally to the call of brashness or condemn me for rude literary ineptitude. Quite honestly it seems to baffle most folks who know me. Well. My wife included. She knows I don't move through the world with a boorish sexist swagger, so my liberal "cunting" rubs her confused.

Before I defend my "cunt point" I need to speak to a larger thematic issue -- my theory about how the media and social guilt increase the power of slurs. Not so much a theory, just a half-bright opinion.

And forgive me for doing a brief cursory explanation of this idea. It's a much larger, complex discussion, but this is a blog and I know if I post more than a page or two no one will read it. If anyone wants to discuss the issue in greater detail, I'd be happy to do so. Well, maybe not happy, but obligated.

There are some words in the English language that we continue to empower as evil. Not that their origins aren't sinister or meaningful, but society's obsession for public condemnation and censorship has given these words power beyond their negative roots. The word "nigger" began as a harsh, ignorant term used by white slave owners that over time became a racial slur with brutal weight. This is the quick historical from Wikipedia:

In the Colonial America of 1619, John Rolfe used "negars" in describing the African slaves shipped to the Virginia colony.[5] Later American English spellings, neger and neggar, prevailed in a northern colony, New York under the Dutch, and in metropolitan Philadelphia’s Moravian and Pennsylvania Dutch communities; the African Burial Ground in New York City originally was known by the Dutch name "Begraafplaats van de Neger" (Cemetery of the Negro); an early US occurrence of neger in Rhode Island, dates from 1625.[6] An alternative word for African Americans was the English word, "Black", used by Thomas Jefferson in his Notes on the State of Virginia. Among Anglophones, the word nigger was not always considered derogatory, because it then denoted “black-skinned”, a common Anglophone usage.[7] Nineteenth-century English (language) literature features usages of nigger without racist connotation, e.g. the Joseph Conrad novella The Nigger of the 'Narcissus' (1897). Moreover, Charles Dickens and Mark Twain created characters who used the word as contemporary usage. Twain, in the autobiographic book Life on the Mississippi (1883), used the term within quotes, indicating reported usage, but used the term "negro" when speaking in his own narrative persona.[8]

In the United Kingdom and the Anglophone world, nigger denoted the dark-skinned (non-white) African and Asian (i.e., from India or nearby) peoples colonized into the British Empire, and "dark-skinned foreigners" — in general.

By the 1900s, nigger had become a pejorative word. In its stead, the term colored became the mainstream alternative to negro and its derived terms. Abolitionists in Boston, Massachusetts, posted warnings to the Colored People of Boston and vicinity. Writing in 1904, journalist Clifton Johnson documented the "opprobrious" character of the word nigger, emphasizing that it was chosen in the South precisely because it was more offensive than "colored."[9] Established as mainstream American English usage, the word colored features in the organizational title of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, reflecting the members’ racial identity preference at the 1909 foundation. In the Southern United States, the local American English dialect changes the pronunciation of negro to nigra. Linguistically, in developing American English, in the early editions of A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language (1806), lexicographer Noah Webster suggested the neger new spelling in place of negro.[10]

By the 1980's the wave of political correctness began to taint every form of art and media. It wasn't just the black groups that were condemning the hateful n-word; it was white corporate America as well. That's what took it from a racial slur to a political and social pariah. I believe it was the "white guilt" of the men controlling the media machine that continued to give that word more power and hate. Follow me here -- it was like the white guys got together and said, "Let's really make it a point to condemn whitey for using racial slurs. If we do that, then maybe we can somehow wash away years of racial injustice to the black community." But I believe that heightened, righteous correctness just handed the racists more ammunition. Because the higher the crime for usage became, the more the ignorant used it. Our semantic judgment just loaded the hate canons.

Does that make sense? I don't know, maybe not. Always felt that way to me.

I think the answer to that increased hate and awareness came in the form of Hip Hop's bastardization -- "nigga". Suddenly there was a word that black people could liberally call other black people without pushing racial buttons. Yes, it also allowed annoying white dudes the same option (although not without impunity). I know there are black people who are as offended by the "ga" as the "ger", but I think consciously or unconsciously it was the African American community diffusing the hate. Basically saying, "we're taking this word back, making it our own so you motherfuckers can't hurt us with it." Maybe I'm wrong, maybe I'm a delusional white guy, but I feel like Hip Hop has diminished the racial weight of "nigger". I'm not saying it's not still a racist, painful slur, I'm just saying it's lost some of it's power. Which is a good thing.

The other word that's jumped into the "never use it in public" category is "fag". I'm not proud of this, but the truth is, where I grew up in Jersey, "fag" was a fucking noun, verb, adjective and adverb. We used it constantly and it had nothing to do with sexuality. A fag was a punk or a pussy. A fag was the guy who left the game in the fourth inning to go do homework. A fag was a guy who wouldn't steal his parent's smokes for his buddies. I was using the word fag long before I even knew what a homosexual was. I'm not saying that makes it okay, just saying the evolution of this semantic curve is more personal. I never used the word "nigger", now or as a kid, but "fag", man, it was everywhere. Wiki gives this quick historical glimpse.

The word meaning "bundle of sticks" is ultimately derived, via Old French, Italian and Vulgar Latin, from Latin fascis (also the origin of the word fascism).[4] The origins of the word as an offensive epithet for homosexuals are, however, rather obscure, although the word has been used in English since the late 16th century as an abusive term for women, particularly old women,[5] and reference to homosexuality may derive from this,[4][6] female terms being often used with reference to homosexual or effeminate men (cf. nancy, sissy, queen). The application of the term to old women is possibly a shortening of the term "faggot-gatherer", applied in the 19th century to people, especially older widows, who made a meagre living by gathering and selling firewood.[6] It may also derive from the sense of "something awkward to be carried" (compare the use of the word "baggage" as a pejorative term for old people in general).[4] Use of the word as a general insult, not necessarily implying homosexuality, is either a continuation or extension of this older usage[5] or of the homosexual usage.

Unsubstantiated Associations

It is sometimes claimed that the modern slang meaning developed from the standard meaning of "faggot" as "bundle of sticks for burning," presumably with reference to burning at the stake.[4] This is, however, unlikely to be the case,[4] and there is no tradition of burning at the stake being used as a punishment for homosexuality in Britain,[6] However, the Theodosian Code, which was influential in the development of medieval law, does prescribe burning: "All persons who have the shameful custom of condemning a man's body, acting the part of a woman's to the sufferance of alien sex (for they appear not to be different from women), shall expiate a crime of this kind in avenging flames in the sight of the people."[7] Although supposed witches and heretics were burnt to death in other parts of Europe, and were often accused of deviant sexual behaviour.[8]

The Yiddish word faygele, lit. "little bird", is also claimed by some as an explanation for the modern use of "faggot." The similarity between the two words makes it a reasonable possibility that it might at least have had a reinforcing effect.[6]

An obsolete reference to faggot from 17th century Britain refers to a "man hired into military service simply to fill out the ranks at muster", but there is no known connection with the word's modern pejorative usage.[4]

Louie CK did a great episode on the evolution of the word "fag". Basically discussing my point above and the truth about why the word is so painful to the gay community. It was really smart and effective. As an adult, I embrace that concept and understand the hate behind the word. The fact that right wing Christian groups defend the use of it is reason enough not to ever use it again. But my theory of the media and social guilt increasing the hate holds true for the f-word as well. Every time someone gets caught using that word, we headline it, hold it up for persecution and give it more weight. Again, we load the hate canons. Instead of giving these assholes media coverage, we should be diffusing the power, mocking the ignorant, finding a way to take the sting out of the word. "Fag" needs a "nigga".

Basically, it's this -- when my four-year-old uses a bad word, I don't give it any weight. The experts say, you just calmly reply, "we don't use that word because it's rude", and move on. When she sees that the word gets no buzz, she moves off of it. If I yell at her, call attention to the behavior and make a fuss over the word, it reinforces her knowledge that the word has power. She will definitely use it again. Now I know that's an incredibly simplistic point of view that can hardly be applied to words that have social and historical weight, but there is truth in that basic concept -- that the media and our own social guilt continue to reinforce the negative by giving it so much fucking attention.

Which brings me back around to my "cunt". One of the few nasty words left in the English language that does not have a "league" condemning its use. Yes, women find it offensive and I'm sure at some point a feminist organization will adopt it as a cause. But until then, it's a word that makes people incredibly uncomfortable without sounding a social or media alarm. It's percussive, aggressive and just feels wrong. So why do I use it so freely? To make a point. It's my personal quest to diffuse the power of "cunt". If I use it frequently and in such absurd context, just maybe it will begin to lose its weight (I think it already has in this blog and on my Twitter feed). Fuck, fly, shit, eager, cunt, banana, sky, yo-yo. Just a bunch of words.

So that's why. We are the ones who turn letters into sounds, sounds into hate, hate into headlines. We create the cycle of animosity and violence.

Cunt. It's slang for vagina. It begins with a hard-c. It rhymes with punt, stunt and front. Use it lovingly, "that flower is opening up like a beautiful crimson cunt." Use it with edge, "that little fucking cunt just cut me off." Use it absurdly, "there's a certain oaky cuntiness to this Merlot." Use it frequently. And when someone balks or is morally offended, tell them it's just a fucking word, lifted from a whore street in Old London and first used in print by James Joyce. Then gaze at them with judgmental disdain and tell them perhaps they're the ones who need a morality check. Cunts.

THANKS GIVING

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 02:41:00 +0000

Today I give thanks for --

A god of my understanding.

A universe that bends towards love no matter how much evil pushes back.

A sober being.

The love of my family.

Especially Katey. She is a light.

Especially my kids. They force me out of the darkness.

My talent.

My job.

My friends.

My health.

All the people who tolerate my plethora of defects.

My enemies for keeping my edge sharp.

My disdain for injustice.

My love of the absurd.

Dogs.

Windows.

The music I hear.

Make a gratitude list, share it with someone you love. Or better yet, someone you fucking hate.

Enjoy your holiday. I love you.

IT'S THE PROCESS THAT'S CUNTY

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 18:04:00 +0000

I've shared my disdain for television bloggers in the past, but I thought I'd take a moment to explain in more detail the reason for my frustration.

To come clean, I didn't read any episodic reviews all season. Then FX sent me a few links about episode 410. I read them. I got seduced by the praise and began reading more. My personality is not inclined toward moderation, so I fucking binged. Soon I was overwhelmed and reminded of why I stopped reading them in first place. Hence, this blog post is more to remind me of why I need to detach.

As we know, most TV reviewers get paid or are sustained by the number of hits their site receives. It's all about numbers. Quantity, not quality. So they review hundreds of episodes of television a week. Literally. They are forced to power through these hours and give quick, reactive reviews that vary from godlike praise to utter disdain. Most are uneven, unthoughtful and completely miss the point. Even smart people like Mo Ryan are cranking out quick, mediocre reviews that are way beneath what she is capable of as a journalist. That's why I read Poniewozik and Goodman. If they don't have time for a thoughtful review, they pass. Now I realize the conditions of their jobs give them that luxury, but I guess that's my point. The conditions are cunty.

But the fault isn't with the reviewer, it's with the process. More, more, more, faster, faster, faster. Online journalism demands instant, catchy coverage. There is no time for in-depth, thought-provoking process. It's all flash, snark and a catchy headline. Alan Sepinwall and his uber-hokey, "A review of tonight's episode coming up as soon as I (insert contrived episodic joke at the expense of someone's performance)..." is testament to the fact that it's no longer about the art of critique, it's about being clever and memorable. It's incredibly frustrating for the artists who do put the thought, time and care into their work to be judged by such an inept process.

And I use this opportunity, when a majority of SOA reviews are good, to make the point -- so I don't look like a douchebag writer scorned. It's a fucked up process. The relationship between artist and critic is ancient. They need each other. But it only works if both parties are committed to the integrity of their jobs. If not, it's just a bullshit cuntfest.

AN OPEN LETTER TO LINDSAY LOHAN - RESENT

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 17:49:00 +0000

I wrote this blog some sixteen months ago. In light of her continuous spiral downward, I thought I'd post it again. To no end, I'm sure. Maybe it's just to relieve my guilt for not being more proactive in my own recovery. Mostly it's my innate sense that very soon, Lindsay Lohan will be dead. And that makes me sad.

Dear Lindsay,

I do not know you. I could never imagine what it's like being in your shoes. Your childhood, your career, your relationships, your alleged dysfunction -- I do not know the truth. All I have is the information reported to me by the media. The bulk of that media are despicable whores who prey on the indiscretions and weaknesses of celebrity vulnerability. If I could slice their fucking heads off and not be incarcerated, I'd be sharpening the blade right now. I have immense compassion for your plight. The scrutiny, the unrelenting exposé that has become your life is inconceivable. The readers of those rags have no idea who you are and the depth of your struggle. They soak up the hype, the sound bites and the titillating j-pegs like fat junkie cows. As Louis C.K. says in one of his routines -- I have to stop doing everything because I need my whole fucking body to hate them.

Slicing through the media fiction, I try to find the truth behind the noise. This is what I see -- a young woman who has perhaps lost sight of her gift and it's purpose. You are a very talented girl. As a child, you revealed a skill that few achieve at any age. It's no wonder that all those around you exploited that opportunity. You shined, you were/are a star. I'm not sure what happened. Maybe you never got an opportunity to be a child. The Hollywood landscape is littered with ex-child stars who have crashed and burned. I know that's why Katey and I have a very firm rule: None of our kids can work professionally until AFTER they finish college. Children need the real world to create real perspective. You need life to develop life skills.

If you are reading this, perhaps this is where you'll stop, because now I speak to your part in all of this. The truth is, it doesn't matter what happened in the past. Today, you are an adult. With that comes the responsibility of not only your personal life but of your career as well. Talent is a rare commodity. We are paid a lot of money to share that gift. Sometimes we lose perspective, I know I do. I become covetous of my gift, it spins me inward and I feel like everyone is trying to rip it out of my hands. I grow angry and discontent. I want them to just leave me the fuck alone. That usually means I need sleep and to share the noise in my head with like-minded folks. Ultimately, when my head clears, I am brought to a place of gratitude. I think it was Warren Beatty who said that success is when you get paid lots of money for something you would gladly do for free. That's how I feel. I'm guessing, there is a part of you that feels the same way. That in the moment, when you are connected in a scene with another actor, there is an indescribable joy that happens. It's called being an artist and with it comes responsibility.

It may not feel like it now, but the jail time you are about to serve is a blessing. It's concrete proof that you are a member of a real community, of something bigger than the insular fucked-up Hollywood bubble you've been living in. You have a chance to use this time for reflection and growth. When I see that you or members of your "team" are selling TV rights to your pre and post jail time, I fear that you have lost sight of the opportunity that lies before you.

If you do indeed have a compulsive relationship with drugs and alcohol, this is time to address it. This is the time to look at the potential of the wonderful life that lies ahead. There is only one thing I know for sure. I promise you that this is the truth -- if you stay on the path you are now, if you don't experience some kind of psychic shift, if you don't dig deep and tap into some humility, you will die. Very soon. That may sound dramatic and like a bad PSA, but sadly, it's the truth, darling. You will be dead before you turn 30. And it will be ugly and sordid and it will line the pockets of the sycophants that plague you.

I look at Robert Downey, whom many thought would never pull himself out of the bottomless crack he fell into. His incarceration became the event that allowed him to find his humility. Like you, his talent was immense and when he showed up to play, clean, sober, grateful, he was embraced and gladly given another chance. His star has been on an upward trajectory ever since.

I realize this post has turned into a bit of lecture and I apologize for that. I'm sure I'll get bitch-slapped by the blogosphere for my arrogance. But Lindsay, just know that I speak from experience. I'm very candid about my own sobriety. Not using drugs and alcohol a day at a time is the only fucking perfect thing I've done in the last 18 years. Every good thing in my life -- let me say that again -- every good thing in my life -- is a result of working a program of recovery.

I wish you well. I wish you life.

Sincerely,

Kurt Sutter

FOX VS. DIRECTV

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 22:03:00 +0000

I just did a promo that will air before Tuesday night's episode. It's aim is to mobilize fans against DirecTV. But they refused to let me speak honestly, I had to follow an FX legal script that felt like complete bullshit. I'm sure it will serve it's purpose, but I feel compelled to let SOA fans know what I WANTED to say.

First off, I am well aware that I am working for the right-handed smoking man. Truth is, every large entertainment company is an extension of some corporate behemoth. FX is no exception. The thing that keeps me there is that they care as much about the creative process as they do their bottom line. That's not only rare, it's pretty much nonexistent everywhere else in Hollywood. That bubble is floated by John Landgraf. If it weren't for that guy, I'd be selling star maps and handjobs in front of the Motherlode. I also have no delusions that Fox has a big horse in this DTV race. Like all big corporate deals, the Goliaths are fighting for bigger chunks of the pie and in the process, the Davids who feed off of the crumbs, are getting screwed. But if you look at the facts, you'll see that DirecTV is applying orange rules to an ever apple-ing world and using their large customer base as leverage. Basically, fucking over the customers that already pay a lot of money for their service.

Here is the script they wouldn't let me use --

SOA (:45)

HEY, I’M KURT SUTTER, CREATOR OF SONS OF ANARCHY.

STARTING NOVEMBER 1ST, DIRECTV IS PULLING FX FROM YOUR BOX.

THAT MEANS YOU'LL MISS THE LAST FIVE EPISODES OF SONS THIS SEASON. PERHAPS FIVE OF THE MOST CRITICAL EPISODES OF THE SERIES.

I KNOW FOX HAS A HORSE IN THIS RACE, BUT THEY'RE TRYING TO NEGOTIATE IN GOOD FAITH. DIRECTV IS SHUTTING DOWN ALL CONVERSATION AND USING THEIR CUSTOMERS AS LEVERAGE. IN THE PROCESS, YOU'RE GETTING FUCKED OVER. THEY'RE RUNNING ADS WITH THEIR CORPORATE SHILL TELLING YOU HOW MUCH "THEY CARE ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS"; THAT DUDE'S GOT ONE SINCERE HAND ON HIS HEART WHILE THE OTHER GREASES YOUR UNSUSPECTING BACKSIDE. BECAUSE THEY'RE ABOUT TO FLIP YOU OVER AND FUCK YOU UP THE ASS TILL YOU BLEED.

GO TO KEEPMYNETS.COM OR call 866-KEEPMYNETS TO GET THE REAL STORY.

DO IT NOW. LET 'EM KNOW THEY CAN'T FUCK WITH YOUR SONS OF ANARCHY.

THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT, BITCHES.

SOA (:15)

SOA FANS, LISTEN UP…

STARTING NOVEMBER 1ST, DIRECTV IS PULLING FX FROM YOUR BOX.

GO TO KEEPMYNETS.COM OR call 866-KEEPMYNETS TO GET THE REAL STORY.

DO IT NOW. LET 'EM KNOW THEY CAN'T FUCK WITH YOUR SONS OF ANARCHY.

THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT, BITCHES.

AWESOME.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 17:39:00 +0000

From graphic designer, Jonathan Mak

SLIDE INTO FUCKITALL

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 08:13:00 +0000

I feel like the glass is half empty and the other half is filled with pus-soaked man shit. It usually happens this time of year -- I'm sleep-deprived, malnourished, overstimulated, under-exercised and hypersensitive. My plate is full and the more I devour, the more "do this" gets spiked onto my fork. I know, it's part of the job people would kill for and I'm comfortably rewarded for my efforts, but it still doesn't change the experience. I'm incredibly fragile. When I hear about interweb cunts complaining about episodes or actors grumbling about scripts or studio bottom-line woes, I can't process it. I want to load my fucking proverbial shotgun, put on my designer trench-coat and reduce every fucking living thing to sprinkles and confetti.

Then vacuum it up. My OCD.

But I don't. For the most part, I live in a constant state of restraint. Pen, tongue, fists. Twitter is most my most egregious outlet these days. And how much damage can a guy do in 140 characters?

Anyway, I tremendously hate everything and everyone in this moment. Except my wife and kids, I hate them a little less. I'm knuckling down, scrambling to finish a hundred other things so I can focus on prepping 413 -- which I start directing next week. Directing always seems like a good idea in March. October, not so much. I'm sure we will finish as strongly as we started. I'm smart enough to surround myself with people who wouldn't let me fuck it up even if I wanted to.

Which I don't.

Wow, the coyotes are howling like mad outside my home office. I think they just killed my neighbor's dog. That makes me feel a little better. I don't really like that dog.