title: Henrietta Lacks

text: Members of the Lacks family authored their own stories for the first time in 2013, when Lacks's oldest son and his wife, Lawrence and Bobbette Lacks, wrote a short digital memoir called "Hela Family Stories: Lawrence and Bobbette", with first-hand accounts of their memories of Henrietta Lacks while she was alive and of their own efforts to keep the youngest children out of unsafe living environments following their mother's death.


title: Henrietta Lacks

text: The HeLa Project, a multimedia exhibition to honor Lacks, opened in 2017 in Baltimore at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture. It included a portrait by Kadir Nelson and a poem by Saul Williams.


title: Henrietta Lacks

text: "HeLa", a play by Chicago playwright J. Nicole Brooks, was commissioned by Sideshow Theatre Company in 2016, with a public staged reading on July 31, 2017. The play was produced by Sideshow at Chicago's Greenhouse Theater Center from November 18 to December 23, 2018. The play uses Lacks's life story as a jumping point for a larger conversation about Afrofuturism, scientific progress, and bodily autonomy.


title: Henrietta Lacks

text: In the series "El Ministerio del Tiempo", the immortality of her cells in the lab is cited as the precedent for the character Arteche's "extreme resistance to infections, to injuries, and to cellular degeneration. In other words to aging": that his cells are immortal.


title: Henrietta Lacks

text: In the Netflix original movie "Project Power" (2020), the case of Henrietta Lacks is cited by one of the villains of the story as an example of unwilling trials giving rise to advances for the greater good.


title: Henrietta Lacks

text: The "JJ Doom" album "Key to the Kuffs" (2012) includes the song Winter Blues which contains the lyrics "We could live forever like Henrietta Lacks cells".


title: The Act (TV series)

text: The Act is an American true crime drama limited series that premiered in eight parts on March 20, 2019, on Hulu. The plot is based on the life of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and the murder of her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, who was accused of abusing her daughter by fabricating illness and disabilities as a direct consequence of Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Joey King portrayed Gypsy, while Patricia Arquette played her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard. AnnaSophia Robb, Chloë Sevigny, and Calum Worthy star in supporting roles.


title: The Act (TV series)

text: At the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards, Arquette won for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series and King received a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series.


title: The Act (TV series)

text: The series follows the story of Gypsy Blanchard (Joey King), who uses a wheelchair due to an illness. Growing up, her relationship with her overprotective mother (Patricia Arquette) begins to sour as she increasingly insists on her independence. She rebels as her mother, who dedicated her life to her care, grows more protective, controlling and abusive, particularly amid her attempt to explore her sexuality.


title: The Act (TV series)

text: The relationship turns even more toxic as Gypsy discovers many secrets. She grew up believing she was sick with cancer but discovers that she was not sick at all. Her mother Dee Dee successfully deceived not only Gypsy but also her family, friends, and medical professionals into believing her child was ill. It is suggested that she suffers from factitious disorder imposed on another, a mental illness in which a caregiver exaggerates or fakes another person's illness. At the time, this disorder was classified as Munchausen syndrome by proxy, by which it is still commonly known. The narrative eventually leads to murder after Gypsy asks her boyfriend to kill her mother.


title: The Act (TV series)

text: On July 21, 2017, Hulu confirmed it had put the production into development. The potential series was expected to be written by Michelle Dean and Nick Antosca based on Dean's "BuzzFeed" article "Dee Dee Wanted Her Daughter To Be Sick, Gypsy Wanted Her Mom To Be Murdered". Writ Large, who acquired the screen rights to the article in 2016, was set to produce. Production companies involved with the series included Universal Cable Productions.


title: The Act (TV series)

text: On May 18, 2018, it was reported that Hulu had given the production a series order. It was further announced that Dean and Antosca would serve as co-showrunners and executive produce alongside Greg Shephard and Britton Rizzio. On August 1, 2018, it was announced that Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre would direct the series' first episode. On December 20, 2018, it was announced that the series would premiere on March 20, 2019. On March 11, 2019, Jeff Russo was announced to be the show's composer.


title: The Act (TV series)

text: In September 2018, it was announced that Patricia Arquette, Joey King, Chloë Sevigny, and AnnaSophia Robb had been cast in starring roles. On October 2, 2018, it was reported that Calum Worthy had joined the cast in a starring role.


title: The Act (TV series)

text: In April 2019, Kristy Blanchard, stepmother of Gypsy Blanchard, stated that she was unhappy with how Aleah Woodmansee was portrayed in the show. While Woddmansee's name isn't mentioned, Robb's character Lacey originates from her. Blanchard stated that there was a scene in the second episode where Lacey gave Gypsy a cigarette, which in reality, did not happen. In an interview with "Vulture", Blanchard stated: "She is the total opposite of that. It hurts Aleah because she lives in Springfield, and people are going to look at her differently and she's scared that it affects her job and reputation." Woodmansee also took issue with the choice to have Robb speak in a twangy accent, adding, "I'm not a fan of the whole hillbilly tone."


title: The Act (TV series)

text: Principal photography for the series took place from October 2018 to February 2019 in Effingham County, Georgia.


title: The Act (TV series)

text: Multiple scenes were filmed at the Savannah Mall and in Episode 8 scenes were filmed at the Bryan County Courthouse.


title: The Act (TV series)

text: On April 4, 2019, Gypsy Blanchard stated that she would be taking legal action towards "The Act" and Dean, its creator. While Blanchard was not able to watch the show in prison, she stated: "I feel it is very unfair and unprofessional that producers and co-producer Michelle Dean has used my actual name and story without my consent, and the life rights to do so". However, screenwriter Franchesca Macelli told Vulture regarding Gypsy's statement "it was from her own place of anger and disappointment and frustration" and that "nobody is taking legal action". Macelli stated that they will be looking into the legal rights for their actions, either cancelling the show or making its storyline right.


title: The Act (TV series)

text: Kristy Blanchard, Gypsy's stepmother, accused Dean of breaking a promise to share the financial proceeds from the show with Gypsy, saying: "We were on a phone conversation, and she had told me that whatever she made, it didn't matter what it was, she was gonna send us 50 percent of what she made and she was gonna keep 50 percent."


title: The Act (TV series)

text: The first season received highly positive reviews from critics. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the season has an approval rating of 88% based on 49 reviews, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Disturbingly nuanced performances from Patricia Arquette and Joey King make "The Act" a convincing case for the ongoing dramatization of true crime stories." On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 73 out of 100 based on 17 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".


title: Kirk Cousins

text: Kirk Daniel Cousins (born August 19, 1988) is an American football quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Michigan State and was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft as a backup to fellow rookie Robert Griffin III. Cousins occasionally appeared in games during his first three seasons before replacing Griffin following an injury in 2015, where he remained the team's starter until 2017. With the Redskins, Cousins set numerous franchise records and was named to the 2017 Pro Bowl.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: After two years of signing franchise tags and being unable to agree with the team on a long-term deal, Cousins signed a fully guaranteed three-year 84 million contract with the Vikings as a free agent in 2018. He ranks third all-time in completion percentage with at least 1,500 pass attempts, and is eighth in the NFL's all-time regular season career passer rating.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: Kirk Cousins was born to Don Cousins and Maryann Cousins, the second oldest of their three children. Born in Barrington, Illinois on August 19, 1988, Cousins attended Holland Christian High School in Holland, Michigan, where he starred in football, baseball (as a third baseman and a pitcher), and basketball for the Maroons athletic teams. He broke his ankle in his junior year and was forced to attend camps in order to make an impression with recruiting colleges. Cousins finished his high school football career with 3,204 passing yards, 40 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: After high school, Cousins was set to sign with Toledo or Western Michigan, until Mark Dantonio became the head coach at Michigan State in 2007. After Dantonio failed to sign his top targets at quarterback, he offered a scholarship to Cousins, which he accepted. He also participated in the Athletes in Action sports ministry.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: Cousins was redshirted for the 2007 season. In 2008, he spent the season as the backup quarterback to Brian Hoyer. He played in five games passing for a total of 310 yards and two touchdowns and one interception. In 2009, he competed for and won the starting quarterback job against teammate Keith Nichol. He led Michigan State to a 6–7 (4–4) season with 19 touchdowns, nine interceptions and 2,680 passing yards in 12 games. In 2010, he led Michigan State to an 11–2 (7–1) record and a share of the Big Ten Championship.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: In 2011, the Spartans went 11–3 (7–2) and played in the first-ever Big Ten championship game. Cousins was named Second-team All-Big Ten by the coaches, and played his final game as a Michigan State Spartan on January 2, 2012, defeating the Georgia Bulldogs in the Outback Bowl. His teams posted an undefeated 4–0 record against the in-state rival Michigan Wolverines. Cousins won the 2011 Lowes's Senior CLASS Award. Cousins majored in kinesiology.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: Cousins was selected by the Washington Redskins as the seventh choice in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft, making him the 102nd draft pick overall. The pick surprised many analysts, as the Redskins had drafted 2011 Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III with the second overall pick to be their franchise quarterback. The Redskins acquired the Griffin III pick by giving the St. Louis Rams four high-value draft picks over three years. Cousins was viewed as an insurance policy in case Griffin was injured, with Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan saying "You're one or two plays away from being the starter...And if I see that value out there on the third day of the draft, I'm going to take that." The Redskins drafting Griffin and Cousins in the same draft echoed the team's strategy in the 1994 NFL draft, when the team drafted Heath Shuler with the third overall pick and later drafted Gus Frerotte in the seventh round.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: In the second game of the preseason against the Chicago Bears, Cousins threw three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, though the Redskins would go on to lose 33–31. In the fourth and final game of preseason, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cousins completed 15 of 27 passes for 222 yards as the Redskins won 30–3. He was named the backup quarterback over incumbent starter Rex Grossman.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: Cousins made his NFL debut in the third quarter of a Week 5 loss to the Atlanta Falcons after Griffin suffered a concussion. Cousins threw his first NFL touchdown pass on a 77-yard pass to Santana Moss but threw two interceptions in the last two series of the game while trying to tie the game.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: Cousins' second NFL appearance came in Week 14 against the Baltimore Ravens. On the final drive of the game, with the Redskins down 8, Griffin suffered a knee injury. Cousins went 2–2 and finished the drive with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Pierre Garçon with 29 seconds remaining, to bring the Redskins within 2 points of the Ravens. On the two-point conversion, Shanahan called for a run-pass option, and Cousins scored on a quarterback draw to tie the game at 28. The Redskins would win in overtime 31–28.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: The following week, on December 15, 2012, Cousins was announced as the Redskins starter for the Week 15 game against the Cleveland Browns, marking his first NFL start. After a slow first half, Cousins rallied the offense to a 28-point second half. Cousins finished the day 26-of-37 for 329 yards with 2 touchdown passes, bringing the Redskins a 38–21 win. Later that week, Cousins was voted the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week, becoming the third Redskins rookie to receive the honor that season (after Griffin and Alfred Morris).


title: Kirk Cousins

text: Cousins finished his rookie year with 466 passing yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions in three games and one start.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: The Redskins finished atop the NFC East with a 10–6 record. In the , they faced the Seattle Seahawks. In the 24–14 loss, Cousins came into the game late in the fourth quarter in relief of an injured Griffin. He finished the game 3-of-10 for 31 yards and was unable to rally the team to victory.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: On December 11, 2013, Cousins was named starting quarterback for the rest of the year after Shanahan deactivated Robert Griffin III for the remainder of the season in order to protect him for the following year, with Rex Grossman as Cousins's backup. In Week 15, in a narrow 27–26 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, he finished 29-of-45 for 381 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: Cousins finished his second professional season with 854 passing yards, four touchdowns, and seven interceptions in five games and three starts.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: On February 2, 2014, it was reported that Cousins had stated that he was open to a trade from the Redskins.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: In March, Cousins announced that he would be giving the #12 jersey to incoming new wide receiver Andre Roberts for the price of a $12,000 donation to the Kirk Cousins Football Camp. Cousins then switched over to the #8 jersey, a number he wore throughout his high school and college career.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: During Week 2 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cousins came in relief of Griffin who left the game with a dislocated ankle. Cousins finished the game with 250 passing yards and two touchdowns in a 41–10 victory. In the next game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Cousins threw for 427 yards, the first game he had over 400 passing yards. Washington still lost an ensuing slugfest to the Eagles 34–37. The following week against the New York Giants, Cousins had a poor showing, throwing for a touchdown with four interceptions and a lost fumble. The Redskins were blown out 45–14 with a total of 6 turnovers.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: In Week 5, against the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, Cousins showed progress from the embarrassing loss to the Giants by throwing for two touchdowns without an interception, including a 68-yard touchdown pass to DeSean Jackson. Despite the solid performance from Cousins, the Redskins lost by a score of 27–17. Following a poor performance in the first half in the Week 7 game against the Tennessee Titans, he was benched at halftime in favor of backup quarterback Colt McCoy, and did not play in any more games for the remainder of the season.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: On August 31, 2015, Cousins was named the starter for the season over Robert Griffin III. On October 4, Cousins led a 90-yard game-winning drive against the Philadelphia Eagles, his first since 2012, when he threw a touchdown pass to Pierre Garçon with under a minute left in the fourth quarter, winning the game 23–20.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: On October 25, Cousins helped lead the Redskins to their largest comeback win in franchise history. After being down 24–0 in the second quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home, Cousins finished with 317 yards and four total touchdowns, three passing and one rushing, throwing the final touchdown pass to Jordan Reed in the final seconds of the game. Cousins also tied a franchise record for completions in a game with 33, tying Jason Campbell who did the same in 2007. When heading into the locker room after the game, Cousins was caught on camera shouting "you like that?!" to reporters, which later become a catchphrase used by Cousins, his teammates, and Redskins fans throughout the rest of the season. Cousins and his brother Kyle applied to trademark the catchphrase later in the season and began to sell T-shirts with the phrase to raise money for the International Justice Mission charitable organization.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: Against the New Orleans Saints on November 15, Cousins threw for a career-high four touchdowns, as well as posting a perfect passer rating of 158.3, making him the first Redskins quarterback since 1950 to do that with at least 20 attempts. Against the Buffalo Bills on December 20, Cousins passed for four touchdowns, and ran for another in a Redskins victory, marking his second four-touchdown passing game of the season.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: The following week against the Philadelphia Eagles, Cousins took an ill-advised quarterback kneel inside the Eagles' redzone with six seconds left before halftime, running out the clock and forgoing any chance of adding upon Washington's lead. Despite that, Cousins eventually passed for four touchdowns in the game, his second consecutive four-touchdown performance and third overall on the season. The performance led to the Redskins’ victory over the Eagles with a score of 38–24, which allowed the team to win the NFC East division title for the first time since Griffin III did it in 2012.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: Cousins finished the 2015 season posting the highest completion percentage (74.7) in home games in NFL history, with a minimum of 100 attempts, leading the Redskins to a 6–2 record at home. He also became the first Redskins quarterback since Sonny Jurgensen in 1970 to have at least four passing touchdowns in three or more games in one season. Against the Dallas Cowboys on January 3, 2016, he set the Redskins single-season passing yardage record with 4,166, passing Jay Schroeder who had 4,109 in 1986. He also finished the season with 29 passing touchdowns, second in Redskins history behind Jurgensen who had 31 in 1967, while posting a league-leading completion percentage of 69.8%, second in team history behind Sammy Baugh who completed 70.3% of his passes in 1945.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: Against the Green Bay Packers in the on January 10, 2016, Cousins completed 29-of-46 passes for 329 yards and scored two touchdowns (one passing, one rushing), but was sacked six times and lost one fumble. The Redskins lost 35–18, ending their season. He was ranked 85th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: Cousins was set to become an unrestricted free agent in the 2016 offseason, but the Redskins used the non-exclusive franchise tag on him on March 1, 2016. The tag acted as a one-year, $20 million contract, which prevented other teams in the league from signing him without giving up two first round draft picks to the Redskins.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: During the Week 8 International Series game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Wembley Stadium in London, Cousins threw for a career-high 458 passing yards, as the game ended in a 27–27 tie. As the game ended in a tie, it also marked the first time a game held in London went into overtime. Three weeks later against the Green Bay Packers, Cousins threw for 375 yards along with three touchdowns in a 42-24 victory, earning him his third NFC Offensive Player of the Week award. After the game, Cousins was caught on camera asking Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan "How you like me now?" which many in the media believed Cousins was addressing concerns about his potentially lucrative long-term contract with the team next season. In a Thanksgiving Day 31-26 road loss against the Dallas Cowboys, Cousins completed 41 of 53 passes for 449 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions, putting him second on the list of most passing yards in a Thanksgiving Day game in NFL history. For his accomplishments in the month of November, Cousins won the NFC Offensive Player Of The Month award, his second time winning the award. In Week 16, on Christmas Eve, against the Chicago Bears, Cousins had a career-high two rushing touchdowns in the 41–21 road victory.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: Despite missing the playoffs, Cousins led the team to a winning record of 8–7–1 and finished the season with a career-high 4,917 passing yards, which was third in the NFL behind Drew Brees and Matt Ryan, breaking various personal and team records he had set the previous year. Cousins' 67% completion percentage ranked No. 7 and his 45.7% deep-ball completion percentage ranked No. 5 among NFL quarterbacks in 2016.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: Due to his performance in the season, Cousins was named to his first Pro Bowl, replacing Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, who could not take part in the game due to the Falcons' appearance in Super Bowl LI. During the game, Cousins played throughout most of the second half, and notably forced a fumble on Denver Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib after chasing him down the field after throwing an interception late in the fourth quarter. Cousins was also ranked 70th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2017.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: Again set to become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason, Cousins and the Redskins attempted to work out a long-term deal before the start of free agency, but could only come to an agreement on the exclusive franchise tag on February 28, 2017, becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to be franchise-tagged in consecutive years.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: During a Week 3 27-10 victory over the Oakland Raiders on "NBC Sunday Night Football", Cousins went 25-for-30 for a season-high 365 yards and three touchdowns, earning him his fourth NFC Offensive Player of the Week award of his career. During Week 10 against the Minnesota Vikings, Cousins tied his single-game career-high with two rushing touchdowns in the 38–30 loss. The Redskins finished the 2017 season with a 7–9 record and missed the playoffs.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: Cousins finished the season 347-of-540 for 4,093 yards, 27 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. The 2017 season marked his third consecutive season of passing for at least 4,000 yards. In addition to his passing totals, he rushed 49 times for 179 yards and four rushing touchdowns. Cousins was ranked 94th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: On March 15, 2018, Cousins signed with the Minnesota Vikings on a fully guaranteed three-year contract worth $84 million. This was the first fully guaranteed and, as of signing, highest paying contract in NFL history.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: In his Vikings debut in the season opener against the San Francisco 49ers, Cousins passed for 244 yards and two touchdowns in the 24–16 victory. In the next game against the Green Bay Packers, he finished with 425 passing yards, four touchdowns, and an interception as the game ended in a 29–29 tie. Two weeks later against the Los Angeles Rams on "Thursday Night Football", Cousins threw for 422 yards and three touchdowns in the 38-31 road loss. Despite Cousins's strong statistical start to the season, inconsistency within the offense and coaching staff ended up impacting the Vikings' season. With the Vikings at 6–5–1 going into Week 14 against the Seattle Seahawks, the Vikings were still in the playoff hunt, but a 21–7 road loss on "Monday Night Football" resulted in the firing of offensive coordinator John DeFilippo. The Vikings won their next two games, against the Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions, with Cousins passing for five touchdowns and an interception combined. In the regular-season finale against the Chicago Bears, the Vikings would have made the playoffs with a win, but they fell 24–10, with Cousins passing for 132 yards and a touchdown.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: Cousins finished his first season with the Vikings with 4,298 passing yards, 30 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions to go along with 123 rushing yards and a touchdown.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: During the season-opener against the Atlanta Falcons, Cousins completed 8 of 10 passes for 98 yards and a touchdown in the 28–12 win. In the next game against the Green Bay Packers, he completed 14 passes for 230 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in the 21–16 road loss. The following week against the Oakland Raiders, Cousins completed 15 passes for 174 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown pass, in the 34–14 win. In Week 4, against the Chicago Bears, he had two fumbles and no passing touchdowns but still passed 27 times for 233 yards in the 16–6 road loss. In the next game, against the New York Giants, Cousins completed 22 passes for 306 yards and two touchdowns in the 28–10 road victory. The following week against the Philadelphia Eagles, he threw for 333 yards, four touchdowns, and an interception in the 38–20 win. During Week 7 against the Detroit Lions, Cousins passed for 337 yards and four touchdowns in the 42–30 road victory.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: During Week 11 against the Denver Broncos, Cousins threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns as the Vikings overcame a 20-point first half deficit and won 27–23. Two weeks later against the Seattle Seahawks on "Monday Night Football", he threw for 276 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception in the 37–30 road loss, extending Cousins' record on Mondays to an 0–8 record. During Week 16 against the Packers once again on "Monday Night Football", Cousins threw for 122 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in the 23–10 loss. The Packers clinched the NFC North division title with the win. It also extended Cousins' record on "Monday Night Football" to 0–9. With the Vikings' playoff position set, Cousins did not play in the regular-season finale against the Chicago Bears. He finished the 2019 season with 3,603 passing yards, 26 passing touchdowns, and six interceptions to go along with 63 rushing yards and a touchdown. Cousins was also named to his second career Pro Bowl.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: In the NFC Wild Card game against the New Orleans Saints, Cousins threw for 242 yards and the game winning touchdown to tight end Kyle Rudolph in overtime during the 26–20 road victory. In the Divisional Round against the San Francisco 49ers, Cousins threw for 172 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in the 27–10 road loss.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: During Week 2 against the Indianapolis Colts, Cousins threw for 113 yards and three interceptions during the 28–11 road loss. He finished the game with a total quarterback rating of 15.9, the third-lowest mark in Vikings franchise history. In Week 3 against the Tennessee Titans, Cousins had a much better outing, throwing for 251 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions during the narrow 31–30 loss. The following week against the Houston Texans, Cousins threw for 260 yards and a touchdown during the 31–23 road victory, the Vikings' first win of the season. Two weeks later against the Atlanta Falcons, Cousins threw for 343 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions during the 40–23 loss. He threw all three interceptions in the first half of the game. Three weeks later against the Detroit Lions, he threw for 220 yards and three touchdowns on only 13 completions during the 34–20 win.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: In Week 10 against the Chicago Bears on "Monday Night Football", Cousins threw for 292 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception in the 19–13 road victory. This was Cousin's first ever "Monday Night Football" win after previously going 0–9 in his career. During Week 11 against the Dallas Cowboys, Cousins threw for 318 yards and three touchdowns during the 31–28 loss. In the next game against the Carolina Panthers, he threw for 307 yards and three touchdowns in the narrow 28–27 comeback victory. This was Cousins' fourth straight game with a passer rating over 100. He was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance. The following week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cousins threw for 305 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception in the 27–24 overtime victory. Three weeks later against the New Orleans Saints on Christmas Day, he threw for 291 yards and three touchdowns during the 33–52 road loss, eliminating the Vikings from postseason contention. In the regular-season finale against the Lions, Cousins threw for 405 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for another during the 37–35 road victory. He was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: Cousins finished the season with 4,265 passing yards, 35 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions to go along with 156 rushing yards and a touchdown.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: Cousins started the 2021 season with 351 passing yards and two touchdowns in a 27–24 overtime road loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. In Week 11 against the Green Bay Packers, Cousins threw 24 completions of 35 attempts with 341 passing yards and three passing touchdowns in a 34-31 victory. In Week 13 against the Detroit Lions, Cousins went for 30-of-40 passes for 340 yards with two touchdowns in a 27-29 defeat.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: Cousins drew controversy over his decision not to receive the COVID-19 vaccination, although he agreed to follow NFL protocols. In response to his comments, which drew from a personal decision, Holland Hospital, with whom Cousins had served as spokesperson, announced they were discontinuing Cousins' role indefinitely. Prior to Week 17, Cousins was placed on the COVID-19 reserve list and ruled out for the game against the Green Bay Packers. Which they lost 37-10 eliminating them from playoff contention.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: Cousins finished the season with 4,221 passing yards, 33 touchdowns, and seven interceptions to go along with 115 rushing yards and a touchdown. He was nominated to his third Pro Bowl of his career.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: On March 13, 2022, Cousins signed a one-year, $35 million fully guaranteed contract extension through the 2023 season. In the season opener against the Green Bay Packers, Cousins threw 23-of-32 passes for 277 yards with two touchdowns, and a 118.9 passer rating in 23-7 victory. In the following week against the Philadelphia Eagles on "Monday Night Football", Cousins passed 27 completions of 46 attempts for 221 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions in a 7-24 blowout loss. In Week 6 against the Miami Dolphins, Cousins threw for 175 yards and two touchdowns in a 24-16 win.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: In the following bye week, Cousins completed 24 of 36 passes for 232 passing yards and two touchdowns in 34-26 victory against the Arizona Cardinals. In Week 10 against the Buffalo Bills, Cousins completed 30-of-50 passes for a season-high 357 passing yards with one passing touchdown and two interceptions in 33-30 overtime win. In Week 14, against the Detroit Lions, Cousins passed for 425 yards and two touchdowns in the 34–23 loss.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: In a week 15 game against the Indianapolis Colts, Cousins completed 34 of 54 passes for a career-high 460 passing yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions with a 99.3 passer rating in the 39-36 overtime win, highlighted by the Vikings completing the largest comeback in NFL history. With the win, the Vikings also clinched the NFC North for the first time since 2017.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: Cousins is a practicing Evangelical Christian. He married Julie Hampton on June 28, 2014, in Atlanta, Georgia. As of 2019, Cousins and his wife have two sons, Cooper and Turner. During his time with the Redskins, Cousins earned the nicknames "Captain Kirk" from the media for his presence as a leader, referencing the "Star Trek" character. He also appeared in several commercials with Easterns Automotive, a D.C. used car dealership, with former Washington teammates Josh Norman and Ryan Kerrigan.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: Cousins has been one of the NFL's most prominent players concerning his choice to not be vaccinated against COVID-19, which resulted in him being listed in the NFL's Reserve/COVID-19 list twice during the 2021 NFL season. As a result, Cousins missed four training camp practices in the 2021 preseason. Following his comments, the Holland Hospital in West Michigan ended its relationship with him. However, despite his stance, Cousins stated that he would do everything to ensure that he doesn't test positive for COVID-19, including the use of a plexiglass in the team facility. In Week 17, Cousins self-reported symptoms and later tested positive, ruling him out of playing that weekend against the Packers.


title: Kirk Cousins

text: Cousins is a cousin of current Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jake Cousins. He has also supported Compassion International and its “Fill the Stadium” initiative.


title: After Yang

text: After Yang is a 2021 American science fiction drama film adaptation written, directed, and edited by Kogonada. It stars Colin Farrell, Jodie Turner-Smith, Justin H. Min, Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja, and Haley Lu Richardson. The plot follows a family's attempts to repair their unresponsive robotic child. The film had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on July 8, 2021, and was released on March 4, 2022, by A24 and Showtime. It received generally positive reviews from critics.


title: After Yang

text: Jake and Kyra live with their adoptive daughter Mika and Yang, a previously owned robotic child they purchased from certified reseller Second Siblings, rather than from his original maker, Brothers & Sisters Incorporated. When Yang becomes unresponsive, Jake goes on a mission to repair him. Brothers & Sisters recommend replacing Yang, which means his body will decompose. Not wanting to upset Mika, Jake becomes determined to save his robotic child. In a flashback, Yang reassures a curious Mika that she is still part of the family despite being adopted.


title: After Yang

text: Jake takes Yang to a cheap repairman named Russ, who discovers what he claims is a hidden camera inside of Yang. Jake takes the "camera" to a museum specialist named Cleo, who tells him that it is, in fact, Yang's memory bank. Jake goes home and watches Yang's memories. They include short clips from every day of Yang's life, including his time with a woman named Ada. The next day, Jake takes Yang to Cleo. In a flashback, Yang becomes sad about his inability to truly live.


title: After Yang

text: Jake tracks down Ada, who is revealed to be a clone. She confirms Jake's suspicions that Yang had been in a relationship with her. Jake and Kyra decide to move on, letting Yang decompose and donating his memories to the museum. In a flashback, Yang and Kyra discuss the improbability of an afterlife.


title: After Yang

text: Jake talks to Yang's previous owner, Nancy, who mentions that Yang was not a new product. Jake discovers a setting on the memory bank that unlocks more of Yang's memories. They reveal that Yang had lived an entire life before either Jake or Nancy owned him, one in which he developed a relationship with a woman named Ada. The older Ada is revealed to have cared for the aging mother in Yang's first family. Ada later dies in a car accident. The younger Ada tells Jake that the person in Yang's memories was her great-aunt. At night, Mika tells Jake that she does not want to say goodbye to Yang. Jake agrees, and Mika begins to sing a song previously heard in one of Yang's memories.


title: After Yang

text: In June 2018, it was reported that producer Theresa Park had acquired screen rights to "Saying Goodbye to Yang", a short story written by Alexander Weinstein. The film would be written and directed by Kogonada. In February 2019, it was announced that Colin Farrell would star in "After Yang", which would be distributed by A24. In April 2019, Golshifteh Farahani, Justin H. Min, Sarita Choudhury, and Haley Lu Richardson joined the cast. In May 2019, Jodie Turner-Smith and Clifton Collins Jr. joined the cast, with Turner-Smith replacing Farahani. Principal photography began on May 1, 2019.


title: After Yang

text: The film had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on July 8, 2021 before having its North American premiere on January 21, 2022 at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Alfred P. Sloan Prize. It was released simultaneously in theaters and streaming on Showtime on March 4, 2022.


title: After Yang

text: In the United States and Canada, "After Yang" earned an estimated $46,872 from twenty-four theaters in its opening weekend. Internationally, the film grossed $625,282 for a worldwide total of $672,154, against a production budget of $9–20 million.


title: After Yang

text: Writing for "The New York Times", Brandon Yu described the film as an existential crisis for humanity that asked the viewer to evaluate what it means to be alive. "Polygon"s Leo Kim said the film considers many issues, including "a testament on loss, an examination of our reliance on technology, and a deeply human story about care". Richard Brody of "The New Yorker" said the characters in the film live in a "soft techno-fascism of petty pleasures and alluring surfaces that Kogonada boldly, slyly renders appealing." David Sims from "The Atlantic" said the film asked what it means to be human in a world filled with technology, and that "the result is a pensive drama that plays like a quiet mystery, seeking to understand not just its human protagonist but the deeper underpinnings of all social connections."


title: Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu

text: Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu Part I: The Kindling, () is a 2022 Indian Tamil-language neo-noir gangster film directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon, written by B. Jeyamohan and produced by Ishari K. Ganesh. The film stars Silambarasan and Siddhi Idnani, with Raadhika Sarathkumar, Neeraj Madhav and Siddique in supporting roles, the film has music composed by A. R. Rahman.


title: Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu

text: Principal photography began in August 2021 and ended in April 2022. The film was released in theatres on 15 September 2022 to mostly positive reviews from critics and audience and became a blockbuster at the box office. A sequel is in development.


title: Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu

text: Muthuveeran is a B.Sc graduate from a village in Naduvakurichi in Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu who spends his days picking thorns in the sun. When the field he works at catches fire, the owner threatens to call the police on Muthu. His mother, Latchumi, learns about his aggressive and impulsive behaviour when Muthu threatens to kill the owner with a sickle. Fearing for Muthu's life, Latchumi takes Muthu and his younger sister Gomathi to their uncle Chermadurai for finding him a job, elsewhere. Chermadurai arranges for Muthu's job in Chembur, Mumbai. After attending a phone call, Chermadurai is panic-stricken and gives Muthu a letter to post, as soon as possible


title: Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu

text: The next morning, Chermadurai is found dead in his room, having committed suicide. Instead of posting the letter, Muthu goes to the address mentioned in it, to Mumbai, where he takes up work in a parotta store owned by Esakki and starts earning money for his struggling family. During this time, another worker named Saravanan helps Muthu adjust to Mumbai. Muthu also falls in love with Paavai, who works in a garment shop opposite the store. Muthu and a bunch of the parotta store workers go to a movie where a scuffle ends up with Maasanam, one of the workers, shooting at the sky. Maasanam and Arunjunai, another worker, go to murder a man, they end up getting killed. Muthu learns from Saravanan that Esakki is working for Senthooran who in turn works for Karukkavel "Kaarji", a gangster from Tirunelveli.


title: Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu

text: Kaarji's main rival is a Malayali gangster named Kutty Krishnan Nair "Kutty Bhai" whose gang is constantly at odds with Kaarji's. Muthu also learns that Chermadurai used to work for Kaarji. When Kaarji and Kutty Bhai had a fallout, Kutty Bhai arranged an attack on him at a temple where Kaarji escaped and assumed Chermadurai to be a mole for Kutty Bhai since he had left for his hometown at the time. Unable to prove his innocence, Chermadurai took his own life. Realizing this, Muthu and Sridharan, a man Kutty Bhai uses as a sex slave, decide to leave Mumbai. However, Sridharan is caught and Muthu is forced to kill Kutty Bhai's henchmen who attack the parotta store during the night.


title: Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu

text: Muthu and the others hit back by killing Kutty Bhai's brother which impresses Kaarji, who appoints Muthu as his bodyguard. Muthu starts making money, which he sends to Latchumi and Gomathi. 6 months later, Muthu works with Kaarji as his bodyguard and becomes one of Kaarji's most trusted men. During what was supposed to be a meeting with an actress, Kaarji is ambushed by Kutty Bhai's men but Muthu fends them off and saves Kaarji. Kaarji orders Muthu and his men to kill Kutty Bhai but they fail. A meeting between Kaarji, Kutty Bhai and Rauf Bhai, the man controlling Mumbai is set up where Rauf Bhai says that if either Kaarji or Kutty Bhai dies, the other one will die as well. Meanwhile, Paavai meets Muthu again and despite learning about his profession, agrees to Muthu's marriage proposal and soon after, get married.


title: Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu

text: Kutty Bhai, in his anger for Kaarji however, hires a contract killer named Rawthar to kill Kaarji. Kutty Bhai has Rawthar kidnap and drug Paavai and Saravanan tells Muthu that Kaarji had taken her as a mistress. Muthu goes after Kaarji, intending to kill him and finds Paavai in Kaarji's hotel room. Kaarji is shocked to see Paavai and in the confusion, Rawthar jumps at Muthu, grabs his gun, shoots Kaarji and plants the gun in Muthu's hand. Kaarji's bodyguards arrive and word soon spreads that Muthu killed Kaarji. Muthu suspects Saravanan and finds out that he actually works for Kutty Bhai and was the reason behind Kaarji's death. Saravanan gets killed by his own men as they show their loyalty to Muthu.


title: Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu

text: Rawthar tries to kill Muthu and Paavai but only manages to sever one of Muthu's fingers before escaping. Muthu takes Paavai to a hospital. Esakki kidnaps Paavai's family as he thinks that Muthu killed Kaarji. Muthu goes to the parotta store and explains that he didn't kill Kaarji before leaving, having decided to lead a normal life. Simultaneously, Kutty Bhai is killed by Sridharan's girlfriend, as he harasses her while celebrating Kaarji's death. 5 years later, Muthu has become a highly respected gangster in Lucknow. Muthu is shown to have a son who had died. Apart from his daily life as a crime boss, Muthu led a happy life with Paavai and their son. However, their son is killed in an attack meant for Muthu.


title: Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu

text: With the help of Iyer, Muthu arranges a meeting with the gangsters in Allahabad and manages to kill them. Reeling from the loss of his son, Muthu stumbles upon Sridharan, who is married and working as a barber. Muthu's journey of becoming a crime boss and how Sridharan escaped from Kutty Bhai's henchmen will be continued in the sequel.


title: Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu

text: In February 2018, Gautham Vasudev Menon announced a sequel to "Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa" (2010) titled "Ondraga", which would focus on Karthik and his best friends from college travelling to the United States to attend a wedding ten years after the events of the first film. It had Silambarasan reprising his role from the original film, and had pulled out prominent names from South Indian film fraternity, but the film did not begin production. Later, Silambarasan and Menon worked on the short film "Karthik Dial Seytha Yenn", based on the characters from the first film which was shot during the COVID-19 lockdown in India.


title: Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu

text: Soon after its release, speculations arose that Silambarasan and Menon would collaborate for the sequel of "Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa", or a fresh script written by Menon. In January 2021, Silambarasan announced his new project which will be directed by Menon with Ishari K. Ganesh of Vels Film International bankrolling the project, thus marking the third collaboration between Menon and Silambarasan. A. R. Rahman was announced as the music composer in early February 2021, with lyricist Thamarai also joining the technical team. On Menon's birthday (25 February 2021), the makers announced the film's title as "Nadhigalile Neeradum Suriyan", named after a line from the song "Ondra Renda Asaigal" from Menon's "Kaakha Kaakha" (2003).


title: Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu

text: During the production of "Nadhigalile Neeradum Suriyan", Silambarasan insisted Menon to work on a raw and rustic-toned script, leading to a change in the storyline as well as the film genre. Menon brought in the basic plotline of the novel "Agni Kunjondru Kanden" (inspired from a poem written by Subramania Bharati) by screenwriter B. Jeyamohan, instead of a fresh script he planned. On 6 August 2021, Menon announced the film's new title "Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu", also named from one of the lines from the same poem written by Bharati. The first look also released on the same day, featuring Silambarasan in a rustic avatar. He had reportedly lost 15 kilos for his role in the film. Ganesh described his role as "a character he hasn't done before". In the same month, Kayadu Lohar was announced as the lead actress. However, the role went to Siddhi Idnani in January 2022.


title: Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu

text: Director-cinematographer Siddhartha Nuni, who worked in the Kannada film "Lucia" (2013) was hired for the project, along with Anthony, who regularly collaborated with Menon in his previous ventures, handled the editing works. Silambarasan shared a picture on social media revealing his current transformation for the film, to quell rumours that the first look was "photoshopped". A report from "The Times of India" stated that the actor had hired a special instructor to reduce his weight for the past six months and had also trained for the stunt sequences too. The film's cast further included Malayalam actors Siddique and Neeraj Madhav, playing pivotal roles in the film.


title: Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu

text: The film revolves around the plight of migrant workers, which is Menon's first attempt on portraying the tale of marginalised section in the society. Menon also stated that Silambarasan would be seen in five different looks as the film narrates his journey from teenage to adulthood. Jeyamohan said the film would not be a full-fledged rural action drama like "Asuran", but a portion of it would be set in a rural backdrop, and the film will also feature urban portions. He added that the film would be rustic tonally, with the style of Menon's earlier directorial ventures. Menon stated that the film will be on the lines of "Vaaranam Aayiram", and will see Silambarasan in five different looks as the film progresses from his teenage to adulthood.


title: Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu

text: Principal photography began on 7 August 2021 at Tiruchendur. On 23 August 2021, shooting was suspended due to the tussle between Tamil Film Producers Council (TFPC) and Film Employees Federation of South India (FEFSI), as several producers filed complaints against Silambarasan in the past over his failure to commit to the projects he signed and also demanded for compensation. Following Ganesh's assurance to compensate the producers, shooting resumed on 26 August, with the second schedule beginning in Chennai.


title: Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu

text: On 20 September 2021, the makers announced that the second schedule had been completed. The team took a brief break, following Silambarasan's involvement's in the post-production of "Maanaadu" and on 18 October, Silambarasan went to Mumbai to begin the third schedule. It was reported that the team had planned to resume the shooting in Chennai and had constructed a set resembling Mumbai, in a private film studio. Hollywood-based stunt choreographer Lee Whittaker was hired for the action sequences, joined the schedule in Mumbai on mid-October. The team had several complications on the film's production in Mumbai, citing the difficulties in travel due to pandemic and weather conditions, and decided to begin the final schedule in Chennai for more than 25 days. However, contrary to the earlier statements, the final schedule began on 7 December 2021 in Mumbai.


title: Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu

text: On 11 December, Silambarasan was hospitalised in Chennai due to a viral infection, resulting in shooting being stalled for a few days. A minor shooting schedule was later held in Chennai on 3 January 2022, and took place for 10 days. By 13 January 2022, the Chennai shooting schedule has been wrapped and was informed that the team will return to Mumbai for the final schedule which involves few patchwork scenes. A source from the production team stated that the shooting in Mumbai, will be stalled for some time due to the rise in COVID-19 infections in the city, and will be planned appropriately only after the restrictions being lifted. As of mid-January, 50% of the film has been completed. The third and final schedule began in Mumbai on 9 February 2022. Filming completely wrapped on 15 April 2022.


title: Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu

text: The music for the film is composed by A. R. Rahman in his third collaboration with Menon after "Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa" (2010) and "Achcham Yenbadhu Madamaiyada" (2016) and fourth collaboration with Silambarasan after the former movies and "Chekka Chivantha Vaanam" (2018). The audio rights were purchased by Think Music. The first single "Kaalathukkum Nee Venum" was released on 6 May 2022.


title: Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu

text: The satellite rights of the film are sold to Kalaignar TV. Initially, there were reports suggesting that the film's digital rights were acquired by Aha Tamil, but later it was acquired by Amazon Prime Video. The film was digitally streamed on Amazon Prime Video from 13 October 2022.


title: Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu

text: "Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu" received mostly positive reviews from critics and audience with praise for the Simbu's performance, screenplay, cinematography, action sequences, background score and soundtrack but criticized the climax .


title: Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu

text: Nidhima Taneja of "The Print" rated the film 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "It is the journey of the most incomprehensible — or an underdog if you will — man in the pyramid that makes "Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu" worth a watch". Sowmya Rajendran of "The News Minute" rated the film 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "Gautham Vasudev Menon’s film has all the familiar material that you expect from a gangster film but also a few departures and inclusions that keep things engrossing". Karthik Keramalu of "Firstpost" rated the film 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "The movie humanizes the lives of gangsters who’re at the bottom of the chain". M. Suganth of "The Times of India" rated the film 3 out of 5 stars and called it "an uneven gangster saga that works in parts". Kirubhakar Purushothaman of "The Indian Express" rated the film 3 out of 5 stars and wrote ""Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu" begins on a great note and keeps the momentum till the interval only to drop the ball in the climax. "Pinkvilla" rated the film 3 out of 5 stars and wrote ""Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu" is an entertaining gangster drama that has some amazing performances in place". Janani K. of "India Today" rated the film 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote ""Vendhu Thanindhadhu Kaadu" could have been Simbu’s "Pudhupettai", but it falls short by a few miles. The second half could have been more nuanced". Srivatsan S of "The Hindu" wrote "The biggest positive has got to be how well-rounded the screenplay structure is: where it begins is where the film also ends."


title: Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu

text: A critic for "Deccan Herald" rated 3 out of 5 and wrote "The template of a small-town man getting sucked into the criminal world isn’t new. Gautham reinvents it and he has a great partner in crime in Simbu. It’s a great combination." Sowndarya Athimuthu of "The Quint" rated the film 3 out of 5 stars and wrote "Though "Vendhu Thanindhadhu Kaadu" might come across as a usual gangster saga, it is a unique attempt from Gautham Vasudev Menon, who submits to writer Jeyamohan’s vision". Sudhir Srinivasan of "Cinema Express" rated the film 3 out of 5 stars and wrote ""VTK" shows plenty of potential, and the disappointment is that it doesn’t quite hit as many highs as you would expect".


title: Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu

text: On the first day of its release, the film grossed over 12 crore worldwide with the film collecting over 8.25 crore in Tamil Nadu. The film grossed over crore worldwide and became one of the highest grossing Tamil films of the year.


title: Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu

text: Before the production of the film, several producers had filed a complaint against Silambarasan at the Tamil Film Producers Council (TFPC) for not working on the projects he had advanced before the shoot. Global Infotainment's Michael Rayappan too criticised Silambarasan, after failing to compensate the losses incurred during the production of "Anbanavan Asaradhavan Adangadhavan" (2017). As a result, the Tamil Film Producers Council issued a red card against Silambarasan following the complaints and also insisted the Film Employees Federation of South India (FEFSI) to stop the production works on the film. However, FEFSI had supported the film because Ishari K. Ganesh had helped the association in several ways during the COVID-19 lockdown. It eventually resulted in the split between TFPC and FEFSI, and the shooting was disrupted following this incident. Fans of Silambarasan eventually supported the actor and condemned TFPC's actions; they started using the hashtag "#SaveTamilCinemafromTFPC" eventually being trending for two days on Twitter. Later, on 26 August 2021, Ganesh admitted to pay the requested amount on behalf of the actor in order to resume shooting; an assurance letter was submitted to the producers council.


title: Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu

text: The complete title "Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu Part I: The Kindling" was unveiled in early September, confirming that a sequel was in development.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: An outlaw motorcycle club is a motorcycle subculture generally centered on the use of cruiser motorcycles, particularly Harley-Davidsons and choppers, and a set of ideals that purport to celebrate freedom, nonconformity to mainstream culture, and loyalty to the biker group.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: In the United States, such motorcycle clubs (MCs) are considered "outlaw" not necessarily because they engage in criminal activity, but because they are not sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) and do not adhere to the AMA's rules. Instead, the clubs have their own set of bylaws reflecting the outlaw biker culture.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: The U.S. Department of Justice defines "outlaw motorcycle gangs" (OMG) as "organizations whose members use their motorcycle clubs as conduits for criminal enterprises".


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: While organizations may vary, the typical internal organization of a motorcycle club consists of a president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, road captain, and sergeant-at-arms (sometimes known as enforcer). In some clubs, localized groups of a single, large MC are called "charters" and the first chapter established for an MC is referred to as the "mother charter". Sometimes the president of the mother chapter serves as the president of the entire MC, and sets club policy on a variety of issues, whereas other clubs either elect or appoint a National President for this role.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: Some "biker" clubs employ a process whereby members must pass several stages such as "friend of the club", "hang-around", and "prospect", on their way to becoming full-patch (see explanation of 'patching' below) members. The actual stages and membership process can and often do vary widely from club to club. Often, an individual must pass a vote of the membership and swear some level of allegiance to the club. Some clubs have a unique club patch (cut or top rocker) adorned with the term MC that are worn on the rider's vest, known as a kutte.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: In these clubs, some amount of hazing may occur during the early stages (i.e. hang-around, prospecting) ranging from the mandatory performance of menial labor tasks for full patch members to sophomoric pranks, and, in rare cases with some outlaw motorcycle clubs, acts of violence. During this time, the prospect may wear the club name on the back of their vest, but not the full logo, though this practice may vary from club to club. To become a full member, the prospect or probate must be voted on by the rest of the full club members. Successful admission usually requires more than a simple majority, and some clubs may reject a prospect or a probate for a single dissenting vote. A formal induction follows, in which the new member affirms his loyalty to the club and its members. The final logo patch is then awarded. Full members are often referred to as "full patch members" or "patchholders" and the step of attaining full membership can be referred to as "being patched".


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: The majority of members of outlaw motorcycle clubs have no serious criminal record, and express their outlaw status on a social level, and equating the word "outlaw" with disregard for the law of groups like the American Motorcyclist Association, not the laws of government.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: Many non-outlaw motorcycle clubs adopt similar insignia, colors, organizational structures, and trappings to outlaw clubs, making it difficult for outsiders (including police) to tell the groups apart. Much of the mystique and many of the unwritten rules, values, and ideals of non-outlaw clubs are believed to come from outlaw clubs.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: Outlaw clubs are often prominent at charity events, such as toy runs. Charitable giving is frequently cited as evidence that these clubs do not deserve their negative media image. Outlaw clubs have been accused of using charity rides to mask their criminal nature. The American Motorcyclist Association has frequently complained of the bad publicity for motorcycling in general caused by outlaw clubs, and they have said that the presence of outlaw clubs at charity events has actually harmed the needy by driving down public participation and reducing donations. Events such as a 2005 shootout between rival outlaw clubs in the midst of a charity toy drive in California have raised fears about the participation of outlaw biker clubs in charity events. Authorities have attempted to ban outlaw clubs from charity events, or to restrict the wearing of colors at events in order to avert the sort of inter-club violence that has happened at previous charity runs. In 2002, the Warlocks MC of Pennsylvania sued over their exclusion from a charity event.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: The primary visual identification of a member of an outlaw motorcycle club is the vest adorned with a large club-specific patch or patches, predominantly located in the middle of the back. The patch(es) will contain a club logo, the name of the club, and the letters MC, and a possible state, province, or other chapter identification. This garment and the patches themselves are referred to as the "colors" or "cut" (a term taken from the early practice of cutting the collars and/or sleeves from a denim or leather jacket). Many non-outlaw motorcycle riding clubs such as the Harley Owners Group also wear patches on the back of their vests, without including the letters "MC".


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: The club patches always remain property of the club itself, not the member, and only members are allowed to wear the club's patches. Hang-arounds and/or support clubs wear support patches with the club's colors. A member must closely guard their colors, for allowing one's colors to fall into the hands of an outsider is an act of disgrace and may result in loss of membership in a club, or some other punishment.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: The colors worn by members of some motorcycle clubs will sometimes follow a convention of using either a one-piece patch for nonconformist social clubs, two-piece patch for clubs "paying dues", a three-piece patch for "outlaw" clubs or side patches. The "three-piece patch" consists of the club logo and the top and bottom patches, usually crescent shaped, which are referred to as rockers. The number and arrangement of patches is somewhat indicative of the nature of the club. Though many motorcycle clubs wear the three-piece patch arrangement, this is not necessarily an indication that a club is an outlaw motorcycle club.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: Law enforcement agencies have confiscated colors and other club paraphernalia of these types of clubs when they raid a clubhouse or the home of a MC member, and they often display these items at press conferences. These items are then used at trial to support prosecution assertions that MC members perform criminal acts on behalf of their club. Courts have found that the probative value of such items is far outweighed by their unfairly prejudicial effects on the defence.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: Some outlaw motorcycle clubs can be distinguished by a "1%" patch worn on the colors. This is said to refer to a comment made in 1960 by William Berry, a former president of the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), that 99% of motorcyclists were law-abiding citizens, implying the last one percent were outlaws.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: The alleged AMA comment, supposedly in reference to the Hollister riot of 1947, is denied by the AMA, who claim to have no record of such a statement to the press and that the story is a misquote. Whether the original quote is true or not, the "1%" patch is worn only by clubs immersed in criminality.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: Outlaw clubs began wearing the "1%" patch after Hells Angels president Sonny Barger convened a meeting of the leaders of various Hells Angels chapters and other California clubs in 1960 in which the various clubs parleyed over the mutual problem of police harassment. The clubs voted to ally under the patch. In 1963, the Outlaws became the first club east of the Mississippi River to begin wearing the "1%" emblem.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: Other patches may be worn by members, including phrases and symbols. The style or meaning of these other patches can vary between clubs. Some, such as a skull and crossbones patch, or the motto "Respect Few, Fear None", are worn in some clubs by members who commit murder or other acts of violence on behalf of the club.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: There are also "wings" or "biker's wings", which are earned similarly to jump wings or pilot's wings, but with various color-coded meanings, e.g. in some clubs, it is said that a member who has had sex with a woman with venereal disease can wear "green wings". It has also been suggested that these definitions are a hoax, intended to make fools of those outside the outlaw biker world, and also to serve the purpose of provoking outrage among conservative public and authorities.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: Frequently, additional patches may involve symbols, such as the use of the Iron Cross, Nazi swastikas, the Sig Rune insignia of the Schutzstaffel or the "Totenkopf". These may not indicate Nazi sympathies, but serve to express the outlaw biker's total rejection of social constraints, and desire for the shock value among those who fail to understand the biker way.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: Most outlaw motorcycle clubs do not allow women to become full-patch members. Rather, in some 1%er clubs, women have in the past been portrayed as submissive or victims to the men, treated as property, forced into prostitution or street-level drug trafficking, and often physically and sexually abused, their roles as being those of obedient followers and their status as objects. These women are claimed to pass over any pay they receive to their partners or sometimes to the entire club. This appears to make these groups extremely gender-segregated. This has not always been the case, as during the 1950s and 1960s, some Hells Angels chapters had women members.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: Academic research has criticized the methodology of such previous studies as being "vague and hazy", and lacking in participant demographics. Such reports may have made clear statements and authoritative analyses about the role of women associated with outlaw motorcycle clubs, but few state how they have come to such conclusions; one admitting that, "[his] interviews with biker women were limited lest [his] intentions were misinterpreted" by their male companions and that such views of women are mythic and "sexist research" in itself, using deeply flawed methodologies and serve two highly political purposes of maintaining a dominance myth of women by men and amplifying the deviance of the male club members.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: These myths about the women are: that they are subservient working-class women, used as objects for club sexual rituals; are hard-bitten, unattractive, and politically conservative; and that they are 'money makers' for the biker men and clubs, i.e., prostitutes, topless barmaids or strippers who are forced to hand over their money to the club. A 1990 paper noted the changing role of women within outlaw motorcycle clubs, and a 2000 paper stated that they now have agency and political savvy, reframing the narratives of their lives. "We did it. We showed them we are real women dealing with real men. I'd much prefer to be living with an OMC member than some dork who is a pawn in the system", said one woman who felt she and her peers had "set the record straight". One woman in 2001 described the previous work done by men about women in the outlaw motorcycle club world by saying "the men that wrote that must be meatheads". They [women] are part of the scene because they want to be and enjoy it. These women have broken from society's stereotypically defined roles and find freedom with the biker world.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: High-profile outlaw bikers have historically been white and their clubs are typically exclusively racially homogeneous. Other sources state outright, that "With few exceptions, blacks are excluded from membership or riding with one-percenter biker clubs." The average age for a club studied was 34.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: There are black clubs, white clubs, and Mexican and other Spanish-speaking clubs. Although race does not appear to be important as a creed or philosophical orientation to them, virtually all of the clubs are racially unmixed. Bikers in American prisons, as prisoners generally do, band together along racial lines. It is claimed that racial discrimination within clubs has led to creation of rival clubs in the past, such as the Mongols Motorcycle Club after members were rejected by the local Hells Angels chapter. Some clubs or individual chapters are now multi-racial, but the number of "white supremacist biker clubs are growing nationwide".


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: Many members of outlaw motorcycle clubs engage in criminal activities and organized crime and "pose a serious domestic threat". Law enforcement agencies perceive such individuals and motorcycle clubs as being unique among criminal groups because they maintain websites and businesses, identify themselves through patches and tattoos, write and obey constitutions and bylaws, trademark their club names and logos, and even hold publicity campaigns aimed at improving their public image. The term "outlaw motorcycle gang" was coined by the journalist Hunter S. Thompson in 1966 and was subsequently adopted by federal and local law enforcement agencies in the United States and elsewhere.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Criminal Intelligence Service Canada have designated four MCs as "outlaw motorcycle gangs": the Hells Angels, the Pagans, the Outlaws, and the Bandidos, known as the "Big Four". These four have a large enough national impact to be prosecuted under the U.S. Federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) statute. The California Attorney General also lists the Mongols and the Vagos as outlaw motorcycle gangs.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: The FBI asserts that Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (OMGs) support themselves primarily through drug dealing, trafficking in stolen goods, and extortion, and that they fight over territory and the illegal drug trade and collect $1 billion in illegal income annually.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: Motorcycle gangs frequently begin mutually beneficial partnerships with independent racketeers, and build a large network of associates by doing so. Crimes are typically carried out by associates rather than "full patch" members in order to protect the club from implication by law enforcement. In 1985 a three-year, eleven-state FBI operation named Roughrider culminated in the largest OMG bust in history, with the confiscation of $2 million worth of illegal drugs, as well as an illegal arsenal of weapons, ranging from Uzi submachine guns to antitank weapons. In October 2008, the FBI announced the end of a six-month undercover operation by agents into the narcotics trafficking by the Mongols Motorcycle Club. The bust went down with 160 search warrants and 110 arrest warrants


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: Canada, especially, has in the late 20th century experienced a significant upsurge in crime involving outlaw motorcycle clubs, most notably in what has been dubbed the Quebec Biker War, which has involved more than 150 murders (plus a young bystander killed by an exploding car bomb), 84 bombings, and 130 cases of arson. The increased violence in Canada has been attributed to turf wars over the illegal drug trafficking business, specifically relating to access to the Port of Montreal, but also as the Hells Angels have sought to obtain control of the street level trade from other rival or independent gangs in various regions of Canada. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Gazette, quoting from the Provincial Court of Manitoba, defines these groups as: "Any group of motorcycle enthusiasts who have voluntarily made a commitment to band together and abide by their organizations' rigorous rules enforced by violence, who engage in activities that bring them and their club into serious conflict with society and the law".


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: The Hells Angels sponsors charitable events for Toys for Tots in an attempt to legitimize themselves with public opinion.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: Contrary to other criminal organizations, OMGs operate on an individual basis instead of top-down, which is how supporters can claim that only some members are committing crimes. Belonging guarantees to each member the option of running criminal activity, using other members as support—the main characteristic of OMGs being "amoral individualism", in contrast to the hierarchical orders and bonds of "amoral familism" of other criminal organizations such as the Mafia. U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agent William Queen, who infiltrated the Mongols, wrote that what makes a group like them different from the Mafia is that crime and violence are not used as expedients in pursuit of profit, but that the priorities are reversed. Mayhem and lawlessness are inherent in living "The Life" and the money they obtain by illegal means is only wanted as a way to perpetuate that lifestyle.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: Recently, authorities have tried tactics aimed at undermining the gang identity and breaking up the membership. But in June 2011 the High Court of Australia overturned a law that outlawed crime-focused motorcycle clubs and required members to avoid contact with one another. In the U.S., a Federal judge rejected a prosecutor's request to seize ownership of the Mongols Motorcycle Club logo and name, saying the government had no right to the trademarks. Federal prosecutors had requested, as part of a larger criminal indictment, a court order giving the government ownership of the logo in order to prevent members from wearing the club's colors.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: Certain large one-percent MCs have rivalries between each other and will fight over territory and other issues. Sometimes smaller clubs are forced into or willingly accept supportive roles for a larger one-percent club and are sometimes required to wear a "support patch" on their vests that shows their affiliation with the dominant regional club. Smaller clubs are often allowed to form with the permission of the dominant regional club. Clubs that resist have been forcibly disbanded by being told to hand over their colors on threat of aggression.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: In Australia and the United States, many MCs have established statewide MC coalitions. These coalitions are composed of MCs who have chapters in the state, and the occasional interested third party organization, and hold periodic meetings on neutral ground where representatives from each club meet in closed session to resolve disputes between clubs and discuss issues of common interest. Local coalitions or confederations of clubs have eliminated some of the inter-club rivalry and together they have acted to hire legal and PR representation.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: Larger outlaw motorcycle clubs will often establish localized smaller clubs that are subservient to the gang. These clubs are referred to as support clubs, satellite clubs or puppet clubs. They act as auxiliary groups, providing support to the larger club by propelling their influence further, acting as sources of recruitment and various other ways in return for protection and to bolster their reputations. Support clubs can also be used to help the principal club facilitate criminal activities.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: Although the outlaw motorcycle club subculture has a tendency to be associated with the United States, a large number of regional scenes have emerged transcontinentally within countless nations across the globe.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: Europol has reported that there has been steady growth in the membership of outlaw motorcycle clubs worldwide since the year 2005.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: Outlaw motorcycle clubs are reported to have first appeared in Australia during the 1960s. Here, they are commonly referred to as "bikie gangs".


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: At present, there exist an abundance of outlaw motorcycle clubs in Australia - many of which are homegrown clubs (founded within the country) and have since expanded overseas. However, a good amount of the country's groups are chapters of international one-percenter clubs which originated outside of Commonwealth of Australia such as the Hells Angels and the Mongols MC.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: According to the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, there are (at least) 38 outlaw motorcycle gangs operating across the nation as of 2020.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: Outlaw biker clubs first began to appear in Belgium in the 1970s, and the Belgian biker scene continued to be dominated by small local clubs until the 1990s. In 1992, Belgium's Blue Angels club became the first international club in the country when they merged with the Blue Angels of Scotland. The Hells Angels opened its first Belgian chapter in Ghent in 1997. In 1999, the Outlaws formed its first chapter in Belgium through a "patch over" of an indigenous Outlaws club based in Mechelen. The Belgian Federal Police has designated the Bandidos, the Blue Angels, the Hells Angels and the Outlaws as criminal motorcycle gangs.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: Outlaw motorcycle clubs first began to appear in Ontario and Quebec in the early 1950s. By 2002, there were 26 motorcycle gangs operating in Canada, the largest and most powerful of which being the Hells Angels. Canadian biker gangs are involved in money laundering, intimidation, assault, attempted murder, murder, fraud, theft, counterfeiting, loan-sharking, extortion, prostitution, escort agencies, strip clubs, and the trafficking of illegal weapons, stolen goods, contraband, and illicit alcohol and cigarettes.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: Some of the other major biker organizations (aside from Hells Angels) that have operated in Canada, include the following:


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: The late 1970s and early 1980s were considered to be the "golden age" in Western Canada for independent outlaw motorcycle clubs.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: Outlaw motorcycle clubs first appeared in the Canadian province of Quebec during the early 1950s. By the year 1968, the province was home to at least 350 of such groups - with most of, if not all, being "home-grown" - rather than having origins outside of Canada (or even Quebec). Some of the most notable outlaw biker gangs at this time were Satan's Choice Motorcycle Club, Popeye Moto Club, Devil's Disciples Motorcycle Club (unrelated to the American group of the same name), the Gitans, the Atomes, the Missiles MC, and of course, Hells Angels. The largest, most-feared chapter of Hells Angels was formed in Montreal, Quebec in 1977, when a biker gang called the Popeyes joined up the Hells Angels. After the Rock Machine emerged in 1986, they quickly became the number one rival of the Hells Angels, and a full-blown turf war between the two biker gangs erupted in the 1990s; unfortunately, claiming more than 150 individual lives, including two (2) prison guards and an innocent 11-year-old boy named Daniel Desrochers, who died several days after a planted car bomb exploded and a piece of shrapnel penetrated his head.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: Throughout the 1990s, the province of Quebec witnessed violent confrontations between rivaling outlaw biker gangs with activities that ranged from homicides to bombings. Such violence and brutality was a decade-long conflict between the Hells Angels and the Rock Machine, better known as the "1994 Biker Wars." The Quebec Biker Wars officially began on 13 July 1994, when three (3) masked-men shot and killed Pierre D'aoust (member of a Hells Angels-affiliated club called the Death Riders) at a motorcycle shop in Montreal. This ongoing feud largely stemmed over territory and the narcotics trade in Quebec, while also being fueled further by long-standing rivalries, deep-seated hatred and animosities between major players in the Quebec criminal underworld at that time. To provide a general idea of the criminal underworld involvement, it's essential to recall that the Hells Angels in Quebec at that time (i.e. 1994) were backed by Vito Rizzuto (of the Montreal Mafia), while the Rock Machine were affiliated with the criminal coalition known as the Alliance Against the Angels (otherwise known as the Dark Circle). The two central figures in the 1994 conflict were the leaders of the two warring gangs (Hells Angels and the Rock Machine): Maurice "Mom" Boucher (leader of Quebec's Hells Angels); and Salvatore Cazzetta (leader of the Rock Machine). The extreme levels of violence, assassinations, bombings, arson attacks, fly-by-fire attacks finally came to a crescendo, which eventually led to the creation and passing of both Bill C-95 in 1997 and Bill C-24 in 2001 - setting forth harsher punishments and penalties for members of gangs and organized crime groups.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: Over the next several weeks, the violence reached a crescendo. In one week in September 1995, there was an assassination in a parking lot; bombings at a strip club, a bar and the mansion of an organized crime figure; arson attacks on a pawn shop, tanning salon and a used-car lot; and a friendly-fire incident where bikers accidentally killed three members of their own club.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: The Hells Angels (or "H-A" as they're often referred to) were, and continue to be, one of the more prominent biker gangs still in existence today in Quebec and other regions of Canada - having at least 34 different chapters across the country in April 2009.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: The first outlaw biker clubs in Germany were established by American military stationed in the country, including the Bones MC, founded in 1968, and the Ghost Riders MC, formed in 1972.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: Outlaw motorcycle clubs began developing rapidly in Indonesia in the 1990s, although some of the country's homegrown groups are said to have existed as early as the 1970s. The presence of biker gangs in Indonesia has received national media attention


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: Large international outlaw biker groups which have expanded into Indonesia include the Finks Motorcycle Club, Satudarah Motorcycle Club, Rebels Motorcycle Club, Rock Machine Motorcycle Club, and the Diablos Motorcycle Club.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: Outlaw motorcycle clubs have been present in the Netherlands since the 1970s. In 1978, the Hells Angels absorbed the "Kriedler Ploeg Oost" biker club in Amsterdam.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: The most prominent Dutch club is Satudarah MC. Following the group's initial foundation in Moordrecht, they've since expanded into 44 chapters across the nation and have branched out internationally within at least 20 countries. Another notable one of these groups to have come out of the Netherlands is No Surrender Motorcycle Club. While not as large as Saturdarah, they have still managed to set up branches overseas with an approximant total of more than one thousand members in roughly 19 nations across the globe.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: Due to the notable presence of biker gangs in the Netherlands, alongside their tendency to be involved in criminal activity, certain one-percenter groups have been subject to nationwide prohibition by the Judiciary of the Netherlands.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: New Zealand has a rather large outlaw motorcycle club scene which has gained a significant amount of national and international media attention over the years.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: The outlaw motorcycle club movement of Scandinavia and the Nordic countries started in Sweden after numerous groups were established throughout the country during the late 1960s and early 1970s.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: Sweden's variation of the subculture was greatly influenced by the American one-percenter biker scene.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: The Kingdom of Thailand, along with many other parts of South-East Asia, have chapters of some of the most prominent international outlaw motorcycle clubs in the world including the Rebels Motorcycle Club, the Mongols Motorcycle Club, and the Outlaws Motorcycle Club. Additionally, the Comanchero Motorcycle Club, Mad Dog Motorcycle Club, Gremium Motorcycle Club, Satudarah Motorcycle Club, No Surrender Motorcycle Club, and the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club all have chapters in Thailand.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: One notable outlaw motorcycle club to have been founded in Thailand are the Diablos Motorcycle Club. They are a support club for the larger Bandidos Motorcycle Club, who themselves also have chapters within the country.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: The outlaw biker scene of the U.K. began as early as the 1960s with clubs like the Blue Angels MC, Road Rats MC, Cycle Tramps Motorcycle Club, and the Satans Slaves MC (unrelated to the New Zealand-based MC of the same name).


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: The outlaw biker subculture emerged in the United States in the late 1940s, as disenfranchised servicemen returned from World War II and founded motorcycle clubs to replicate the camaraderie and psychological stimulation they had experienced in the war. Early biker clubs established by World War II veterans included the Boozefighters, the Hells Angels, the Market Street Commandos and the Pissed Off Bastards of Bloomington. Various other clubs, such as the Bandidos, the Sons of Silence and the Warlocks, were later formed by Vietnam veterans.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: According to the U.S. Department of Justice, there were approximately 500 motorcycle gangs operating in the United States in 1991, with a combined membership of several thousand. These gangs range in levels of criminal sophistication, from groups of thugs to well-organized criminal networks. A government survey published in 1990 found that outlaw motorcycle gangs control 40% of the traffic of dangerous drugs in the U.S., including three quarters of the methamphetamine trade. A subsequent study concluded that outlaw motorcycle gangs control or are heavily involved in the sale of meth in 38 states.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: The drug trade is the main source of income for motorcycle gangs, and the bikers on the East Coast deal primarily in cocaine. Outlaw biker clubs also control approximately 70–80% of the methamphetamine market in New York City and Albany, New York, however. Motorcycle gangs are also more heavily involved in prostitution on the East Coast than on the West; women operate the streets and out of gang-owned massage parlours and escort services. Eastern U.S. biker gangs use bodyguard services, horse ranches, vending machine companies, lawn services, and real estate to launder money.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: Cocaine is the drug most commonly distributed by biker gangs in the Midwest. Motorcycle gangs in the central U.S. launder money via beauty shops, towing companies, construction companies, horse ranches, and real estate.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: Detroit has had an affluent presence of outlaw motorcycle clubs since the 1960s. Some of the most notable clubs to have come out of the city of Detroit include the Forbidden Wheels Motorcycle Club, Highwaymen Motorcycle Club, Outcast Motorcycle Club, Satan's Sidekicks Motorcycle Club, and Scorpions Motorcycle Club.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: As of 2008, there are approximately 60 outlaw motorcycle gangs active in California, with a combined membership of around 2,000. Motorcycle gangs in the western U.S. deal primarily in methamphetamine. As a result of stringent laws regarding the sale of precursor chemicals, and the formation of task forces to target clandestine labs in California, many methamphetamine manufacturers from the state relocated to the Pacific Northwest, where the rugged terrain and sparse population of rural Oregon and Washington made ideal conditions for clandestine meth labs. According to a 1989 report by the Western States Information Network (SWIN), 11% of drug labs seized had outlaw motorcycle gang paraphernalia present at the site. Motorcycle gangs in the western U.S. launder money through interior decorating businesses, construction companies, locksmiths, pizza parlors, jewelry businesses, and real estate.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: Outlaw motorcyclists and their clubs have been frequently portrayed and parodied in movies and the media generally, giving rise to an "outlaw biker film" genre. It generally exists as a negative stereotype in the public's subconscious and yet has inspired fashion trends for both males and, as "biker babes", for females. The appearance has even been exploited by the fashion industry bringing it into legal conflict with some clubs and simultaneously encouraging a cultural specific fetishistic look that conveys sex, danger, rebelliousness, masculinity, and working class values.


title: Outlaw motorcycle club

text: The biker style has influenced the look of other sub-cultures such as punk, heavy metal, leather subculture and cybergoth fashion, and, initially an American subculture, has had an international influence. Bikers, their clothing, and motorcycles have become cultural icons of mythic status, their portrayal generally exaggerating a criminal or deviant association exploited by the media for their own often financial interests.


title: Cunt

text: Cunt () is a vulgar word for the vulva or vagina. It is used in a variety of ways, including as a term of disparagement. Reflecting national variations, "cunt" can be used as a disparaging and obscene term for a woman in the United States, an unpleasant or stupid man or woman in the United Kingdom, or a contemptible man in Australia and New Zealand. However, in Australia and New Zealand it can also be a neutral or positive term when used with a positive qualifier (e.g., "He's a good cunt"). The term has various derivative senses, including adjective and verb uses.


title: Cunt

text: Feminist writer and English professor Germaine Greer argues that "cunt" "is one of the few remaining words in the English language with a genuine power to shock".


title: Cunt

text: The earliest known use of the word, according to the "Oxford English Dictionary", was as part of a placename of a London street, Gropecunt Lane, . Use of the word as a term of abuse is relatively recent, dating from the late nineteenth century. The word appears not to have been taboo in the Middle Ages, but became taboo towards the end of the eighteenth century, and was then not generally admissible in print until the latter part of the twentieth century.


title: Cunt

text: The etymology of "cunt" is a matter of debate, but most sources consider the word to have derived from a Germanic word (Proto-Germanic "*kuntō", stem "*kuntōn-"), which appeared as ' in Old Norse. Scholars are uncertain of the origin of the Proto-Germanic form itself. There are cognates in most Germanic languages, most of which also have the same meaning as the English cunt, such as the Swedish, Faroese and Nynorsk '; West Frisian and Middle Low German '; another Middle Low German '; Middle High German ' (meaning ""); modern German '; Middle Dutch '; modern Dutch words ' (same meaning) and ' ("butt"); and perhaps Old English '.


title: Cunt

text: The etymology of the Proto-Germanic term is disputed. It may have arisen by Grimm's law operating on the Proto-Indo-European root ' "" seen in gonads, genital, gamete, genetics, gene, or the Proto-Indo-European root ' "" (, seen in gynaecology). Relationships to similar-sounding words such as the Latin ' (""), and its derivatives French ', Spanish ', and Portuguese ', or in Persian ' (), have not been conclusively demonstrated. Other Latin words related to "cunnus" are ' ("") and its derivative ' ("", (figurative) ""), leading to English words such as "cuneiform" (""). In Middle English, "cunt" appeared with many spellings, such as ', ' and ', which did not always reflect the actual pronunciation of the word.


title: Cunt

text: The word, in its modern meaning, is attested in Middle English. "Proverbs of Hendyng", a manuscript from some time before 1325, includes the advice:


title: Cunt

text: The word "cunt" is generally regarded in English-speaking countries as profanity and unsuitable for normal public discourse. It has been described as "the most heavily tabooed word of all English words", although John Ayto, editor of the "Oxford Dictionary of Slang", says "nigger" is more taboo.


title: Cunt

text: Some American feminists of the 1970s sought to eliminate disparaging terms for women, including "bitch" and "cunt". In the context of pornography, Catharine MacKinnon argued that use of the word acts to reinforce a dehumanisation of women by reducing them to mere body parts; and in 1979 Andrea Dworkin described the word as reducing women to "the one essential – 'cunt: our essence ... our offence'".


title: Cunt

text: Despite criticisms, there is a movement among feminists that seeks to reclaim "cunt" not only as acceptable, but as an honorific, in much the same way that "queer" has been reappropriated by LGBT people and "nigger" has been by some African-Americans. Proponents include artist Tee Corinne in "The Cunt Coloring Book" (1975); Eve Ensler in "Reclaiming Cunt" from "The Vagina Monologues" (1996); and Inga Muscio in her book, "" (1998);.


title: Cunt

text: Germaine Greer, the feminist writer and professor of English who once published a magazine article entitled "Lady, Love Your Cunt" (anthologised in 1986), discussed the origins, usage and power of the word in the BBC series "Balderdash and Piffle", explaining how her views had developed over time. In the 1970s she had "championed" the use of the word for the female genitalia, thinking it "shouldn't be abusive"; she rejected the "proper" word "vagina", a Latin name meaning "sword-sheath" originally applied by male anatomists to all muscle coverings (see synovial sheath) – not just because it refers only to the internal canal but also because of the implication that the female body is "simply a receptacle for a weapon". But in 2006, referring to its use as a term of abuse, she said that, though used in some quarters as a term of affection, it had become "the most offensive insult one man could throw at another" and suggested that the word was "sacred", and "a word of immense power, to be used sparingly".


title: Cunt

text: "Cunt" has been attested in its anatomical meaning since at least the 13th century. While Francis Grose's 1785 "A Classical Dictionary of The Vulgar Tongue" listed the word as "C**T: a nasty name for a nasty thing", it did not appear in any major English dictionary from 1795 to 1961, when it was included in "Webster's Third New International Dictionary" with the comment "usu. considered obscene". Its first appearance in the "Oxford English Dictionary" was in 1972, which cites the word as having been in use from 1230 in what was supposedly a London street name of "Gropecunte Lane". It was, however, also used before 1230, having been brought over by the Anglo-Saxons, originally not an obscenity but rather an ordinary name for the vulva or vagina. Gropecunt Lane was originally a street of prostitution, a red light district. It was normal in the Middle Ages for streets to be named after the goods available for sale therein, hence the prevalence in cities having a medieval history of names such as "Silver Street" and "Fish Street". In some locations, the former name has been bowdlerised, as in the City of York, to the more acceptable "Grape Lane".


title: Cunt

text: The somewhat similar word 'queynte' appears several times in Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales" (c. 1390), in bawdy contexts, but since it is used openly, does not appear to have been considered obscene at that time. A notable use is from the "Miller's Tale": "Pryvely he caught her by the queynte." The Wife of Bath also uses this term, "For certeyn, olde dotard, by your leave/You shall have queynte right enough at eve ... What aileth you to grouche thus and groan?/Is it for ye would have my queynte alone?" In modernised versions of these passages the word "queynte" is usually translated simply as "cunt". However, in Chaucer's usage there seems to be an overlap between the words "cunt" and "quaint" (possibly derived from the Latin for "known"). "Quaint" was probably pronounced in Middle English in much the same way as "cunt". It is sometimes unclear whether the two words were thought of as distinct from one another. Elsewhere in Chaucer's work the word "queynte" seems to be used with meaning comparable to the modern "quaint" (curious or old-fashioned, but nevertheless appealing). This ambiguity was still being exploited by the 17th century; Andrew Marvell's "... then worms shall try / That long preserved virginity, / And your quaint honour turn to dust, / And into ashes all my lust" in "To His Coy Mistress" depends on a pun on these two senses of "quaint".


title: Cunt

text: By Shakespeare's day, the word seems to have become obscene. Although Shakespeare does not use the word explicitly (or with derogatory meaning) in his plays, he still uses wordplay to sneak it in obliquely. In Act III, Scene 2, of "Hamlet", as the castle's residents are settling in to watch the play-within-the-play, Hamlet asks his girlfriend Ophelia, "Lady, shall I lie in your lap?" Ophelia replies, "No, my lord." Hamlet, feigning shock, says, "Do you think I meant "country matters"?" Then, to drive home the point that the accent is definitely on the first syllable of "country", Shakespeare has Hamlet say, "That's a fair thought, to lie between maids' legs." In "Twelfth Night" (Act II, Scene V) the puritanical Malvolio believes he recognises his employer's handwriting in an anonymous letter, commenting "There be her very Cs, her Us, and her Ts: and thus makes she her great Ps", unwittingly punning on "cunt" and "piss", and while it has also been argued that the slang term "cut" is intended, Pauline Kiernan writes that Shakespeare ridicules "prissy puritanical party-poopers" by having "a Puritan spell out the word 'cunt' on a public stage". A related scene occurs in "Henry V": when Katherine is learning English, she is appalled at the ""gros, et impudique"" words "foot" and "gown", which her teacher has mispronounced as ""coun"". It is usually argued that Shakespeare intends to suggest that she has misheard "foot" as ""foutre"" (French, "fuck") and "coun" as ""con"" (French "cunt", also used to mean "idiot").