American Chopper

Check out american chopper on discovery (mondays 10pm est)... it's more than just building bikes. It's about family, power, perseverance, frustration, and so much more. Paul Jr. and Paul Sr. disagree on almost everything. It's almost comical to watch their arguments. Sometimes the stress gets to these boys, and it's interesting to watch them sort it out.

While watching this show and hearing Paul Sr. and his sons interact, it occurred to me that this is sort of a soap opera for men. In between shouting matches and tantrums over short deadlines, missing tools, bad welds, etc. you see Paul Sr. and his sons sorting out their issues with each other and trying to work together. Sometimes these struggles end in slammed doors and hurt feelings, and sometimes (particularly when younger son Mikey is involved) they end with a joke, a few laughs, and smiles all round. Awwwwww! I think Mikey learned long ago that the best way to survive his father's wrath is to make him laugh. It works almost every time. Very clever.

I don't know anything about motorcycles, so I'm sometimes a bit puzzled by the tribute theme bikes that the Teutuls put so much effort into. Interesting as they are mechanically and artistically, the show doesn't really make it apparent to me how they help the firemen or war veterans they honor. The honorees always seem to love and appreciate them, though, so maybe that's enough.

Watching the Teutuls and their crew of craftsmen, artists, and master mechanics is addictive and fascinating. It's like looking into one of those old medieval workshops where everything was done by hand and designed and built in the shop under the supervision of a guild master. I really envy them. This is probably a way of life and doing business that's disappearing, so it's nice to think that it still flourishes in some places. See this show!

This show was unlike any other. I tuned in to see what it was like building a motorcycle. It was the third episode ever and I was hooked. I taped every episode since and the pattern is obvious. TLC ruined it. The essence of the show shifted from father and son and crew building kickass bikes to father and sons visiting Russell Crowe and Danica Patrick. For some reason it became the Jason Poole, Jim Quinn, and Nub show with the Teutels skeet shooting or bungee jumping or whatever the hell else TLC has them do. It has nothing to do with the show getting too popular or the business getting too big it's just this "Turbo TLC" in your face attitude that ruined it for all of us. Not to mention all the awful commercials for that retarded "Miami Ink" show which no one who can read or write would ever watch. Terrible, terrible, terrible.

P.S. I'm not taping anymore shows. Show was a ten, now a four or five.

Believe it or not, it used to bother me about a year or two ago when I heard people say that they hate reality television. I know, that sounds really weird, but its true- it did bug me. But now, I totally understand. I can't stand it. Not only is it offensive and just plain mean, it really serves no point. I dont mean ALL of Reality TV- Basically any reality show on fox other than American Idol. I still love Survivor, Monster House and Queer Eye is also good. But then there's American Chopper, which easily surpasses "THE OSBOURNES", because not only is it just as funny (if not funnier)than that show, you actually learn a lot about the crafts of building motorcycles and how much time and effort goes into building and designing them. One of my biggest pet peeves about 'reality television' is that it doesn't serve a purpose and its people who are 'hungry for fame and attention'. But "American Chopper" isn't like that at all. Its just two guys, doing what they love to do. I have nothing but good things to say about this hilarious and all around fantastic show.

The Discovery Channel provides great insight to creativity and mechanical fabrication. So the hosts are Simpsons-like in their family dysfunction, but look at the wonderful creations that are assembled, the use of design tools, and imagination (how ever it is induced). Though I am not a cycle rider/owner for physical handicap reasons, the show offers a fine view of the custom fabrication shop environment that can be enjoyed by anyone with a notion of mechanical fabrication curiosity. Justice is served well by the Discovery Channel for bringing the the Teutul's obnoxious creativity in to our living rooms. Personally having a background in fabrication (auto & aircraft) it is a treat to see the Teutul family dysfunction coupled with mechanical ingenuity displayed in one hour vignettes. Ride on boys!