# American Chopper **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 2, 2004, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-chopper/237980 "2004-04-02T23:54:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2004, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-chopper/237980/1 "2004-04-02T23:54:14Z")
Having only recently aquired cable I have watched this show a few times. I’m just curious… Are any dopers RT familiar with OCC? Is the family animosity, especially from Paul Sr. for real? There seems to be a lot of anger there. Or is it just sort of a soap on two wheels? ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-chopper/237980/2 "2004-04-03T00:11:18Z")
I think the animosity is real. Hilarious, but real. The problem is that Paul and Paulie are so much alike that they can’t stand each other…but they still love each other. I like when there’s a hint of love/loyalty/bonding after all the yelling and screaming. ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-chopper/237980/3 "2004-04-03T01:31:43Z")
The animosity is tootrue to life to be scripted. Paul, Sr is threatened by Paulie’s creativity and the attention he gets, while Paulie sometimes is passive-aggressive just to get back at him. But like **pepperlandgirl** said, you can tell there is a bond between them. I’m sure they edit it to maximize the conflict, but I don’t doubt it is real. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-chopper/237980/4 "2004-04-03T01:53:39Z")
I love this show. I love the bickering _and_ the warmth expressed between all these guys. My favorite episode is the one where Paul Sr. ends up surprising the apprentice kid by giving him the bike he’d just built himself. Awwww. And the bikes they design and build [kick some serious ass](http://www.orangecountychoppers.com/themes.php). All the little details are just incredible. It’s amazing to watch the creative process and see how they come together – including all the family dynamics (that’s part of what makes it fun). ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-chopper/237980/5 "2004-04-03T02:00:03Z")
I believe I read somewhere that they cut the show so it looks like they fight all the time and they play up all the screaming. ---
**Author:** ![leafrog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cab0a1/32.png) [@leafrog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leafrog)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-chopper/237980/6 "2004-04-03T03:17:48Z")
I love this show. I don’t know that I would call the dynamic in this family animosity. I think there is a huge frustration with each other. I’ve seen enough outtakes to think that they play it up for the cameras. Remember when Mikey decorated the tree instead of doing what Paulie Sr. said? Dad’s reaction was to just bust up laughing. That and what everyone said about editing. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-chopper/237980/7 "2004-04-03T04:24:25Z")
I’m not a biker, or even a bike enthusiast, but this show is great. Watching Paulie and Paul Sr. is like watching my father in law and my brother in law work on their cars. For me, though, Mikey makes the show. The POW/MIA bike was beautiful, and the Snap-On bike was shaping up to look real sharp. I missed the last episode of that bike, though. I’m sure it came out hot looking, but how’d it look? ---
**Author:** ![Kaotic\_Newtral](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@Kaotic\_Newtral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaotic_Newtral)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-chopper/237980/8 "2004-04-03T05:21:01Z")
To me, there is a difference in this show and the show that Jesse James(of West Coast Choppers fame) was on. Jesse built bikes from scratch, almost every part of his bikes are his internal design. To me, it seems like the OCC dudes order everything and just put it together. Really no better than buying motherboards, cpu’s, power supplies, cases … etc…etc… And putting them together. Towards the OP though, I think they play it up for the camera…Senior seems to get a huge laugh out of his sons, as I would. My guess is that a Jesse James bike will be worth ten fold in 50 years and OCC bikes will be thrown to the side as amusements. -K ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-chopper/237980/9 "2004-04-03T05:24:18Z")
Were they to hug each other all the time, you think anybody’d watch? It’s a typical father/son interaction, “Get your ass out of bed Junior”, but boy howdy does it ever work. I just turned it off what, an hour and a half ago? Does Senior have some guns or what? Sheesh, Robert Newhouse’s thighs are jealous. ---
**Author:** ![Kaotic\_Newtral](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@Kaotic\_Newtral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaotic_Newtral)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-chopper/237980/10 "2004-04-03T05:31:54Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > Were they to hug each other all the time, you think anybody’d watch? > > It’s a typical father/son interaction, “Get your ass out of bed Junior”, but boy howdy does it ever work. I just turned it off what, an hour and a half ago? > > Does Senior have some guns or what? Sheesh, Robert Newhouse’s thighs are jealous. Yep, I agree…that’s the main appeal of the show. The father/son thing is an incredile hook. And, yep…Senior has some wicked guns! ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-chopper/237980/11 "2004-04-03T05:36:25Z")
> [@leafrog](#): > > I love this show. > > I don’t know that I would call the dynamic in this family animosity. I think there is a huge frustration with each other. I’ve seen enough outtakes to think that they play it up for the cameras. > Remember when Mikey decorated the tree instead of doing what Paulie Sr. said? Dad’s reaction was to just bust up laughing. > That and what everyone said about editing. Yeah, but Paul Sr laughs at _everything_ Mikey does. Mikey is the baby, he gets away with a lot of shit. Nearly everything he does should sent Paul off the deep end, but Paul is inevitably amused. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-chopper/237980/12 "2004-04-03T05:41:35Z")
'Course Mikey’s not hatching plans to weld a custom spittoon to the foot brake at 11:58. ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-chopper/237980/13 "2004-04-03T05:56:28Z")
Just to elaborate some more, I love the show. Paul Sr. gets some great lines. I remember one of the first shows we watched, he’d just finished bellowing and screaming at Paul Jr., then bellowed, “I’M GONNA GO GET A MASSAGE!” and stormed out. That’s still a line that slays 'em in the Haus of GMRyujin. What’s not to love? Paul Senior elevates anger to High Art, Paul Jr. is the whining avant-garde ARTISTE of the bike shop, and Mikey is the Fat Guy. All your stock characters and hilarity ensues. ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-chopper/237980/14 "2004-04-03T05:58:54Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > 'Course Mikey’s not hatching plans to weld a custom spittoon to the foot brake at 11:58. [whiny Paul Junior voice]My FATHER doesn’t think we need a custom spittoon and yea, the bike has to go out in 30 seconds, but I don’t want it to leave the shop til it’s done. And some of the catalogue spittoons were nice, but I decided to make my own. It wouldn’t take that long and would look real good. The first problem I had was finding a blacksmith to custom-hammer a spittoon…[/wPJv] ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-chopper/237980/15 "2004-04-03T05:59:29Z")
> [@Casey1505](#): > > the Snap-On bike was shaping up to look real sharp. I missed the last episode of that bike, though. I’m sure it came out hot looking, but how’d it look? Interestingly, that’s the episode that’s on tonight. It’s re-airing again at midnight and tomorrow at 3:00PM. [Here’s the schedule of episodes](http://dsc.discovery.com/schedule/series.jsp?series=24268&gid=10969) through the end of April. Oh, and to answer your question, it looked really cool (loved the wrenches on the wheels and the ratchet rear-view mirror). If you miss the episode, though, you can see pictures of it [here](http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/amchopper/photo/photo.html). ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-chopper/237980/16 "2004-04-03T06:18:47Z")
**GMRyujin** , I swear when I read your post I could hear Paulie’s voice. And like **Shayne** said, the “S” curve wrenches as wheel spokes was just too cool for school. They make the show, not the bikes. Like **Kaotic** said, go to James if you want not entertainment but a product. ---
**Author:** ![infamousmom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/d6d6ee/32.png) [@infamousmom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/infamousmom)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-chopper/237980/17 "2004-04-03T07:07:21Z")
> [@Reeder](#): > > Are any dopers RT familiar with OCC? Aw man, I love that show. Best reality TV show on the tube today. I’ve even got a big Orange County Choppers poster on the wall over my computer. If you watch for a while, you get to see more of the family dynamic. There is even one scene where Senior confesses to Junior that sometimes he feels like the whole business is going to sink or swim on Junior’s talents. And then he says “I love you, Paulie.” He may bluster and foam at the mouth a lot, but he’s a softy. If you really want to get a feel for the show, try to find the “Mikey Special” and watch that. It’s a dandy overview and it also showcases Mikey, who’s got plenty of talent of his own. Just not for building bikes. 🙂 Discovery Channel has a fan board for the show, but alas, it seems to be heavily populated by droolers and posers. I’m registered there as blu\_vespa but haven’t seen much reason to post. As for the comparison between Jesse James and the OCC gang, well, Jesse’s a chow hound, and I’ve heard reliable reports that he’s a real dork when he’s not playing up for the camera (not to mention that he was J. Gregory James before he went on TV). Plus, Monster Garage is just downright boring to watch. The OCC gang, I think, are nicer people. Both groups, I’m sure, are well aware that their 15 minutes of fame could be over any day now, and then they’ll have to sink or swim on their own. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-chopper/237980/18 "2004-04-03T07:35:33Z")
[American Chopper Drinking Game](http://www.slappyjack.com/rants/20030716.phtml) ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-chopper/237980/19 "2004-04-03T07:58:50Z")
I agree with **infamousmom** , I tried to watch _Monster Garage_ and made it through 2 or 3 episodes…but it’s just boring. Guys welding isn’t nearly as exciting as guys welding and getting deeply passionate about welding to the point of screaming at each other. Jesse doesn’t have the personality of Steve from _Monster House_ or the Teutels. Plus those announcer guys at the end of _Monster Garage_ are friggin obnoxious, especially the way-too-over-the-top-guy-who-sounds-like-the-guy-who-used-to-be-on-ECW. And Jesse never cared enough about the challenges to make them interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Duderdude2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Duderdude2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duderdude2)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-chopper/237980/20 "2004-04-03T18:35:07Z")
> [@GMRyujin](#): > > I agree with **infamousmom** , I tried to watch _Monster Garage_ and made it through 2 or 3 episodes…but it’s just boring. Guys welding isn’t nearly as exciting as guys welding and getting deeply passionate about welding to the point of screaming at each other. Jesse doesn’t have the personality of Steve from _Monster House_ or the Teutels. Plus those announcer guys at the end of _Monster Garage_ are friggin obnoxious, especially the way-too-over-the-top-guy-who-sounds-like-the-guy-who-used-to-be-on-ECW. And Jesse never cared enough about the challenges to make them interesting. I totally agree. Monster Garage bores me to tears, while American Choppers and Monster House are all around great shows. Likeable personalities, etc. And though it’s not a reality show, I gotta hand major props to MythBusters as well. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-chopper/237980.md?page=2)