Too Much Orange County Chopper Not
Ok, you know who you are, and whether or not you would like to admit it, most of you are probably like me and watch the same old Paul and Paulie arguments over and over. You know the ones where Paul loses it over too many coffee cups on the workbench. In fact, I have the dialog memorized for many of the Orange County episodes. Wow! This must be world class TV. The numbers are soaring, the t-shirts are selling at every outlet in the free world and Paul, Jesse, and Mikey are the hottest thing since the hoola-hoop. Right?
Now hold on Evo breath... Well, sort of...yes, and sort of... no. Yes, the t-shirts are selling, the Monster Garage die-casts are in Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club is selling Jesse Tools, and Paul and Paulie are being whisked around the country on private jets and hanging with the likes of Jay Leno. But no, I personally don't believe it's because of the wonderful production value of these reality shows or the extreme talent of any of our brash biker roughnecks. I believe that the huge success that the Discovery motorcycle shows are now enjoying is a tribute to the ever growing motorcycle community and the hunger for motorcycle programming. That's right, " Mr. Fabricating-in-your-garage", the hype is for motorcycles (cruiser motorcycles), not the wonderful acting of Jesse or Paul Sr. You say, “They aren't acting.” Well, if you believe that, then you believe that the Rock is the World Champion and toughest guy in the world, or is it Triple H today? Is it scripted? Maybe not word for word but neither does Vince McMahon give them a "word for word". Think about it. Would a guy like Paul Teutul loose his cool every week on TV and make a fool of himself, without some story line in place? Is it true that every bike they build is always behind schedule and they somehow come together at the last minute? I don't think so. If you do, you probably have been sniffin’ too much carb cleaner. I think the directors and producers like the "Paul looses his cool" story line, "Paulie walks out", "Vinnie shakes his head" and then at the last minute the "conquering heroes" arrive at the event with the coolest bike ever, complete with smoke and pyros. Paul says Paulie "really pulled it off", Paulie forgives his father, the sponsors are pleased, the $150,000 goes into the bank, and the motorhome heads back to Rock Tavern to begin again. And one more thing... you don't really believe the Teutuls still ride in the motorhome to the shows? And oh, by the way, the sponsors signs get bigger, the new welders and tool boxes roll in, the shop grows, a new trailer, and everyone gets what they want, "air time for their products". Would Snap-On really give $150,000 for a 7-day bike if they didn't get the air time as well? Don't believe it for a minute. Are we being hood-winked? You bet! just like when I watch Hogan come off the top rope to again become the WWE world champion, again. You see, it really doesn't matter if it's true. The point is we are entertained. We get to hang out with motorcycle guys, say the F-word, go to motorcycle events, and look at beautiful motorcycles, all from the comfort of our living rooms with no travel, no expense, no rain, and most importantly, no motorcycle. That's right, we can live the life without even owning a motorcycle. Have you ever wondered if all of those people wearing West Coast Choppers shirts really own a motorcycle? I know for a fact the Motor Company sells more t-shirts than bikes. I bet Jesse does too.
Are Jesse, Paul , Paulie, and Vinnie "that great" at what they do? Well, that one is also debatable. Many old school bike builders say that the Orange County group are not really builders but only assemblers doing a small amount of fabricating to give these "kit bikes" some personal touches. The rumor is that Vinnie never rode or built a bike till he first appeared on American Chopper. This same group of old bikers gives more "props" to Jesse because he fabricates tanks, frames and fenders from scratch. It's no doubt that the wheel guys (Rowe Machine) and the painter kid "Justin" and the guys who build the frames in Oklahoma City are all true artists and the finished products reflect their commitment to quality.
A few years back at Daytona's famous Rat’s Hole Show, the Teutuls placed fifth. That alone is not bad because some of the top motorcycle artists in the world frequent this show, but the real motorcycle community doesn't really expect the likes of James or Paulie to be a factor at these world class shows. Personally, I believe these shows are all a little political and the Teutuls probably would have been down the list much further without a TV show.
The purist questions surface when these new guys like James or the Teutuls are compared to the old timers like Arlen Ness, Dave Perowitz, or Ron Simms. Most agree that all of these guys have both more experience and build better quality machines than James or the Teutuls but the real question is, how would they play on TV? I have personally talked with all of these master builders and all are very talented guys with hundreds of bikes under their belts. Arlen Ness is a bit of a quiet guy and I can't ever imagine him yelling at anyone, especially his son Cory. Perowitz is also a civilized guy who quietly builds and paints some of the most outrageous bikes on the planet. The key here is "quietly". Ron Simms has sold so many bikes for so many years; I can't imagine him having the time to yell at anyone. He's too busy doing business. Whatever the point of view, one thing for sure is that both Jesse and the Teutuls are "Red Hot". Jesse's Motorcycle Mania gave the Discovery Channel the biggest numbers ever until the spin-offs came. It seems that as the new shows roll out, the popularity seems to increase.
Another question bouncing around the Motorcycle World is, has Paul Teutul gone Hollywood? Paul Teutul, who only a couple of years ago sat and talked with me for a couple of hours about building bikes and the confusion of how many people think Orange County Choppers is in California now seems to have acquired some "Rock Star status". Today, security guards, limited access at Orange County facilities, publicists, and ropes to hold back the fans, have put off more than one old time biker who thinks maybe all this attention has led Paul Sr. to forget where he came from. Recently a group of Blue Knights grumbled because they rode 80 miles to Orange County only to be disappointed that Paul would not come out and take a photo with them. Before the hype, Paul was a successful businessman who spent much of his life working hard as a welder and fabricator. His first bike, built only about four years ago in his basement, seemed to get Paul on the fast track when the Discovery producers found an outrageous character while searching for another Biker Guy to go after the market that Motorcycle Mania 1 and 2 had tapped.
Personally, I'm really pissed that I don't get to go to bike events in a big motorhome and sell $7 T-Shirts for $25. Paul Teutul is really lucky that the Discovery Channel didn't see my garage full of motorcycles or hear one of my screaming fits or he would still be building fence under his welding hood in No-Wheresville, New York. I'd be glad to let the Blue Knights in for a photo op with the grumpiest biker around. They could even come for dinner. Paulie could leave as many coffee cups on the bench as he wants if I get to meet Jay Leno.
We visited the OCC shop in New York a few years ago and both Paulie and Mikey were absolutely warm and accessible to both myself and my wife while Paul was less than available for fans looking for photos and handshakes. One thing for sure is both Paulie and Mikey are better suited for the PR thing as Paul Sr. seemed a little out of place at the Waldorf Astoria doing a benefit auction. As for Jesse, my opinion is that he has always been a smart-ass even before his huge success. I talked with him long before his TV debut and he was just as goofy then as he is on TV. Is he talented? Absolutely. He's a real guy who can weld, fabricate, design, and most of all, promote. But with all of this success, friends close to Jesse say he really wants to spend more time building bikes and isn't really that excited about the "Monster Garage" gig. He confides that the money and fame are great but he really misses bike building.
I predict that we will see more motorcycle programming as producers are scurrying around putting together more "gear head" programming for the cable channels. Speed Channel has made an attempt to address the need for more motorcycle programming but I believe they have put too much emphasis on motorcycle racing. While the sport bike market is growing at a huge rate, "cruiser boomers" are the Jesse/ Orange County crowd. These 50/60 year old folks have the dollars that drive the marketing bus and are not much interested in the Superbike races. I believe the Speed Channel’s recent programming changes cutting back on motorcycle racing reflects these attitudes.
The bottom line for me is that all of this excitement is evidence that the motorcycle community is alive and well and that enthusiasts are truly looking for more motorcycle programming. I admit, that many times I will watch an American Chopper episode for the third or fourth time rather than watching the latest news or Larry King. I'm guilty and I'm hooked on motorcycling. Whether it's Paul complaining about the coffee cups or the Undertaker riding in on a Titan, I'm there. Whether it's real or scripted or sometime just plain stupid. I'm a motorcycle guy and I can't escape it. I must admit one more thing; I bought some of the tapes of old American Chopper episodes. I must be sick.
