American Chopper Rant

I like to keep my posts positive but I have to comment on what a joke the show American Chopper has become.  This show was great at the beginning.  The Teutul's were building really cool bikes.  But like so many of the people that get involved with the Discovery media empire, they experience the mixed blessing of fame (it would still be Jon and Kate plus eight if not for the money and fame).  Anyway, I believe that most of the scenarios are contrived in these shows; whether its the building of bikes, or the activities of a family of dwarfs, or the comings and goings of a family with 19 children. 

Here's the DC formula: Find someone who's making a living doing something interesting.  Create a discovery/TLC/History special on it.  Get great ratings on the special because it's interesting and real.  Sign the people to a contract to do a series.  Get a bunch of writers and producers to manufacture situations that can be filmed, because the ongoing day to day stuff will only hold viewers interest for so long.  Keep putting the people into increasingly unrealistic scenarios (or in the case of the Teutuls, dial up the intensity and frequency of Paul Sr.'s tirades).  The best of the bike building shows was the Jesse James ones where he was hammering metal for the gas tanks, etc.  They never really drew Jesse into the drama thing (he did that to himself, but that's a rant for another day). 

Anyway, DC should pull the plug on American Chopper.  It would be a mercy killing at this point.  The Teutul's have become caricatures of themselves, the bikes they are building aren't interesting and creative anymore and it's no longer about the bikes but about the drama. 

And that's what grinds my gears...

Ride safe!