As 'Chopper' Crashes, We Remember Our Dear Mikey

By Mike Hess Posted Feb 10th 2010 11:54AM

With word of the cancellation of 'American Chopper,' for some reason, we felt a bit reflective. It seems like we've grown along with the Teutul family -- only while we grew with them, they grew apart. The show that brought them fame and fortune also seems to have sent them into familial disarray, leading to lawsuits and lots of other tension. While screaming blow-outs, door smashing and other primal feats of manhood were all too common in the Orange County Choppers headquarters, there's one person who always seemed out of place, and in a sense, innocent from all of the ridiculousness: Mikey. And with the show ending, he's pretty much the one we feel most sorry for.

As family patriarch Paul Sr.'s divisiveness caused major tension with head bikebuilder Paul Jr. and others in the shop, Mikey was always the show's soul -- the lovable, goofy comic relief sorely needed to get between the two territorial bears clawing each other's faces off. Without Mikey, the show never would have lasted the seven years it's been on.

Think about it. Here's essentially every episode of 'American Chopper' in a nutshell: Design and conceptualize a new bike, yell for 40 minutes, show off shiny new bike. To break up the monotony of the same thing happening every episode, there needed to be something that had a bit of spontaneity and flair. That was Mikey.

He seemed to be the only one who could diffuse Senior's tyrannical grip on the shop, whether it was via slapstick comedy or his inherent ineptitude around the shop. As Paul Jr. pranced around in mirrored sunglasses and a beard that looked like it was finely honed with an Exacto knife, Mikey oafed about with hair that hasn't seen a comb since the millenium and a carelessness about life that made everyone else seem like egomaniacal fools. As the show and machismo among the rest of the crew grew, Mikey was the same guy in season six that he was in season one.

In a massive throwdown last year, Junior screamed that OCC "would go to sh-t" if he weren't the one in charge of design. Then, in true hotheaded Teutul style, a chair was launched at a wall (really, are we 12 years old? Grown men having these types of tantrums with such frequency is quite unsettling). Looking to follow suit in an equally inefficient and barbaric manner, Papa Teutul then raged against the machine ... only the machine in this case was a garbage can.

"I'm still getting stepped on, and I need to make a separation," Senior told the New York Daily News last October. "My health was starting to deteriorate."

It's no wonder Mikey is the funny, lax one. He likely had to morph his personality and temperament that way as a defense mechanism. Otherwise, he'd be just as violent and aneurysm-prone as the rest of his family.

The shop tension eventually led to Paul Jr. leaving OCC to start his own design firm, and Paul Sr. eventually sued Paul Jr. for $1 million in stock options according to TMZ. And while a separation from Junior was in need, Teutul didn't foresee the show's demise just yet. "I think I've got another two or three years, maybe," he said of the show in October 2009.

In the world of reality television, families tend to collapse under the boom mics and fame that come along with it. The Teutuls seemed doomed for an implosion from the get-go, and the show's (and family's) demise likely would have happened long ago if it weren't for

Tags: american chopper, AmericanChopper

Comments

(545)

Wednesday 10 February

By Mike

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Screw Popeater. Half the posts never make it.

By jake192168

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paul jr and mikey were the soul and inspiration for the show. paul senior is a burned out buiker tring to make hinself richer and richer at his childrens expense. he already has so much money he is blinded by it and is losing that which is mworth the most his kids. he is a dumb ass old man with a bad temper and is therefore suffering the consequences of it. i wouldnt watch that program again if they paid me. after vinney left i was feeling uneasy when the sons left i left. and sa they said. good riddends!

By vinny

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This show was stupid.The father was a real jerk.They made motorcycles and made it seem like it was the most important thing in the world.I worked in medicine for 26 years,that is one of the most important jobs in the world!

By Peg

Paul Sr. is a domineering POS. He ruined that show by being a part of it. I watched a few episodes when they first started out and while I enjoyed watching the work, I couldn't stand that blowhard constantly berating everyone. They should have thrown him out on his fat ass years ago!

Sr (ex Nazi Death camp guard) should have been able to see that it was Jrs building that made the show. Why in Gods name would he belittle the one that made the show? Not to mention, tolerate the one who seemed to do nothing.

By slider10

Vinny maid the right move when he left. He saw the handwriting on the wall. Paul Sr. is a nut case and should have left Paul Jr. run the shop.

By Angie

I was thinking the same thing... Vinny was always my favorite, and I haven't watched the show since he left.

Sunday 14 February

By Steve H.

Ah, Vinnie, we hardly knew ye.... The best scene of the series was him finally loading his tools in his truck and driving off into the sunset. I'm just sorry that he didn't take the saner members of the crew (including Mikey) with him.

By gjb

Sr needs to chill. His verbal abuse of his boys have caused them to be like they are. I watched the show a few times and it was the same thing over and over with Sr making a jerk out of himself with his behavior.

Friday 12 February

By marc

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Hate to tell you this is what a lot of small businesses are all about. Especially restaurants, that's what OCC seems more like than anything. Like a small diner.

MARC

By Fast

To bad to sad

The heart and soul of the show was the interaction of the family.That senior could not let go and enjoy what he started is a problem of many an antrapenure. I wish the family the best and hope the healing process can begin. I also felt after Vinnie left that the show was going in a bad direction and when the new people started showing up all the charecture of the show was gone.I guess there will be a big price drop in OCC drum sets now, looked like c--p any way.

By Charlie

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As usual nuckle draggers drooling over a piece of metal fade away.

By georgechevy2

Boyd Coddingtons show was the same way, a bunch of immature bullys picking on the employees that make them rich, no loss to either! Notice how Chip Foose has a few of Boyds guys and runs his shop and the show like a man and not a spoiled brat throwing a tantrum?

By vasi0011

So true. I watched the Boyd Cottington show, and was really shocked at how the employees were treated. Chip Foose seems like a cool person to work with. People work better with encouragement, and it works out long term much better to encourage and support your employees. There are times for a well placed word of direction, but abuse is another thing altogether.

By joe

Anyone that saw the show since its begining, saw that Vinny was a big part of OCC.Vinny worked many nights to meet bike deadlines...I think that when someone gives so much of themselfs in helping a business grow, they should be rewarded..in this case Vinny was not rewarded.I remeber when Sr. said after Vinny left..." Anyone is replaceable" Remeber? Well Mr. Sr... You and your selfishness is also " Replaceable!!!
Good Luck Vinny & Coddy...Hope you guys do even better In your new Business...

By fab0024

Paul Sr anger was due to roids.

By Johnny Wow

Maybe so with the roids ...but more likely due to self centered ego and the world NOT doing as he says .....the world does not revolve around Paul Tutle Sr.....and so him not realizing this.....ANGER

By bob presnell

First Vinny leaves a great gig,then JR leaves just as they move into quite posibly the nicest shop around! Sr,s other son wont speak to him and lastly his daughter wont speak to him!! Somehow Sr believes the problem lies with everyone else and not him!!INCREDIBLE Sr better wake up and grow up before he loses everything

By Eve

The thing is that Sr. has a "replacment" family already who I think did a lot of talking in his ear.

Thursday 11 February

By J

Its a shame that they couldnt get alomg with each other, As far as go Harley is concerned i wouldnt mind but if came to harley or a custom by OCC harley wouldnt stand a chance !!!

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