Yesterday, The Learning Channel announced the quick cancellation of “American Chopper.” The last episode will air tonight at 9pm Eastern. Over the six-year run of the show, I watched almost every episode — purely for the love of seeing Paul, Jr.’s designs come to life in metal — but the one, universal, totem taken away from the program is the horrible reality of an alcoholic father who is envious of his sons and sabotages them at every turn week after week and year after year. The constant threat of physical violence, coupled with emotional and verbal abuse, makes Paul Teutul, Sr. one of the most despicable men in the history of reality television as he not only strangled, but castrated, his most beloved and most talented son, Paul, Jr.
What makes a father hate a son so much?
Jealousy. Vanity. A bottomless pit of self-loathing that can never be filled.
Sure, Paul, Sr. hasn’t “had a drink” in many years, but he still behaves like a drunken bully: He’s a “Dry Drunk” and he loves every moment of his never ending rage. He yells and screams and throws things in childish tantrums edged to give him his way.
If you do not bow down to the father, then the father will kill you and it was that threat of real violence that propelled “American Chopper” each week and likely fueled the ratings. You always hoped, in the end, that Sr. would somehow see the light and the error of his ways and just back off his boys a little bit to let them live free and breathe well. It never happened.
The bully in the boy always erupted in the father to punish the prodigal sons, and every single family member who worked with Sr. ended up ostracized or fired.
The emergence of Paul Sr.’s new wife on the television show to replace the loss of Paul, Jr. in the cycle shop this season, was a foreboding that not even TLC could ignore based on Paul Sr.’s, established ethical habit of action: The wife replaces the son in the circle of violence, and the wrath of
the father becomes the fury of the husband, and we are but moments away
from an attack on her because she completes the cycle of abuse. Paul,
Sr. will demolish her in situ, and on TV, just as he destroyed everyone
else who stood with him.
It seems ongoing public child abuse was
acceptable to Discovery/TLC for the six year run of “American Chopper”
– but the threat of the gathering storm of spousal abuse only gets a
few one-hour episodes before finding the producer’s axe.
Orange County Choppers was built on the back of Paul, Jr.’s successful motorcycle designs and while everyone at OCC knew that — Paul, Sr. refused to admit in public that the magic and spine of the business was his son and not him.
I guarantee you Paul, Sr. knows in his gut that Paul, Jr. is the better
man and more talented than he is and that fact gnaws his gut more than
any rotgut ever could — but instead of accepting the necessary divinity
of a son walking in a father’s footfalls, this father prefers to poison
the road ahead by first firing, and then suing, the starshine son:
The Orange County Choppers’ Paul Teutul Sr. filed a lawsuit in state Supreme Court in Goshen against his son, Paul Teutul Jr., for what could amount to millions in damages. The core argument is over how much Senior should pay Paulie for his share of the company, headquartered in the Town of Newburgh.
In an explosive episode that aired at the beginning of season six of TLC’s “American Chopper,” Paulie was fired from the company. In real life, as part of the termination, Paulie agreed to sell his 20 percent ownership to his father, according to the suit.
Since then, the two have been unable to compromise on how much that share is worth.
“It’s sad it’s come to this,” Senior’s lawyer, Richard Mahon II, said.
Because the two could not agree, Senior is asking the court to appoint an appraiser to value the company. The suit also asks for an injunction barring Paulie from engaging in competitive business activities and interfering with the company’s relationship with suppliers.
The fact of human living is that children are born to replace their parents and most fathers would wallow in the success of their sons — but not Paul, Sr. He sees his sons as competition and he is set to destroy them.
Instead of retiring and letting the son become the godhead of the family
empire, the father prefers to burn down the business to leave behind
only the ashes of what was once almost a great community of family
spirit and friendly creativity.
Mikey Teutul is the most tragic son. He is the buffoon who couldn’t
keep a job except for being daddy’s Jester. While Mikey was always
ready to crack a joke or try to keep peace in the family — we knew his
spirit was crushed by his father in childhood and we were only seeing
the overweight and unhappy shell of the fallow man.
This
season, we learned Mikey, like his father before him, is a drunk.
Mikey, with the help of Paul, Jr., entered rehab and wanted to become a
stand-up comedian. We who watch the show know that Mikey’s comedy
routine is just another flop in the overlong way station of his
failures.
Some drunks go dry and turn to brittle rage while
others wither from the inside out with no way of becoming someone on
their own terms. We mourn the living life of Mikey Teutul, and we root
for his success, but we also know he will never find peace until he
buries his abusive father.
As “American Chopper” ends tonight, we must now accept what we always
knew from the start, but could never quite confess until now: There will be no
lasting forgiveness or reconciliation in the Teutul family.
That
realization leaves us empty and tarred and we wonder why we invested so
much hope with so little return.
The lesson in “American Chopper” isn’t a pleasant one. We’ve been
taught by the show that sometimes the bully wins and sometimes the good
sons are betrayed by a father’s unrestrained cravenness — and while that lesson
becomes a warning against our naive yearning — we still can’t help but
feel there had to be another way, a less crooked path, a different
method of thinking that could’ve saved Paul Teutul, Sr. from himself and
salvaged the bright promise of the sons he created and then
systematically destroyed before our eyes for six long, unforgiving,
years.
What a painful lesson, David. I wonder if the son is going to now go on to make his own firm that will far outshine that of his father… and get his own show in the process?
Paul, Jr. has his own design firm now:
http://www.pauljrdesigns.com/
He was featured on the show a bit, but he isn’t doing as well as he was building bikes.
only thing i can say is tragic for all the family
You’re definitely right about that, robert, and the pain is all so unnecessary and totally avoidable.
I had a situation family feud like this and the one side held the family land cororation and sued the families ealership side for back rent and sold the land from under them to a competitor and put the company out of business. Paul should sell his occ stock to a competitor and screw his dad but good.
Thanks for the comment, Ed. What a terrible story you share! Such clear and blatant cruelty is hard to abide.
I am watching the new show — Jr. vs. Sr. — couldn’t resist watching Paul, Jr. try to make a comeback. I am hardcore rooting for him.
It seems the father has a contract clause that allows him to buy out Jr.’s 20% stake in the company. Jr. is willing to sell for the right price. The father said a judge-appointed accountant said Orange County Choppers is worth “nothing” — which we all know is some sort of manufactured, convenient, lie — so, by default, Jr.’s 20% share somehow reverts back to Sr. after a “sale” of zero if he forces the issue.
Jr. then said to Sr., “If the company’s worth nothing, then I’ll buy your 80% for nothing.” Zingo! A beautiful turn of phrase from a quick mind. That shut up the old man and his finagling.
Every family I know has problems just like this. I think it’s kinda disturbing the amount of judgment your passing around.
There are always two sides to every story and unless you’ve lived their lives and know them personally, you should stay out of their lives.
What you argue is disturbing. I don’t know any other family that has a conniving father who actively, on television, tries to sabotage the success of his sons in public.
Paul, Sr. — not me — decided to put his life on television for examination and, yes, the viewing public will judge him and condemn him now and forevermore for the sins he has contemplated, and enacted, against his sons.
I don’t have to live the life of a murderer to know murder is wrong. I don’t have to live the life of the president to comment on his job performance. You don’t have to live my life to post a critical and judgmental comment on my article.
Dan, do you belong to the group of people who believe others should keep their mouths shut out of respect to your own personal beliefs?
David,
Thank you for the interesting analysis of American Chopper. I’ve been watching Jr. vs. Sr. on TLC and have come to some of the same conclusions as you. Sr. is a dry drunk and though he stopped his drinking he hasn’t come to terms with his personal issues. Seeing him throw his tantrums when his decisions are challenged and finding he can’t admit he was wrong or that other people may be right makes me shake my head and yell at the TV, lol. I record most of the newer episodes and find myself fast forwarding through the sections of the show where Sr. is babbling his nonsense because it makes me so uncomfortable. Nearly every time he opens his mouth he comes off as being unreasonable and tyrannical. Entertaining even though much of it is probably scripted, but painful to watch due to the displays of Sr.’s personal flaws. Cheers.
Thanks for the comment, Tom.
I agree these reality shows are generally scripted — “Today, we’ll do this and you do that” — with dramatic arcs built into the being of the story; but what right-minded father would EVER agree to abuse his sons so deliciously and cruelly as Paul, Sr.?
Sr. isn’t a good enough actor to pull any of that off with any sort of realistic abandon — and that’s the sad part of it all. Sr. isn’t acting. He wants his sons to fail, and he wants to be the fulcrum of their demise.
It is depressing to watch Sr. get abandoned by everyone he doesn’t have on payroll. I wish Paul, Jr. and Mike and the rest of the family all the best as they try to recover from what is clearly a lifetime of abuse at the hands, and mouth, of a madman.
Are you all crazy? Senior built that business in the beginning, and he built it all by himself. Just because he is a demanding boss doesn’t mean he is an “abusive madman.” Don’t forget, the fight that started this fallout was over Junior’s inability to follow some basic rules (like showing up to work on time). I’ll tell you what, all of you guys that feel so sorry for Junior… try going to work late and taking lunch breaks all afternoon for about three years straight and let me know how that works out for you. Any boss in his right mind will fire you within the first month, and you won’t get 20% of the company when it happens. Good Luck!
You make some good points, Mike, but we aren’t reacting to what we don’t see or don’t know. We are reacting to Senior’s behavior on camera with words and fury that come directly out of his mouth that we experience directly with our own eye. He’s a bully. He’s verbally abusive. He’s unkind to his sons. He’s always in a rage. We didn’t paint him that way. He painted himself that way during each episode.
Thanks for the reply, Dave. I must say, I was surprised at your thoughts. I expected to get some serious hate-mail in response to my blunt words in support of Senior. And… while I am still surprised to see the majority of guys here showing sympathy for Junior, I can understand your points about Senior losing control of his emotions on camera. Probably a bad move. I can even see how some people might view that as unkind or rage-filled, possibly even close to abusive. BUT… in the sake of argument, I would like to present an alternative take on Senior’s often-extreme personality:
First, I wouldn’t say I’ve watched every show religiously, but I have seen almost every major episode over the years, and I made it a point to go back and re-view every episode that led to the current fallout. What I noticed was that pretty much every single last serious fight that Senior and Junior engaged in was based on the subject of work ethic. Senior didn’t seem to approve of Junior’s approach to his work, and Junior didn’t seem to want to accommodate his father’s requests. Secondly, in every last one of the fights, there were TWO wild men screaming at the tops of their lungs. Junior was never the silent victim, following the rules and keeping his opinions to himself. So, the major underlying issues seem to me to be high-expectations, work ethic, and respect for the rules of a father/boss. Now, like I said, I am not saying Senior is totally right in everything he did, BUT I would like to say this about my perspective on his personality as a father:
I grew up in a family atmosphere VERY similar to this in many ways. My parents were demanding and opinionated, to the point of (perceived) constant verbal abuse, when observing the family-dynamic from the outside. I rarely stood up to my parents, although I disagreed with them often. BUT now, at 30 years old, I look back at my childhood from a different perspective. I am actually glad my parents were so demanding and didn’t hold back their screams. Sometimes, I hate to say it, but that is needed. I am now a pilot in the US Air Force, and I have flown combat missions in both Iraq and Afghanistan. I can say for sure that I have save the lives of more than a few troops on the ground when they were in need. I am proud of what I have become. And… I can also say for sure that I wouldn’t have turned out this way on my own. Had my parents not been so overbearing or demanding, I would have never cared to try to make something more out of myself. In addition to that, from a military perspective, I always saw Junior was a guest and a worker in his father’s business. If anybody I work closely with these days, including myself, would stand up to and resist the orders of a superior (or boss) in a manner the likes of that which Junior displayed on the show, we would be CRUSHED in a heartbeat. Every I serve with would say, “Yes, Sir.” and would show up an hour early, ready to work their ass off, the very next morning. That never seemed to be the case with Junior. He was so determined to resist his father and do things his way that he screamed back at every turn and exited violently, throwing stuff and destroying stuff on his way out the door. That can’t go unnoticed. If I had a serious fight with my supervisor at work and I exited out combat squadron slamming doors and throwing equipment, I would be arrested my military police before I even made it to the parking lot.
I could write more, but I feel bad for the extremely long post this far… Sorry!
In closing, I don’t think that requesting someone to show up to work on time and work hard overly high expectations, and I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if Junior had just made that effort years ago. I think Senior only had the best interest of his family and his business in mind. Does he have an extreme personality? Yes! Did my parents? Yes! Did I ever have the problems that Junior seems to be having? Nope. And, I can’t get past that…
Apologies for all the typos… late night here.
We all make typos, Mike, it’s the way of the web! We appreciate your calm and rational commentary.
We do see the show differently, Mike.
In the early shows, Senior was always screaming at his sons and employees for no good reason. You can’t lead men, or bring sons into a proper adulthood, by terrorizing them every single day they show up to work. You lead through the power of your own public example. Senior’s example was to be catty, and mean, and flex is arms and yell as loud as he could if he didn’t get his way. None of his sons currently speak to him. Why? Because they’re spoiled? Or because they’re tired of being verbally abused? Senior rules through intimidation, not shared cooperation.
As the show progressed, I saw Junior’s outbursts as directly caused by Senior’s provoking behavior. We all have a breaking point, and Senior force Junior into being broken. Junior was made a partner in the business with at 20% stake, yet Senior treated him like an hourly worker and not the absolute inventor of the best bikes we saw on the show.
You can fire a man without yelling at him, and you can certainly raise a powerful son by demonstrating love and not condescension.
Bravo to this. I grew up with an extremely abusive father. This show brings back horrible memories for me. I am now a father myself, I never raise a hand in anger, I treat my son with the respect a father should. He knows his place, but also know he is cherished. There is no belittlement, I encourage him, and give him the gift of confidence…
You sound like a great father, Joe. Just enough guidance and strength without being punishing.
I just saw the show after not having viewed it for some 4 or 5 years. Oh the drama … I guess it was never about building motorcycles after all. Paul Sr has obviously quit using Steroids, so perhaps to control his Roid-Rage tantrums, but has become delusional in the process and now looks decrypted & deflated, a man with major mental health issues who can’t work with his ever fumbling hands. They’ll find this lonely, sick, broken-down shell of a man all alone in his house next summer after OCC goes Chapter 7 & 11 with a shotgun in his mouth. I’m sorry to say, but nobody will miss that abusive bully … not his soon to be ex-wife … not his estranged family … not even his current OCC rat brown-noser employees like Jim, Steve, Mike & Jason.
I hope it doesn’t end as you imagine, Uncle Freddy. We can always hope for a reconciliation with Senior and his sons — but for that to happen, Senior will have to admit he’s been the bad guy and bite the bullet of reality and accept the fate of his public behavior on TV.
In watching American Chopper there was always an uncomfortable tone. Was it a tv act or was it real? Now we know after all this time that it was real. At the end of the day I always knew that the family would be in tact. The new season on discovery showing Paul Sr’s petty attitude toward Jr and Mikey is disturbing. I think the beauty of the show was the knowledge that the family, though dysfuntional, was working together. Now it’s dysfunctional and tragic as you point out. A good situation gone terribly bad.
Dan –
It is sad watching a father sinking into his own hateful demise, while his sons — now finally free from his control — are becoming happier and their “own men” in the world. I don’t think the old man will ever get it. His sons will forgive him — but only on his deathbed when it will be too late for any real reconciliation and moving on together as a family.
I live a few miles from OCC. I’ve dined 1 table over from Paul Sr., Paul Jr. and Mikey at one time or another. I’ve been to the parades, the signings, the appearances and watched the show from the start. Here are my observations:
In addition to all of the aforementioned crtiticisms of Paul Sr., is his estranged relationship with his other son Danny. He demonstrates a pattern of abuse and neglect of his children that started long before motorcycles and TV cameras.
I am fascinated by people who are allowed to go through life like the elephants in the circus parade, who defecate wherever they go and expect their loved ones to sweep up behind them to make there shortcomings less obvious. It’s all about them and how those around them are beholden to whatever they wish to dish out.
I can give Paul Sr. alot of credit for starting what became two very successful businesses (Ironworks and OCC). He took the initial risk and made a place for his sons to shine in the public eye, but somewhere in what should be a story of success and triumph is a maniacal craving to feed an insatiable ego and the need to be the victim if all doesn’t go his way. His power addiction needs to be fed like a steam locomotive. In addition to the ego, we have also been witness to another crack in his psyche… Paranoia!
Paul Sr. doesn’t need a drink, a fix, or a shrink. He needs a mirror, because every one of his problems will be found right there in his reflection. The money is there. The success is there. Come down off the high horse and let the healing begin. When that happens there can be true success and happiness.
Thanks for the outstanding comment, Steve!
You make a fine point about Danny. He’s the non-celebrity-hungry son and, of all the sons, he learned a long time ago to 100% disconnect from Senior — and he seems better for it.
Senior did start two great businesses — yet a good businessman knows how to separate the personal from the professional — and to honor his legacy in the end, and to keep his business dreams alive, Senior needed to turn over what he started to his sons. I don’t think that will ever happen now, and in 20 years, everything Senior built up over the arc of his life will crumble and dissolve as his sons will have made their own way, the harder way, without him. It didn’t have to be that way. Senior could have left them to continue what he started and he would have lived on forever through them. Now, when Senior dies — he’s dead, forgotten, and unforgiven. Some legacy.
This is a kindergarden lesson in sharing. If we share the money and the spotlight, everyone will be happy. I truly believe that this sad situation can be salvaged, but it will take a lightbulb moment for Senior to start the healing. In the end, none of the players in this tragedy want it to stay this way.
Proof positive was Paul Jr.’s invitation for his Dad to attend his wedding. That was a chance that was missed, because Sr.’s paranoia forced him to second guess his son’s intentions. Once Senior realizes that his life is not a chess game with his sons, he can take a breath and live his life at face value. Hopefully a tragedy won’t be the impetous for healing.
What’s weird in this case is that there is more than enough money and notoriety for everyone to be rich, famous and happy. That’s usually not the way it goes down. Normally everyone is fighting for the whole. Here, a small piece is enough for most normal people to be content for a lifetime.
Wow, folks fighting over jealousy and money… who saw that coming?
You really want to solve this… Right now Sr. and Jr. are fighting over the worth of 20% of OCC. This is simple. Paul Jr. should give Sr. 20% interest in Paul Jr. Designs. Now they are both lashed to the mast together and it is in their best interest to make both businesses succeed. Paul Sr. has to generate a profit for Jr. and vice-versa. Run the companies separately, but be responsible to each other financially. Help each other at every opportunity. Everybody wins and you build two profitable organizations.
That would work, but the lawyers would hate it, because the money train would stop. If the two of them split just the legal fees to date between Dan, Mikey and their sister, everyone would be way better off than they are now.
Let the healing begin… If you dare!
The OCC 20% is definitely a problem, Steve. Senior claims in court under sworn testimony that OCC is “worth nothing,” and so “buying out” Junior’s 20% should cost him nothing. Now, we all know there is value in OCC despite what Senior claims in court — and Junior knows it, too — and that’s where Senior’s disingenuousness comes into full play. He’s trying to cheat his son out of his fair share of the business and Senior is using the courts to bother and punish his son.
As Junior said on a recent show, “If my 20% is worth nothing, then I’ll buy your 80% instead and call it even.” It was a great moment that left Senior, for once, dumbfounded that he’d been outwitted by his offspring.
I read somewhere that Junior said he’d be willing to give up his 20% if he could get some of his bikes back from OCC. He didn’t want them all. I think he only wanted four that he designed and built himself. One of them was the Black Window bike. I thought that was a good, clean, fair way to resolve the whole mess — but, of course — Senior wouldn’t bite. He claims all the bikes OCC built are his and his alone even though he didn’t build any of them and barely designed even a few.
Oh, and by the way… Tomorrow is Christmas. Another opportunity rears its ugly head! Healing can start with a simple phone call if you want it to. Put away the pride and loathing and just start living again. Bury the past and build a brite future.
There have been a few calls from Senior to his sons, Steve, but they don’t ever end up achieving anything because Junior knows Senior will twist him up in the end. There is no trust.
Here’s how to regain that trust.
Bring in the lawyers on both sides to witness the following: Senior tells Junior that he wants Paul Jr. Designs housed in the OCC building. Both companies will be run separately, but all under the same roof, and Paul Jr. Designs will be hired to work for OCC as needed. Senior says in seven years he will turn over 95% of OCC to Junior and 5% to Mikey and that is an irrevocable offer that can never be modified or deleted or annulled by him. Senior also says that, over that seven year transition, he will resolve any and all outstanding tax and loan problems so the transfer will occur without any encumbered debt or legal issues. Senior tells his sons that he’s giving them the business to preserve the Teutul legacy into the future and to apologize for all his former sins against the family.
Everybody wins. Reconciliation happens. The family unit has seven years to heal and forgive and work together — if they wish — before Senior retires and turns away from the empire he so rightly built and then bequeathed to his sons.
David, this is a fascinating blog. Thanks for allowing others to chime in.
I’ve only been a casual viewer of the show for the last several years, but the recent developments have wholly drawn me in. Like millions of others I’ve become riveted by this saga. I’ve been trying to catch up with the story by watching some of the more recent episodes of Senior vs. Junior and doing some web research, which is how I encountered your blog. Here are my observations.
While I agree that Senior is mostly in the wrong and has definately crossed the line when it comes to his treatment of Junior, I disagree wholeheartedly on your assertion of what needs to happen next. Paul Sr. should not give anything to Junior. The fact is, Junior hasn’t earned it. In spite of his abusiveness, I’ll concede that point to Senior.
There is plenty of evidence from the show to prove that Junior was not pulling his weight when working for OCC and allowed others to take up his slack. Even Vinnie had reservations when Junior invited him to come work for PJD. Also, up to the point of the breakup Junior didn’t show much interest in learning the business side of the OCC enterprise.
Now, Junior is learning first hand what it takes to be the one taking the risks, although one could argue that he may very well have a nice cushy bank account to fall back on that we don’t know about. However, if all indicators are true then he’s got everything on the line and is esentially on his own. From my view, this is the best thing that could happen to him. If Senior offered to bring PJD into the OCC facility, that would put Junior back under his dad’s wing, in a matter of speaking, and would provide some buffer against failure.
No, Paulie needs to feel the pressure that comes with the responsibility. He’s been protected from that for too long and I think that this has kept him from becoming the man he needs to be. Lust look at the changes he’s been through in the short time that he stepped out on his own. Not only is he becoming a successful businessman, he’s accepted the role of being a husband and a member of his church. He’s trying his best to help his brother Mikey and be a good example for him. Paul Junior is a different man. For him to step back into the OCC world, in my opinion, would be a mistake.
As for reconciliation and restoration of trust? I agree with Michael’s assessment that it’s all up to Paul Senior. Reconciliation can be had with a simple “Son, I’m sorry for what I’ve done and how I’ve treated you. Keep your 20% if you want it. I love you, I’m proud of you, and I want you to succeed in whatever you do.”
Now, as for the trust? That can only be regained over time. In order for Paulie to trust his dad again (if he ever has – separate discussion, right?), Senior has to back off, let his son control his own destiny and stop trying to sabotage what he’s trying to do.
Please ignore the typos, as funny as they may be. “‘Lust’ look at the changes…” ?? HAHA!! So much for my proofreading skillzzz.
We all make typos! Don’t worry about it. Thanks for your great commentary.
Thanks for your comment.
I do think Junior is what made OCC a modern success and I have watched every single show from day one. The very start of the series showed father and son working together and Junior was designing and building the bikes — no matter what Senior says now. We saw the growth from a tiny garage to the mammoth store and shop they have today. That growth was not Senior’s. It was all done on the strength of Junior’s designs and the celebration of that work on television. That’s what we saw in every episode. That’s how the story played out on in every episode — and, until now, Senior has never disputed the veracity of those early episodes… until now, after he sued his son.
I do think if Junior became the owner of OCC, it would help heal the family. He’s had a taste of the real world, and he might like it now, but the empire he built is OCC. It rightfully belongs to him as heir to the empire. Now I know there are a lot of snakey things going on behind-the-scenes with taxes and abatements and other legal tricksiness with the new building — but none of that was Junior’s doing. Those calls were all on Senior. If OCC is “worth nothing” as Senior now claims, then Junior should counter-sue him for bad faith business recklessness that devalued his 20% stake — and I’m sure that will be the next move if Junior continues to “lose” in court based on what appears to be some wonky accounting trickery on the Senior side.
Vinnie wanted what Junior has now: His own shop. That’s why he left OCC. He stayed around after Junior left and then he left — Senior claims Vinnie was fired — but that isn’t the truth of the record. Vinnie left to start his own bike shop with Cody:
http://www.vforcecustoms.com/
I agree if Senior said what you suggest, everything would be over and done with and forgotten and forgiven. It’s so easy. Yet, Senior refuses to do the right thing by his family and the legacy he helped create. He’d rather lose it all than to confess one honest revelation that he’s been a terrible father and a hurtful business owner.
Like every family dispute since time began, there are three sides to every story. There is no one involved in this mess who is without sin.
I find it curious how people belly right up to the therapy bar when they are meeting one on one. It’s easy to talk through your side of a situation in frank and straight forward manner. However, when it is proposed that both sides attend a session together, Paul Sr. wanted no part of all of the dirty laundry aired to a third (objective) party.
The problem is that confronting the truth is not part of this real life game that is being played. The truth involves three sons, not just Mike. If, as a father, you want to put things right, you’ve got to get in the room and get all of the hurt, disappointment, sadness and raw emotion out on the tablewith all three of your sons. At that point, you can start burying the past and move forward together.
Make no mistake, there is a lot of apologizing to go around. Sr. is not the only villain in the scenario. There has been plenty of antagonizing and disrespect from every player in this tragedy.
Now on top of everything else, Paul Sr. has lost his best friend (Gus his dog). A guy who has dealt with addiction can only take so much. It is time to bury the hatchet.
One last thought… The producers of the show (looking for a good story) seem to be doing nothing to help this situation. There are times when film is shot that the father or sons are genuine about invitations to the wedding etc., yet it seems like (in that case) Paul Sr. was not clued in and was left to be paranoid about alterior motives. That wasn’t right. The producers of the show are seeing where this is headed and should have some sense in trying to heal this tragedy.
What, exactly, have Junior, Mikey and Danny done to their father — except react to his bullying?
What happened? Hmm, dad busted ass for a long ass time, son doesnt follow regular employee rules that father has lived by and enstilled in his employees and it belittles or embarrasses dad from the example he had set with employees. The reality is dad could not separate his past from him, jr, mikeys future in occ as a fun job that they could all get along and enjoy and definitely benefited from financialy but dad bared allllllllllllll the business side and burdens which weighed heavily on his shoulders once things slowed down and caused their ultimate demise. I lost my dad in 2003 in a tragic motorcycle accident in big bend just 12 miles south of marathon texas on hwy385. i would give anything to hug, fight with and tell him i love him and set any differences asside. Jr made money fast and it bugged sr that it took him longer to get the same money. Sr just wants son to appreciate what it took for him to create the awesome creation of occ and for all to benefit from with a simple thanks. If it was me at my age of 35, i would go to my dad, tell him i get it now, and thank you for everything you did for me to get us here today. If my dad couldnt let it go now, sr’s loss. And mikey, what a goofy kid that is so damn smart with the personal side with the family compared to how goofy he comes accross. God bless ya’ll. Enjoy the fruits of yalls labor, i still remember how awesome it was when yall reroofed vinnies house, those were the good ole days, or grandma tryin to pay yall to clear snow off driveway. Let it go, life is short. Heck i even lost my brother to pancreatic cancer 2 years after losing my dad and it sucks. I appreciate my family every single day. Maybe you should too! Chris
This reads like a real-life Shakespearean tragedy. Many copy-cat shows have subsequently developed but none have the appeal or drama of the Teutul family. Although I wish it to be otherwise, I believe the final scene will be enacted at the deathbed of Paul Sr. Everyone loses.
You make an excellent and touching point, Jerry. I share your fear: The only way out of this mess is a death.
He seems to only give credit or like those that are under his thumb 24/7 as he signs their check. You know, the butt kissers
Like him making it know that he never liked Vinny, for what?
Busting his back 24/7 at his say to get the bikes done that made OCC the big bucks?
Like soon as your lips aren’t swon to his butt, he don’t like you anymore and you didn’t do anything to help him build OCC, he did it all.
[And why OCC lost 2/3s of its work foce in lay offs and can't pay their bank note' cause Paul Sr did it all.]
Yes, the new season started and it now clear the Paul Sr. ruined OCC — and the evidence is undeniable that the moment Junior left, the entire shop collapsed. Senior gave Junior everything he asked for in the settlement because it was the only way to stanch losing everything. It’s so funny to watch Senior still blame Junior for all his problems while Junior doesn’t really even factor in his father into his past or his bright future.
Hi David,
I was hopeful for the new season that with the end of the lawsuit that Sr. would give up on being abusive and vindictive towards Jr., but, as you have said, Sr. continues to blame Jr. for many things. Sr. continues with his nonsense about “those guys” at Jr.’s shop not being as creative nor having the ability to build bikes like OCC. It is nice to see PJD succeeding (hard to tell if they are doing as well as is portrayed in the show), and how calm it is at their shop. Qt the same time, it is sad to see OCC hurting, though maybe it could force Sr. to acknowledge Jr.’s contributions to OCC. It probably will not make a difference with Sr. though, as it is easy to dismiss his failures as being part of the overall downturn in the US economy. It is still interesting to see how things are progressing at both shops.
Best regards, Tom
Yes, it’s strange to watch Senior this season continue to blame Junior for all his woes — including manipulating Mikey so that Senior can’t see him? Huh? Mikey has made it clear he doesn’t like the tension with his father, and it isn’t a coincidence that Mikey found an 18-month sobriety in the 24-months he hasn’t interacted with his father. Senior is poisonous for his sons, and they’re realizing they’re better off emotionally and financially without their old man screaming down their necks.
Sr.’s continued references to Jr. are disturbing. He never fails to disparage him, even though all is supposedly said and done there. Every time Mikey asks Jr. about reconnecting with their father, Jr. always says, “It is your decision.” Even Vinnie tells Mikey that the choice is Mikey’s in the end. And yet it is Jr. keeping Mikey from contacting him? WTF?!? And rather than respect Mikey’s decision like he said he would, Sr. immediately suspects ulterior motives. Sad, sad, sad little man.
As for Jr.’s lack of work ethic at the shop – watch the arc. He busted ass at first, often staying late to make his vision come to life. Then the insults started. Jason Poole anyone? Sr. brought in someone to replace his son pretty damned early on. That was when Jr,’s work ethic really, REALLY took a dive. That fault lies squarely on Paulie’s shoulders. He punked out, pure and simple. BUT I can understand where he is coming from. Jr. was the designer, and was in there helping the guys fabricate. Then the design was taken away from him and given to a kid and his computer. Where is the incentive to apply yourself if OCC is just going to be “Build-a-Bike Workshop”?
Look at the bikes OCC has been turning out since Jason (or Jason’s computer) became the designer. They are almost virtually indistinguishable from each other. What creativity is there, really? The gas tanks . . . occasionally the handlebars, after the workers fix Sr.’s attempts to help. All else is turned out via water jets. A few keystrokes, and you too can have a “custom” bike . . . that looks like every other “custom” bike they’ve done since Jr. left.
I just watched the “Top 10 American Chopper Fights” and Junior refused to be a part of the show, but Senior, of course, was there all the way.
Every single fight between the two of them was started by Senior. He hunts. He attacks. He goes for the kill. It’s a frightening routine to watch and it should never have been aired on television. I thought Junior handled most of his father’s rage pretty well — proving he’s had a lot of experience dealing with that madness growing up.
Hi , Ive been following the whole series throughout its beginnings and up to the latest episodes, albeit that we in England are behind slightly in the stories, but throughout there has been one main problem and that is Paul Snr’s gradual demise into a self made paranoic, he definately exhibits sociapathic tendencies in his constant rages, his inability to accept blame, his failure to recognise the damage being caused by his behaviour and if he does, seems to have no regards for his families feelings, he once made Vinnie responsible for Paulies actions and threatened to send him home because the shop wasnt as tidy as he wanted it, that is bullying tactics taken to the extreme, As much as I like the series it has become more of a family saga rather than the theme, ie building bikes, granted Paul Snr was the originator of the company but he had to adapt to modern themes and therefore by bringing Paulie in and having his sons modern designs ,built,, launched the company into the 21st century, another point of note is the constant input from the so called brown nosers, jim and jason in particular are very vocal when it comes to the cameras but i wonder if they would be so vocal to Paulies face, I personally feel that Paul Snr is suffering from a mental illness which has been associated with sociapathy and to constantly listen to the hangers on does his sanity no good at all, even his wife appears to be too cautious around him, which surely cannot help the basis of a firm marriage partnership, I fear that his early years of Alcohol and drug abuse is slowly but surely having an adverse effect in his later life and i certainly do not see this situation being resolved in the near future
Thank you for your keen insight, David. You’re spot on with your analysis. In the season that just ended — Jr vs. Sr — there was a small conciliation on live TV with Jesse James taking both of them on in a motorcycle build off, but it wasn’t satisfying and didn’t feel lasting.
Jesse Was a piece of work, and his actions reminded me strongly of Sr. Consider the cakes he sent to both shops. He also went on and on about how he was building his whole bike, including the frame. Then he produces a frame HE COULDN’T RIDE SAFELY. If you watch the clip of Jesse’s ride, he has to constantly look around the tank, frame, and handlebars because they obstruct his view.
It seems Jr. has taken a page from his older brother Danny. He brushes off what his father is doing, instead focusing on his own business. Notice that Paulie will only comment on his father when specifically PUSHED to do so by the TV crews. Otherwise, he focuses on what he needs to take care of and runs his business.
Sr., on the other hand, misses no opportunity to denigrate and belittle his son. I thought it was sickening when a couple of companies went with OCC over PJD and had to watch Sr. lap up the negative comments about Jr. like a cat with cream. I’ve also noticed that, ever since Sr. decreed Jason is “like a son to him,” Sr.. has been treating him like a son – that is berating, abusing, changing design elements, etc.
It is also fascinating to watch the reactions of the guys in the OCC shop, Rick in particular. I’m not sure what keeps Rick there, but he has mentioned several times about working around Jason’s design flaws, humoring Sr.’s attempts at fabricating, and making it work in spite of the problems. I just wonder if Discovery is instrumental in keeping him in place at OCC, perhaps with a financial incentive. He seems to just duck his head and do what needs to be done.
Thanks for an interesting blog. I look forward to seeing what happens in the future. I think Jr. is going to continue with his success while Sr. continues to drop into obscurity. God help him if Rick leaves. I pray for Mikey to find SOMETHING to find his self worth.
You’re right, Tim, Jesse was incredibly abusive during the “build off” and I don’t think he’d seen American Chopper in years because his commentary putting down father and son was so old and non-applicable to their latest stuff.
I thought Jesse’s bike was just as silly and impractical as you suggest — and I was wishing and hoping that Jr. would’ve said, when asked about what he thought about the bike on the live show, “That’s what you get when you’ve been p*ssy-whipped by Sandra Bullock for five years.” Sure, it would have been crass and out-of-character, but Jesse would’ve been put down and set in his place as a has been.
Jr. definitely does not seem to care about all the drama and that’s a good thing. We can see he has his own vision. I only wish he’d said one other little thing during the live interview when he and his father were sitting together, “I wish my father could accept that my success is his success even if we’re apart. He taught me how to build bikes. We worked together for a long time. Now I’m going my own way, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t a part of what I accomplish.” That would’ve nullified anything and everything Sr. would be able to say about him for the rest of their lives. That also wouldn’t mean Jr. wants to reconcile — it would just prove to Sr. that there’s no animosity moving forward and that respect has been paid and a debt has been honored.
Rick is a strange disappointment and I don’t understand why he stays at OCC. I agree he’s the one solid link between Jr. and Sr. and I’m sure the TV show wants him at OCC to keep that connection alive.
You’re right about Jason becoming the new son. He’s also becoming much more of a jerk on TV than he used to be. I don’t know if that’s by design or if the editors just can’t hide how wanting and needy he is all day long. He wants Sr.’s approval so much — and Sr. knows it — and Jason will never get enough to be satisfied.
I, too, feel for Mikey. He’s clearly living off the TV money he’s being paid as part of the series because he has no other visible means of support — but when that ends, what will he do? His “art” is just scribbling — there’s no trained aesthetic there or serious intention — perhaps Jr. knows he just has one more mouth to feed and that he doesn’t mind taking care of his brother since Mikey can’t take care of himself.
“You’re right about Jason becoming the new son. He’s also becoming much more of a jerk on TV than he used to be. I don’t know if that’s by design or if the editors just can’t hide how wanting and needy he is all day long. He wants Sr.’s approval so much — and Sr. knows it — and Jason will never get enough to be satisfied.”
Sr. is repeating the pattern we saw with Jr. If you look at the early episodes when they started to gain success, you can see how Sr. would come out and order “changes” to Paulie’s designs. Never mind how it would affect the final vision. Never mind that they were almost done. The big dog spoke, and that would be how it was.
Now he is doing the same thing to Jason. Waiting until a bike is almost mocked-up, then ordering a change in the frame. Or changing a design element and ordering Jason to make the change. Notice how Rick and the other guys deal with it. “It looks great on a flat drawing, but won’t work on the bike, so we have to adapt.” And they do, without confronting the artist. But Sr. has to throw his weight around, never letting you forget that he is in charge.
That may very well have been Jr.’s motivating factor in not coming in, taking 3 hour lunches, etc. He would come in at times he new Sr. would be out of the shop in order to avoid the clashes. He would stay late, knowing that Sr. had already gone home. In those three or four hours Sr. wasn’t there “helpoing,” they got more work done than had happened all day. You see that same avoidance now in his refusal to engage Sr. in a pissing contest. When he went to get the BW Bike, he made a beeline for the exit, refusing to engage Sr., knowing it could only lead to bad things.
You see the same thing when he talks to Mikey about reconnecting with Sr. “You know how it is going to go. What do you expect out of it?” But he always follows it up with: “Ultimately it is YOUR choice. You have to make it, and I will support your decision.”
Now Paulie bears responsibility for their fights. He engaged in those shouting matches rather than walking away. But it is nice to see him taking the high road now.
I have to fast-forward whenever Sr. is on the screen because I know what is going to happen. He will make some idiotic statement about the design (done by Jason) or the fabrication (done by Rick et. al.), and then take two or three shots at Paulie and PJD. It seems that Sr. is the one that cannot live and let live. What a sad, sad, sad, little man. I hope he gets help and reunites with his sons.
I’d also love to hear from Danny, the third son, on all this drama.
Great analysis, Tim! I think you’re right on about that family dynamic. Jr. is smart not to engage in a vicious cycle of contempt that never ends. It’s best not to get on the carousel in the first place — but when you sign the paychecks, you can for people like Jason to take a ride if he wants to stay employed.
Danny has been on the show a few times. He always seems disgusted by the whole familial charade with his dad. Didn’t Sr. say in one episode that he’d recently visited his grandchildren after a long time, but not their father? I thought he was talking about Danny. Isn’t there a daughter, too that we’ve never seen on TV? I think Sr. has mentioned her a few times, and how angelic she is and all, and how he can’t understand why his sons aren’t more like her…