American Chopper: Senior Versus Junior

People are cynical about reality TV shows and believe that much of it is faked, rehearsed and acted. I really hope that is the case with American Chopper: Senior Versus Junior. I'd like to believe that the Teutel family is hamming it up and when the cameras go away they have a laugh over a big barbecue or something. I suspect, however, that this is not the case. Who are the Teutels? I hear you ask. Even if you know anything about the motorcycle custom business you'll probably have heard of Jesse James, who famously duped Sandra Bullock (but no one else) for five years into thinking that he wasn't a Wehrmacht obssessed, narcissistic, nut job. Surprisingly Jesse James isn't the most awful man in the custom chopper biz, no, that would be Paul Teutel Senior, who is such a loud mouthed, rage filled, Freudian villain that at times I can't believe that the whole show isn't a giant put on. No one could be so transparently unpleasant and filled with such obvious self loathing. The jealousy and hatred Senior has for his own children reminds me of Daniel Day Lewis in There Will Be Blood or Lee J Cobb in Twelve Angry Men. For everyone's sake let's pray that Paul Senior is also an excellent actor.