Men, Media, and Machines: Fabricating Masculinities inAmerican Chopper

Abstract

Informed by the work of sociology of gender scholar R.W. Connell (1995) Connell, R. W. 1995. Masculinities, Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. [Google Scholar], this article examines the construction of and relationships among different types of masculinities in the Discovery Channel's “docusoap” American Chopper. The program, set in the shop of custom motorcycle fabricators Orange County Choppers (OCC) “stars” Paul Teutel, Sr., and his two adult sons, Paulie and Mikey, each of whom performs a distinct type of masculinity (hegemonic, subordinated/resistant, and complicit, respectively). Focusing primarily on the relationship between the hegemonic Paul Sr. and the subordinated/resistant Paulie, this article argues that the program's hybrid nature as a docusoap allows for a unique vantage point from which to view mediated constructions of masculinities.

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