More Boring Than Fiction

I admit to having an unusual fascination with motorcycle gangs. Even though I don't ride, don't really have the urge to start and have no desire to hang out with people who do, I find their lifestyle rather intriguing. Whenever the subject of the newest "Gangland" is a biker gang there is a good chance you will see me tuning in. I think it is because I watched far too many movies which glorified motorcycles and the people who ride them. It's that old cliche about the open road and living my your own rules which appeals to all of us on some level. You could make the case that the only difference between me (or almost any guy) and the ones in the gang is that I really like showering and possess truly terrible awful balance, so I never took the next step and learned to ride. So, when the Discovery Channel announced a new series which would chronicle the inner-workings of a motorcycle club I was excited to tune in. "The Devil's Ride" was supposed to show America what really goes on behind the doors of San Diego-based, growing motorcycle club The Laffing Devils. Let's just say the show was not what I anticipated.

First off, I have been to San Diego - it might be the most laid-back place in the world. Honestly, when you wake up and every day has beautiful weather and you're living steps from the beach I just can't comprehend anything making you very mad. Therefore, I have a hard time taking anyone from there too seriously when they want to be tough. It is much the same way I refuse to fear the guys from Connecticut who claim to be in gangs. The state has a very low crime rate (honestly, they are behind Vermont in the number of violent crimes), so how bad ass can those guys really be? Secondly, every member of this club appears to be doing very well for themselves. One of the guys is a contractor and another appears to own his own garage. Everyone is driving around on Harley Davidsons with about $20,000 worth of accessories and one guy showed up to an event in a new Cadillac. It is not exactly the image I had of biker gangs. Sure a couple guys like to get drunk and start fights every episode, but that doesn't make them tough - it makes them assholes. The rest of them just want to ride in packs and scare yuppies.

But, even worse than that is the way these guys act. The show starts of with Gypsy, the club's founder, stepping down as President because he doesn't like the way the club is trending with its new members (he's President so you think he could just kick them out or not have patched them in the first place, but that is another topic for another time). Shortly after that Billy, the new President, asks Gypsy to turn in his vest because too many of the members are still going to him for club business. After a couple of weeks to stew on this Gypsy decides he wants to start a new club and the drama ensues. Now the show is basically just everyone talking about how disrespected they feel. Gypsy feels disrespected by the way he was ask to turn in the patches for the club he started, Billy feels disrespected because Gypsy keeps showing up at club events (where, in the sign of true bad-asses they give each other the fricking silent treatment) and the other members of the club feel disrespected by the way Gypsy quickly tried to start another club. Honestly, with everyone airing their emotions into a camera I feel like I am watching an episode of one of the various "Real Housewives" than a show about a motorcycle club. All I know is this - if this were "Sons of Anarchy" about 10 people would have gotten shot by now, which is what makes that the far better show.

Look, I am well aware that "Sons" is fiction and this is supposed to be fact (though some people have begun to doubt just how real this 'reality' show is) and fiction is always going to be more dramatic. So far the show has done its best to try and make every episode have a cliff-hanger moment, but that's hard to do when you know they are going to come back and nothing very exciting will have happened because super-dramatic things don't usually happen in real life. Not to mention that if these guys were actually bad dudes they wouldn't be so stupid as to let people film them while they are committing crimes. But that doesn't change the fact that watching this show I don't feel like I'm watching the inner workings of a gang so much as I am watching the inner workings of a bunch of guys who really wish they were in a gang. Through all the documentaries I have seen I have learned that the big difference between a motorcycle club and an outlaw motorcycle gang is one is filled with guys who like to ride and the other is filled with criminals who happen to own motorcycles. One makes for better neighbors, but the other makes for better television. I just wish Discovery Channel knew that difference before they sign up to air this show.