agingrebel.com
George Christie’s reality television program, Outlaw Chronicles, will end tomorrow night with an episode titled ‘Sonny vs. George.’ So far the show has been equal parts fantasy, vengeance and profit opportunity and there is no reason to expect that the final episode will be different.
The History Channel describes the show like this. “In an outlaw organization that prides itself on secrecy and anonymity, one man has held the spotlight as the most famous Hells Angel of all: Sonny Barger. A member for more than 50 years, Barger has represented the Angels in the news and in movies, and behind the scenes has wielded power as the club’s de facto leader. But there emerged rivals to his supremacy, and one of Barger’s greatest adversaries was George Christie. Christie reveals how Sonny rose to power, expanded the club’s empire, and made it the most feared group of outlaws in the world. But Christie also exposes how Barger’s actions threatened to topple the Hells Angels from their throne, and ultimately led to Christie’s expulsion from the band of brothers he rode and fought with for more than 30 years. In his own words, this is George Christie’s view on how his clashes with Sonny Barger changed both men’s lives – and the Hells Angels – forever.”
Whatever the show claims tomorrow night is likely to be a lie. It is not a production for anthropologists, sociologist, criminologists or historians. It is a business enterprise to make Christie and the History Channel money from an audience of people who want to pretend to be motorcycle gang experts around the water cooler on Wednesday morning. Some few people, like some number of Hells Angels, are profoundly offended by Christie’s show – which is why the thing has gotten so much attention here. The entertainment industry, and most of the world at large, probably sees the show’s almost million fans in the same category as fantasy football fanatics.
Attack
Christie’s show is mostly an attack on his former motorcycle club masquerading as an homage. But Christie’s, and the History Channel’s, hostility to the motorcycle club that wears red and white is unmistakable. Two days ago on his Facebook page, Christie let his true feelings show. “When does a club become a cult,” he asked rhetorically. “When they fear their members leaving and feel compelled to destroy them with intimidation and false statements.” The implication is that his ex-club brothers are angry with Christie because he abandoned them.Some uncounted number of people think truth matters which is why it is worth a minute to talk back to George. Christie has recently, publically characterized this page as “fiction” and has blatantly stated that his plea deal is still sealed because “The Aging Rebel forced the prosecutors to seal the deal.” Christie has also said dozens of times that he left the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, voluntarily, on good terms and that he was put out bad retroactively on the orders of Ralph Barger. Presumably, tomorrow night will be George Christie’s chance to settle that score.
The truth is that Christie resigned from his motorcycle club because other club members detested him and distrusted him and at least some of those members still want the world to know what actually happened. Christie didn’t quit to pursue other interests because he outgrew the club. George Christie quit shortly after he got a letter from another Hells Angel named “Sam” dated April 16, 2011. Sonny Barger had nothing to do with it. Christie’s aspirations to celebrity may have had something to do with it. Christie’s desire to stay out of jail by any means necessary had a lot to do with it.
The Drop Dead Letter
“You just don’t know when to shut up,” Sam begins. “So just shut up and keep oral COPulating with your law enforcement buddies. You don’t have to open and close every door for everyone. If they want to be involved they don’t need you to involve them. They can do it themselves. This Club would be much better off if you’re not a part of it. Stick your head back up your ass and quit letting the cops pull it out every time they need a motor-mouth to fill in the blanks with words that are yours not ours. Our words are ‘I have nothing to say,’ not the endless hours of ass kissing, mumbling, jerk-off mouth bullshit you talk with law enforcement about our Club and its members. The Ventura Police Department and all the other law enforcement agencies are laughing at the Ventura charter behind their backs because you’re still in the Club. The cops know as long as you are in the Club, they can manipulate the Ventura Charter.“If I am wrong I will see you at the South Run on May 21, 2011.
“I said it before and I am saying it again. For the benefit of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, the Ventura charter members and yourself, QUIT THE CLUB.”
It was an invitation to a confrontation. Christie didn’t go to the run. He quit the club instead. Within days after he left, the number of club rules he had broken became evident and all his former club brothers were forbidden to have anything to do with him.