The Chopper Show

January 24, 2005 7:41 AM

The Chopper Show commercials are awesome! They're 30 minute (or longer) commercials for a dealership in Las Vegas. They're obnoxious, over the top, and mesmerizingly amusing. It boggles my mind that there are people who purchase cars based on these commercials, but I can understand why The Chopper is so popular in Las Vegas. If you can't speak spanish, I recommend El Chopper en Espanol - it's even funnier if you can't understand the sales pitch.
posted by Fantt (26 comments total)

If you haven't got a blue genie, well then, you haven't got much of anything, do you?
posted by Fantt at 7:42 AM on January 24, 2005

These guys were on an episode of the TLC show "Faking It". They trained a pastor to be a car salesman.

I watch too much TV.
posted by smackfu at 8:00 AM on January 24, 2005

Wow! I saw this awhile ago, up in the middle of the night when I was staying in vegas... I'd been wonderin' about it since then...
posted by ph00dz at 8:02 AM on January 24, 2005

That man sure gets round a lot
posted by seanyboy at 8:11 AM on January 24, 2005

Did the Ed McMahon thing make anyone else sad?
posted by dougunderscorenelso at 8:11 AM on January 24, 2005

Direct link.

Death to embedded video!
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 8:15 AM on January 24, 2005

I saw a show about this dealership as well but it wasn't Faking It - it was a profile of this guy's weird techniques and how it could basically only succeed in a place like Vegas. Chopper used to be a rapper and still likes to show off his skills to pay the bills. The dealership is (was?) pretty infamous for firing its lowest performing salesperson every month.

Personally, I think they're all cranked up on meth and would go out of my way to not deal with them but it justgoes to show that nothing is "normal" in Vegas.
posted by jeffmik at 8:20 AM on January 24, 2005

Cal Worthington he's not, and yeah the Ed Mcmahon thing was sad.
posted by Pressed Rat at 8:28 AM on January 24, 2005

God, this is awesome. I love MC Fish! It's like Used Cars, ghetto-style.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 8:29 AM on January 24, 2005

Classy. In central Florida, there is a dealership called Family Auto Mart that has the same approach. A blue genie? We get hillbillies. Truly terrifying.
posted by Sangre Azul at 8:42 AM on January 24, 2005

They seem like jerks, but I miss local advertising.
posted by destro at 8:46 AM on January 24, 2005

I saw a documentary on IFC about a guy called the slasher that dealerships bring into town [it was Memphis in the documentary] for specials sales events. The catch was a car for dollar or something -- a POS for sure -- but it got people into the dealership to check out the deals.

I really wish cars were sold like bread. A real price tag and no choppers or slashers.
posted by birdherder at 9:08 AM on January 24, 2005

I just watched the above-captioned episode of Faking It starring these guys. Cringe-worthy for the most part, but I found myself strangely relieved at the outcome. The postscript was unexpected.
posted by delapohl at 9:10 AM on January 24, 2005

Ahhhh memories . . . I was in the car biz for quite awhile . . . sell on payments, don't let an "up" leave before touching the desk, the desk gives the numbers, show excitement, know your product, watch the lot like a hawk, turn over for a close.
posted by Juicylicious at 9:54 AM on January 24, 2005

How and why would Ed McMahon put himself in this? Damn, he used to be Johnny's number 1 laughtrack and now he's introducing this lame asswipe.

I wouldn't buy a soda from these people.
posted by fenriq at 9:55 AM on January 24, 2005

maybe I'm just an asshole, but I like the way car dealerships try to hussle you these days. It's the only time I can feel really justified being a complete prick to someone, namely the sales guy. Also, no matter what kind of shit I throw at them, they have to be nice.

It's karma in action, I tell you!
posted by Parannoyed at 10:46 AM on January 24, 2005

Ed McMahon: "Heeeeeeeeeeere's Chopper"

Krusty: "I heartily endorse this event or product"

Frankly, in this instance, I think Krusty has more self-respect.
posted by filmgoerjuan at 11:21 AM on January 24, 2005

Born, raised, and still living in Vegas (at least when the Army doesn't wisk me away) I can say these ads have thoroughly annoyed me for years...
posted by mystyk at 12:01 PM on January 24, 2005

We're all better off if we think of these dealerships as a CarsDirect distributor/service center.

Do research, get informed, run the numbers yourself at various interest rates you might qualify for, then go to your local dealership and say "I can get this car with these options on CarsDirect for this much, but I'd rather buy it from you -- match this price and options and I'll walk out with the car right now, provided you can give me the interest rate I want."

Oh yeah, and no trade-in, if you have the time to sell your existing car privately.
posted by davejay at 12:05 PM on January 24, 2005

I was staying in Vegas a while back and came across one of these ads on TV and I'm kind of ashamed to admit this, but my boyfriend and I were completely transfixed. Definitely in the so-bad-it's-good category.
posted by amandaudoff at 12:47 PM on January 24, 2005

and no trade-in, if you have the time to sell your existing car privately

If you feel that you can get a significantly more more money selling it yourself, then do it. But, trading in your car works for you financially because you only pay sales tax on the trade difference. For example:

New Car: $35,000
Trade In Value: $10000
Trade Difference: $25000

Tax Rate 10% with trade in: $2500
without trade in: $3500
posted by pinkkitty at 1:13 PM on January 24, 2005

But, trading in your car works for you financially because you only pay sales tax on the trade difference.

This isn't true in all states, and it makes no sense in any case.
posted by kindall at 1:23 PM on January 24, 2005

I used to live in Vegas. Some Saturday mornings I'd be flipping the channels and be completely obsessed with the Chopper's infomercial. Even though I wasn't in the market for a car, it was pretty entertaining.

FYI, Chopper also has a rap album. It's not very good, but they were carrying it at the WOW on Sahara Blvd a couple years ago.
posted by b_thinky at 2:02 PM on January 24, 2005

Krusty: "I heartily endorse this event or product"

That's exactly what I was thinking when I saw him, too!
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 3:04 PM on January 24, 2005

There was a show on A&E called Take this Job . . . that featured Chopper's dealership as well as a Mary Kay saleswoman. It was appropriately named "The Big Sell." It was fascinating to see the two sales positions side-by-side.

It made me grateful that when I did work in Sales (very briefly), people actually wanted to buy what I was selling.
posted by annaramma at 5:16 PM on January 24, 2005

I like the part where he throws that chicken into a box full of bees. Or something.
posted by nanojath at 8:01 PM on February 23, 2005