Might get hate for this, but I can see why they chose to let Portnoy go

[Trav86]

I know people with real OCD. He doesn’t have OCD, he’s just a control freak.

[pg1067]

I know people with real OCD. He doesn’t have OCD, he’s just a control freak.

[lovethedrake]

I know people with real OCD. He doesn’t have OCD, he’s just a control freak.

As someone who is treated for and takes meds for OCD.. it was would be impossible for you to know this. 

A person can be doing compulsive rituals in their head and you would have literally no idea it was going on.

[pg1067]

I know people with real OCD. He doesn’t have OCD, he’s just a control freak.

As someone who is treated for and takes meds for OCD.. it was would be impossible for you to know this.

Indeed.  The notion that simply knowing a couple people with a condition qualifies one to diagnose a person as having or not having that same condition simply based on knowing that person's public persona is absurd.

[Herrick]

Yeah, I think the folks who say it wasn't about money are wrong.  Everything is always about money.  It may not always be the only factor, but it's always a factor; more often than not, the main factor.  And I don't think it's a coincidence that Portnoy wanted to "take a break because the band is stale" at exactly the same time Avenged Sevenfold needed a drummer for the tour and possibly for a permanent position. 


Mike saw the potential payday in that and attempted to pitch himself for the position, I think, assuming that because he's 'Mike Portnoy' they'd be chomping at the bit to sign him up.  Remember the bit about him saying, "I put out my press release, so I can be with you now!" I don't think he expected them to NOT offer him the full time gig.  I think he was counting on it.  It's always about money.  Sorry man, that's just how life is.  He gambled and lost.   It happens.  Just not always this publicly.






That's the only explanation of the events that makes any sense to me because it's always about the money.  You know how to tell it's about the money?  When they tell you 'it's not about the money' you know it's about the money, because its always about the money.

I think this is part of it. I think the other part was just playing in a band (Avenged) that was popular. They were headlining big shows at the time. I think they were headlining a big festival tour in the US while he was with them. At the time they were getting more mainstream recognition than DT and I think that (and the money) were gave him the ego...I mean, confidence to leave. At the time he was adamant that he didn’t leave DT to join AX7, but it was pretty obvious. He even tried to get back in the band after the AX7 guys cut him loose.

Avenged Sevenfold even told MP, why did he do that.

To me, all MP had to do was to try and calm his OCD and try and relinquish control of certain aspects of the band. Let JM do the interviews, let JLB make the setlists, let JR edit the videos. But him not wanting to relinquish that control is a side effect of OCD. It's hard for someone with it to let others take control, especially if it's something the OCD person helped start or create.

Did those guys ever expressed any interest in taking on those extra tasks during the Portnoy days? I'm guessing Myung wouldn't want to be the lead interviewee all the time...or even half the time.

[Peter Mc]

That's pretty damned cynical, and also false.  I've been gigging for free my entire life, because it's not always about the money.  I actually love to play and will do it for free.  Because I love to play, and because it isn't always about the money.

My band hasn't gigged since February because of COVID lockdowns and shit, but I keep on gigging for free because it isn't always about the money.

I’m not sure he’s saying that Mike only plays music because of money. Even your own example though that you gig for free.  If another band came to you and said they’d been offered a record deal and do you want to come play with them and get paid, I’m guessing you would if the money was right.

That’s the thing, Mike was in DT and was making a decent living but then one of the biggest metal bands in the world come along and he thinks that they want him to be their new drummer. He then leaves DT to join this huge band and they say “whoa, slow down there buddy, why are you putting press releases out? No one offered you the gig full time, we haven’t decided what we’re doing yet”. In that moment though, they did decide.  They decided they didn’t want this old attention seeking guy, they didn’t want to be “Avenged Sevenfold featuring the incredible Mike Portnoy” they just wanted a new guy to come in quietly, settle in and become a member of the band.  Mike then tries to run back to DT and they say, “no chance dude, you bailed on us to join another band”.

That’s not the story Mike tells but it’s the story A7X and Dream Theater tell and I doubt they are lying, A7X in particular have no reason to.

It wasn’t purely money, it was the thought of the fame, the glory, playing stadiums, headlining huge festivals and the money that would undoubtedly bring in.  I don’t blame Mike for doing it, on paper it was a huge opportunity.  Unfortunately though he should’ve made sure he had the A7X gig in the bag before bailing on gig he already had.

[Kotowboy]

I know people with real OCD. He doesn’t have OCD, he’s just a control freak.

As someone who is treated for and takes meds for OCD.. it was would be impossible for you to know this. 

A person can be doing compulsive rituals in their head and you would have literally no idea it was going on.

Ok - but does Portnoy exhibit any characteristics / symptoms of genuine OCD - beyond his penchant for collecting ?

[Orbert]

That's pretty damned cynical, and also false.  I've been gigging for free my entire life, because it's not always about the money.  I actually love to play and will do it for free.  Because I love to play, and because it isn't always about the money.

My band hasn't gigged since February because of COVID lockdowns and shit, but I keep on gigging for free because it isn't always about the money.

I’m not sure he’s saying that Mike only plays music because of money. Even your own example though that you gig for free.  If another band came to you and said they’d been offered a record deal and do you want to come play with them and get paid, I’m guessing you would if the money was right.

That’s the thing, Mike was in DT and was making a decent living but then one of the biggest metal bands in the world come along and he thinks that they want him to be their new drummer. He then leaves DT to join this huge band and they say “whoa, slow down there buddy, why are you putting press releases out? No one offered you the gig full time, we haven’t decided what we’re doing yet”. In that moment though, they did decide.  They decided they didn’t want this old attention seeking guy, they didn’t want to be “Avenged Sevenfold featuring the incredible Mike Portnoy” they just wanted a new guy to come in quietly, settle in and become a member of the band.  Mike then tries to run back to DT and they say, “no chance dude, you bailed on us to join another band”.

I just take exception to any statement which includes "everything is always..." because absolutes like that are rarely true, so why even say it, let alone emphasize it by bolding it multiple times?  And saying "everything is always about the money" is just plain false.  There are countless things in life that are not "about the money", and music in particular is most definitely not "always about the money".

Even your explanation supports that.  Avenged Sevenfold was big at the time, sure, but bigger than Dream Theater?  Would leaving Dream Theater to tour with A7X have been so much more money that the guy who credits himself with actually founding the band would choose to leave it?  I just don't see it.  He left because he was getting burnt out with DT and needed a break, and A7X seemed to be offerring him that break, something different and exciting.  I have no idea how much money he would have made with them compared to Dream Theater, but I just don't think it was the money.  Therefore "everything is always about the money" is false.  When you posit an absolute, a single counterexample is all you need to prove it false.

Even when my band was gigging, making pretty good money for a while, I was still in church every Sunday morning, gigging for free.  Because I love to play music.  It is not about the money, and there's your counterexample.

[lovethedrake]

I know people with real OCD. He doesn’t have OCD, he’s just a control freak.

As someone who is treated for and takes meds for OCD.. it was would be impossible for you to know this. 

A person can be doing compulsive rituals in their head and you would have literally no idea it was going on.

Ok - but does Portnoy exhibit any characteristics / symptoms of genuine OCD - beyond his penchant for collecting ?

If you met me in person you would have zero clue that I had ocd.  I’m doing shit in my head that nobody knows about and never would.  Anyways, there’s a ton of reading material online about ocd if you’re interested but I’m sure most peops want to talk music here haha. So I’ll just leave it by saying that unless you’re a close personal friend of Portnoy’s it would be impossible to know if he truly was suffering from a mental disorder.

[Peter Mc]

That's pretty damned cynical, and also false.  I've been gigging for free my entire life, because it's not always about the money.  I actually love to play and will do it for free.  Because I love to play, and because it isn't always about the money.

My band hasn't gigged since February because of COVID lockdowns and shit, but I keep on gigging for free because it isn't always about the money.

I’m not sure he’s saying that Mike only plays music because of money. Even your own example though that you gig for free.  If another band came to you and said they’d been offered a record deal and do you want to come play with them and get paid, I’m guessing you would if the money was right.

That’s the thing, Mike was in DT and was making a decent living but then one of the biggest metal bands in the world come along and he thinks that they want him to be their new drummer. He then leaves DT to join this huge band and they say “whoa, slow down there buddy, why are you putting press releases out? No one offered you the gig full time, we haven’t decided what we’re doing yet”. In that moment though, they did decide.  They decided they didn’t want this old attention seeking guy, they didn’t want to be “Avenged Sevenfold featuring the incredible Mike Portnoy” they just wanted a new guy to come in quietly, settle in and become a member of the band.  Mike then tries to run back to DT and they say, “no chance dude, you bailed on us to join another band”.

I just take exception to any statement which includes "everything is always..." because absolutes like that are rarely true, so why even say it, let alone emphasize it by bolding it multiple times?  And saying "everything is always about the money" is just plain false.  There are countless things in life that are not "about the money", and music in particular is most definitely not "always about the money".

Even your explanation supports that.  Avenged Sevenfold was big at the time, sure, but bigger than Dream Theater?  Would leaving Dream Theater to tour with A7X have been so much more money that the guy who credits himself with actually founding the band would choose to leave it?  I just don't see it.  He left because he was getting burnt out with DT and needed a break, and A7X seemed to be offerring him that break, something different and exciting.  I have no idea how much money he would have made with them compared to Dream Theater, but I just don't think it was the money.  Therefore "everything is always about the money" is false.  When you posit an absolute, a single counterexample is all you need to prove it false.

Even when my band was gigging, making pretty good money for a while, I was still in church every Sunday morning, gigging for free.  Because I love to play music.  It is not about the money, and there's your counterexample.

Fair enough, that’s cool.  Just quickly on your question about whether A7X were bigger than DT though, the answer to that is a resounding yes.  They are one of a very few current bands that you see headline a major metal festival. It’s largely Iron Maiden, Metallica, Slipknot, Tool and A7X.  DT are not in that league.

[Setlist Scotty]

Fair enough, that’s cool.  Just quickly on your question about whether A7X were bigger than DT though, the answer to that is a resounding yes.  They are one of a very few current bands that you see headline a major metal festival. It’s largely Iron Maiden, Metallica, Slipknot, Tool and A7X.  DT are not in that league.

I won't argue that this is the case now, nor would I argue that this was the case in North America back in 2010, but was that the case in all other parts of the world in 2010? AFAIK (I'm not from there, so my knowledge is limited), DT was still pretty big in Europe, Asia and South America, and I would imagine they held their own against A7X in those territories back then. Was A7X significantly bigger than DT in those territories back then?

[MirrorMask]

It might simply be a lack of venues, but Iron Maiden, Dream Theater and A7X always played the same basket venue in Milan. Of course Iron Maiden would sell it out in 2 days most, while DT would always have empty spaces here and there, but the venue was the same, DT never needed in 20 years to scale down.

More generally, a band like DT always goes good in Europe, of course we'd have to define "good" by looking at actual ticket sales, attendance over the years etc etc but the kind of stuff that DT does is always welcomed in Europe without dramatic swifts in attendance. They have a safe home over this side of the ocean, of course case by case and nation by nation it might go slightly better or slightly worse, but I don't think DT's tour manager, on broad terms, has to worry "geez what to do with Germany and Italy this time around?":... there's always a good market for them.

[Peter Mc]

Fair enough, that’s cool.  Just quickly on your question about whether A7X were bigger than DT though, the answer to that is a resounding yes.  They are one of a very few current bands that you see headline a major metal festival. It’s largely Iron Maiden, Metallica, Slipknot, Tool and A7X.  DT are not in that league.

I won't argue that this is the case now, nor would I argue that this was the case in North America back in 2010, but was that the case in all other parts of the world in 2010? AFAIK (I'm not from there, so my knowledge is limited), DT was still pretty big in Europe, Asia and South America, and I would imagine they held their own against A7X in those territories back then. Was A7X significantly bigger than DT in those territories back then?

They headlined the main stage of the first night of Download festival in the U.K. on the next tour after Portnoy was let go.  I think Dream Theater may have headlined the second stage once at their absolute height of popularity (BC&SL era) but nowhere near a main stage headliner.  I would agree that, maybe in 2010, they hadn’t yet hit their peak in the U.K. and Europe and maybe were playing similar venues to DT but they were still a band who were a big deal, who had big label support, had proper music videos, radio airplay and hit singles. DT were, and remain, a cult band with a fiercely loyal fan base but they always had a certain ceiling which A7X did not have. It definitely felt like a step up for Portnoy from DT to A7X.

[Kotowboy]

Maybe a step up in popularity - but a huge step down in songwriting.

Even if MP did join Avenged as a full time member - I can't imagine him NOT trying to muscle in on everything and be the frontperson and handle all the decisions just like he did in DT.

I can't see him being JUST the drummer in a full time band.

[Setlist Scotty]

I would agree that, maybe in 2010, they hadn’t yet hit their peak in the U.K. and Europe and maybe were playing similar venues to DT but they were still a band who were a big deal, who had big label support, had proper music videos, radio airplay and hit singles.

No argument there. But that's the thing, we have to look at things from the standpoint of summer 2010, not what we know came after.
 
 

DT were, and remain, a cult band with a fiercely loyal fan base but they always had a certain ceiling which A7X did not have. It definitely felt like a step up for Portnoy from DT to A7X.

I won't argue with you, but there's always the outside chance that DT could break that ceiling. Not likely, but not impossible either, as PMU proved all those years ago.

But regardless, the big reason why MP wanted to make the move was because they were a newer band with younger guys and it was all very exciting to him, as opposed to the old established relationships he had with the DT guys. And to an extent, he has said as much about why he stepped away from DT, even if he didn't specifically talk about wanting to join A7X. I will also reiterate again, this does nothing to prove that MP was wanting to make the move because of the money, or else I'm sure we would have seen him chasing after other big name gigs instead of continuing in the various bands and projects we have seen him in. Perfect example would be Nuno Bettencourt who played with Rhianna. You can be sure Nuno made a lot more cash in that gig than he did with Extreme, and with MP having made a name for himself in the music industry, he could've done something similar if money was the overriding motive.
 
 

Even if MP did join Avenged as a full time member - I can't imagine him NOT trying to muscle in on everything and be the frontperson and handle all the decisions just like he did in DT.

I disagree. Consider all the bands he's been in since he left DT. With the exception of SoA where it was stated outright that he and DS would be the decision makers in the band, MP has not been THE decision maker or frontman for any of those bands. And these are all bands that he has been in from the beginning. Plus with them being lower key bands, it would be much easier for him to muscle his way in on everything if he wanted to, yet he has not.

Now consider that A7X is a band that already was established long before he joined them, which he was very well aware of. Perhaps in time he could have become an equal partner in the band, but in no way would he have ever tried to take over everything. The other guys would've never stood for it, and MP would have known that.

[PetFish]

Ok - but does Portnoy exhibit any characteristics / symptoms of genuine OCD - beyond his penchant for collecting ?

There's a "making of" video, either BC&SL or SC, where MP and JP signed a "contract" (just something silly on a piece of paper and not legally binding in any way, just for fun) that this part they were working on would sound like "this", and they both signed it, but then MP just couldn't handle it and reneged cuz he absolutely had to have it sound like "that"... and so they ended up going with "that".

It's a pretty solid example of how MP would, by his own admission, always get his way due to his OCD-like trait.

But I can't find the video, maybe someone else can or at least remembers this happening.

[emtee]

A7X guitarist Gate's gave a statement to the effect..."Mike is a great guy and great drummer and we consider him family, but he's MIKE PORTNOY....a well established drummer and he makes a lot of money. More than we can afford right now."

None of us will ever know the totality of what went down amid the whole MP leaving saga. Money may not have been the primary concern but it was certainly a factor.

[Kotowboy]

Ok - but does Portnoy exhibit any characteristics / symptoms of genuine OCD - beyond his penchant for collecting ?

There's a "making of" video, either BC&SL or SC, where MP and JP signed a "contract" (just something silly on a piece of paper and not legally binding in any way, just for fun) that this part they were working on would sound like "this", and they both signed it, but then MP just couldn't handle it and reneged cuz he absolutely had to have it sound like "that"... and so they ended up going with "that".

It's a pretty solid example of how MP would, by his own admission, always get his way due to his OCD-like trait.

But I can't find the video, maybe someone else can or at least remembers this happening.

I have seen this exact video. I always cited it as an example of MP being a control freak - not OCD.

[Peter Mc]

A7X guitarist Gate's gave a statement to the effect..."Mike is a great guy and great drummer and we consider him family, but he's MIKE PORTNOY....a well established drummer and he makes a lot of money. More than we can afford right now."

None of us will ever know the totality of what went down amid the whole MP leaving saga. Money may not have been the primary concern but it was certainly a factor.

Didn’t he also say something to the effect that they didn’t want to become A7X and Mike Portnoy and they weren’t keen on Mike’s penchant for press releases and putting everything out in public.

[Peter Mc]

Ok - but does Portnoy exhibit any characteristics / symptoms of genuine OCD - beyond his penchant for collecting ?

There's a "making of" video, either BC&SL or SC, where MP and JP signed a "contract" (just something silly on a piece of paper and not legally binding in any way, just for fun) that this part they were working on would sound like "this", and they both signed it, but then MP just couldn't handle it and reneged cuz he absolutely had to have it sound like "that"... and so they ended up going with "that".

It's a pretty solid example of how MP would, by his own admission, always get his way due to his OCD-like trait.

But I can't find the video, maybe someone else can or at least remembers this happening.

I have seen this exact video. I always cited it as an example of MP being a control freak - not OCD.

Yeah, there’s a world of difference between being a perfectionist or always having to get your own way and having a genuine crippling mental illness like OCD.

[Kotowboy]

Didn’t he also say something to the effect that they didn’t want to become A7X and Mike Portnoy and they weren’t keen on Mike’s penchant for press releases and putting everything out in public.

And also that Mike said he actually quit DT to join Avenged full time and they told him that wasn't the deal. Then Mike realised he didn't have EITHER band - hence

" I'll come back to DT " for the fans "..." even though DT had just finished all the legal and paperwork to get Mangini installed as a new member...

and his " You can't trust anyone anymore " tweet.

[Mladen]

Yeah, but we shouldn't say it out lout. We're supposed to agree with the rewritten history.

As far as the bit with the contract goes, that is part of the making of Systematic chaos. I think they were working on Prophets of war.

[hunnus2000]

I'm confused about something - I always saw interviews with MP where he stated that he definitely was not a member of Avenged and he was just helping some friends out. Did he confirm that he actually left DT for Avenged?

[gzarruk]

I'm confused about something - I always saw interviews with MP where he stated that he definitely was not a member of Avenged and he was just helping some friends out. Did he confirm that he actually left DT for Avenged?

He obviously never said that (the bolded) but: 1. it was heavily implied and 2. the Avenged guys actually said that (or something like that).

What one of the A7X members said back then was that when Mike quit DT, he told them something like "I quit the band, so I can be with you guys now", they were like "no way", and he was like "but I already put out my press release". And that's when this happened:

Didn’t he also say something to the effect that they didn’t want to become A7X and Mike Portnoy and they weren’t keen on Mike’s penchant for press releases and putting everything out in public.

And also that Mike said he actually quit DT to join Avenged full time and they told him that wasn't the deal. Then Mike realised he didn't have EITHER band - hence

" I'll come back to DT " for the fans "..." even though DT had just finished all the legal and paperwork to get Mangini installed as a new member...

and his " You can't trust anyone anymore " tweet.

He always publicly said one thing, but he could've been wishing for something else. And, btw, I don't think it was "bad", he clearly did what he felt right to do, the thing is that he acted assuming stuff (that he was going to be asked full time into A7X) instead of seeing the big picture, and acted without thinking it twice. The end result? He gambled and lost, and I think we can all relate to that or have been guilty of that at one point or another.

What I do think he did wrong is that he started his passive-aggressive blame game instead of owning his mistake and telling it like it was.

[Kotowboy]

I know i'm not the biggest fan of MP on the boards ** ( but ironically - he was my fave member of the band until the split and he revealed his true beard colours )...

But after that whole business - people kept noticing that he would "like" Facebook posts that were anti-Labrie, and RT and like any anti-Labrie tweets.

Then when confronted about it - he did his usual " *I* didn't say that ! : ) " - even though agreeing with something is the same as saying it.









** it should be noted that i've listened to ALL of his post DT work and I really *wanted* to enjoy Sons Of Apollo - but then we know what happened there with him and DS...

[hunnus2000]

Yeah - that's why I say that after the initial shock of him leaving, the band saw this as an opportunity to 'cleanse the palate' so to speak.

BTW - thanks for the clarification.

[Herrick]

A7X guitarist Gate's gave a statement to the effect..."Mike is a great guy and great drummer and we consider him family, but he's MIKE PORTNOY....a well established drummer and he makes a lot of money. More than we can afford right now."

None of us will ever know the totality of what went down amid the whole MP leaving saga. Money may not have been the primary concern but it was certainly a factor.

That is interesting. I always thought Avenged Sevenfold was making more money than Dream Theater back then.

[hunnus2000]

A7X guitarist Gate's gave a statement to the effect..."Mike is a great guy and great drummer and we consider him family, but he's MIKE PORTNOY....a well established drummer and he makes a lot of money. More than we can afford right now."

None of us will ever know the totality of what went down amid the whole MP leaving saga. Money may not have been the primary concern but it was certainly a factor.

That is interesting. I always thought Avenged Sevenfold was making more money than Dream Theater back then.

Wouldn't the amount of money a band would make depend on the deal they have with their record company?

[Kotowboy]

And if they're on a major or independent label.

Obviously majors take a bigger cut - but we learned in my music degree business lessons just how much the majors wring you out.

I don't know what it's like these days but typically - any royalties you make from your first two albums goes right back to the label

to pay them back for all your advances. Sometimes major label bands don't get any royalties til album #3 and that's why

some bands don't last that long.

[Peter Mc]

I think saying “we couldn’t afford someone of the calibre of the amazing Mike Portnoy” is perhaps them being kind and diplomatic rather than saying “we didn’t want Mike Portnoy.”

[Kotowboy]

But my PRESS RELEASE.....

[Chino]

Anyone else hear bootlegs of them doing Fatal Tragedy with him singing “you can eat ass and balls” in the chorus? That was....interesting.

There's a version of As I Am like that as well.

[IDontNotDoThings]

Ok - but does Portnoy exhibit any characteristics / symptoms of genuine OCD - beyond his penchant for collecting ?

There's a "making of" video, either BC&SL or SC, where MP and JP signed a "contract" (just something silly on a piece of paper and not legally binding in any way, just for fun) that this part they were working on would sound like "this", and they both signed it, but then MP just couldn't handle it and reneged cuz he absolutely had to have it sound like "that"... and so they ended up going with "that".

It's a pretty solid example of how MP would, by his own admission, always get his way due to his OCD-like trait.

But I can't find the video, maybe someone else can or at least remembers this happening.

I have seen this exact video. I always cited it as an example of MP being a control freak - not OCD.

Yeah, there’s a world of difference between being a perfectionist or always having to get your own way and having a genuine crippling mental illness like OCD.

Well, those things certainly aren't mutually exclusive, but there are plenty of other traits that MP has which support him having OCD, like having constantly rotating setlists while in DT (in which he would always pay attention to which cities had gotten which song to avoid repeats). There's the amount of official bootlegs he had released with DT, with the level of detail for providing backstory in each one's liner notes. Same goes with his dedication to preserving the making-of process for each DT album with his little documentaries, or his dedication to putting as much of his personal feelings & interests out there on his website/forum. There's also the multitude of other projects he's been involved in since leaving DT, a lot of which are pretty varied, & only a few of which he's stayed with for more than a few albums. All of these seem like signs that the guy's wheels are in constant motion, & that he's doing his best to channel those thoughts in an entertaining way. Those things aren't telltale proofs that he has OCD, but they do make it believable that he's telling the truth about it.

I also take a bit of issue with the implication that someone's mental condition has to be "crippling" for it to exist. For a lot of conditions, people who have learned to deal with them can function fine, but their condition can still affect how they perceive things. Many people with autism, for example, can still generally talk to people & achieve great things, but still have some irrational triggers that act up, or miss social cues that someone is trying to express, or have a niche interest that not many people see the appeal in. It still affects them, but that doesn't mean it has to cripple them beyond the point of being able to function. I imagine it's a similar case with OCD.

But really, all this is beside the biggest point, which is that none of us know MP, most of us aren't psychologists, & so, whether or not we think he really has OCD has no real value beyond childish rumours.

[Herrick]

I think saying “we couldn’t afford someone of the calibre of the amazing Mike Portnoy” is perhaps them being kind and diplomatic rather than saying “we didn’t want Mike Portnoy.”

I think you're right.

But my PRESS RELEASE.....

 

[PetFish]

I have seen this exact video. I always cited it as an example of MP being a control freak - not OCD.

It's a fine line between the two states of mind/personality and I think they go hand-in-hand.

There's being a perfectionist while also being able to compromise and then there's being unable or willing to compromise cuz you just *have* to have your way and I believe MP is the "must have it my way at all costs" which pushes it more towards the OCD side.

There's also his self-admitted bullying tone of wearing-down the guys until he gets his way and that's not cool.