Pawn Stars - Why? How? What?

Cafe Society
1

I just tried to watch this show, which seems to have been on forever (According to IMDB, since 2009), and I couldn’t make it to the first commercial break.

Now I have never liked this show, and I generally do not like reality TV (mainly because it’s anything BUT reality. Everything is staged). However, i was curious to see if the show had improved since I watched it a couple of times in the past.

I’m sad to report it hasn’t.

So my question is, who watches this show and enjoys it?

I just don’t understand the appeal at all. I like looking at crap that i’ve never seen before as much as the next guy, and seeing a cool watch or whatever has its moments. But I can’t make it through the “scripts” that these bozos are supposed to memorize for filming.

The “old man” I believe is mentally handicapped. Not like Chumlee, which is clearly an act, but actually an easy double digit IQ. He isn’t entertaining, nor funny. In fact, there is nothing interesting about him at all. When the old man and Chumlee have a conversation, it feels like my brain is being squeezed inside a vice (picture the "Charlie M scene in Casino).

Every scene with a customer is staged, and it is obvious. So much so, I don’t even know why they bother going through the motions of having Rick stand behind the counter. And the “negotiations” are always the same.

Seller - person with item, supposedly outside the pawn shop - "I’d like to get $5 thousand for this xxxxxx, but I’ll take $3,000.

Rick, Inside store - “what do you have there?”
Seller - "oh, this is a rare xxxxx, and there are only 3 of them known to exist in the world.
Rick - “hmm. Well, this is interesting, but I’m not sure it’s worth much. How much were you looking to get for it?”
Seller - “I’d like to get $5,000”
Rick - “that ain’t gonna happen. I was thinking maybe $2500”
Seller - “uh, would you do $4200?”
Rick - “i’ll go as high as $3100”
Seller - “ok, it’s a deal”
Rick - “see you over by check-out”
Riveting.

seriously, how is this show still on the air? And who watches it and why? It seems to be such a dumbed down version of Antiques Road Show. The “stars” on the show are just awful. I understand they aren’t professional actors, but i honestly don’t think the “old man” can even read.

I know the answer to the question “why do you watch this?” Is often “because it’s on TV.” And we all have our guilty pleasures… Programs that entertain us even though they are clearly not “Masterpiece Theater”. However, this show is a special kind of dumb. It is moronic.

Apologies in advance if I have hammered your favorite show. Sorry about that. But this is one show that has nothing going for it. At least with the Kardashians, you get to see some nice looking women bounce around for a while. It’s a cheap and pathetic thrill, but just the same, I can see why someone would watch that program. Pawn Stars? Good lord, they have nothing to draw me in. I can’t stand the people that work there, I don’t care about their lives, and I really don’t like the contrived arguments.

So, for those that like this show, why? And has it become better or worse since it first aired?

2

It’s all an act, but the items are often interesting, there is a little history going on, and the Old Man is a hoot. I love his collection of cars. And he’s a lot smarter than you give him credit for. But reality it isn’t. None of the Vegas shows are. Or even close.

3

I think that’s called poisoning the well. “It sucks. Only idiots would like the show. So tell me why you like the show.”

4

As silenus said the items are interesting and it does include some history which I like. I don’t have cable so usually see it when I visit my parents in Fort Worth. I enjoy the interaction between the staff and the customers and experts. Other than various home improvement shows (I think they qualify) it’s the only reality show I watch.

5

I never say that people who watch the show are idiots. Although I do hammer the show, i do understand it can be a guilty pleasure for some.

I think there are many shows on TV that are moronic, but that doesn’t mean only idiots watch them. I am sure a few shows I’ve watched could fall into this same category, and yet I find something to like about the show and can watch it. For example the tattoo shows, like Best Ink, or Ink Master, i find interesting even though i don’t have any tattoos and never plan on getting one. But I enjoy the show because some of the people are amazing artists, and i am always amazed at what is created each week.

But for the life of me, I can’t see one thing about Pawn Stars that is compelling.

Oh, and silenus, I agree that the old man is probably a lot smarter than i give him credit for. From what i understand, he was the one that started that business (although I may be wrong), and he has clearly made quite a nice bundle of cash in his life to afford and keep his car collection. I think he’s probably one of those “dumb as a fox” guys, who comes off like an idiot, but is the smartest guy in the room. I would be interested in knowing these people before the show, to see how different they are in their real life as compared to the TV persona that was vreated for them.

6

I just wish Corey and Chumlee would be themselves, like they were the first couple of seasons, and not put on acts.

Rick published a book a couple years ago. I read it; it was quite interesting.

7

I watch because I have a crush on the museum guy that comes to evaluate but never appraise the items. He just seems so sweet and I wish the people who have true rare finds would donate them to his museum on the spot.

8

Actually it’s one of the only reality shows I can stomach. While the negotiations may be staged I still like to see the various items and find out what they’re supposedly worth.
They seem to keep the staged shop drama fairly light, humorous, and minimal so it doesn’t bother me that much like other shows where the faux shop drama takes over (American Chopper or any tattoo shop show). Watching them try to act and deliver lines is funny also. Rick looks like he feels ridiculous reciting a script, ChumLee overacts, the old man’s delivery is pathetic, Corey seems to really try to be convincing.
But like I said they never let the drama crap take over the show. You know the main focus will still be interesting items.
The vehicle test drives and guns/cannons/mortar test fires are fun to watch also.

9

Same here. The items are interesting to me. Their history is interesting. I like the suspense of finding out what is real and what isn’t when they bring the expert in. Rick seems like a damned smart guy. The Old Man is crazy, but he seems to be a pretty sharp businessman from what I can tell. Corey and Chumlee are, well, I don’t really pay much attention to them.

To me, it’s more like, what’s to dislike? It’s not the most riveting show in the world, but all the characters are (to me) pleasant, there’s no stupid drama, and the focus of the show stays on the items, not some manufactured-for-TV-interpersonal-crap. I suppose they try to sprinkle a little bit of that in there, but it’s not noticeable to me. It’s kind of like a more interesting and entertaining version of Antiques Roadshow to me.

10

You know what else isn’t reality? Novels. Movies. Other TV shows. Plays. Operas. Short Stories.

I can understand being annoyed with the conventions of “Reality Television,” the way in which Reality Television has driving out good script/plot driven fiction, the way Reality Television appeals to the lowest denominator viewer and is potentially responsible for the dumbing down of America, the tendency Reality Television has to elevate the base and grotesque and reward bad behavior with fame and money…but I don’t understand the criticism that “it isn’t reality.” You know what reality is? It’s fucking boring. Sure, it’s in the name, but my crackers promised me Real Cheese Flavor, and I doubt anything in this box was ever squirted from a cow.

Oh, and I kind of like Pawn Stars, and I can watch it with my kid without fear that they’ll start shooting each other or talk about anal fisting.

11

:eek: what stations/shows are you watching?

As for your comment about what reality is… You are correct. For the most part, reality IS boring, and no one wants to be bored. However, trying to make the viewer believe these types of shows are reflections of day-to-day life in the Pawn Shop are so contrived, it is impossible to watch. Why not just make a show that is scripted and has real actors in it, playing the parts that are currently the old man, Rick, Chumlee and the son? You could make it based on the real Pawn Shop and the interesting items that come in to the store without the terrible acting? It wouldn’t be reality, but it would at least be honest as to what kind of show it is.

I guess what i’m thinking is the show could be a modern day Dragnet, where the stories were true, but they would replace the pawn shop personalities with real actors. That could be something i might watch… I would at least give it a chance. The old man seems drunk all the time. His speech ls labored and he slurs his words. Maybe that’s his part, and he’s playing it exactly as the director wants him to, but it doesn’t work for me in the current format.

Thanks all for your answers so far.

12

I met Richard senior and sold him some gold back in about 2003. He is just as deadpan and stolid as he appears on the show. His attitude is “I’m board and tired, show me the goods, here’s your money …NEXT.”

That said, he was professional and polite. I respect him.

13

I like the items and history. I also like the history of forgeries.
Is it real? Probably not but it is entertaining.

14

I believe it. The thing that stopped me watching after a brief burst of heightened interest, was the realization that Rick and his lumpish family are people for whom every moment of their empty lives is a transaction. Get a load, for example, as to how Corey continually seems utterly bored with every single thing around him. These guys make me want to shoot myself after five minutes with them.

Well, that and the fact that History now seems to have become the Pawn Stars Channel, at least during weekday primetime.

OTOH, I absolutely adore Fast ‘n’ Loud, which is, if anything, even more contrived than Pawn Stars.

15

I don’t mind it. And I believe it’s part of the appeal that it’s so ham handed in how staged/scripted it is. They don’t really try to hide it, and it comes across as a tad more authentic than other ‘reality’ shows, as a result, I think.

The lame bargaining doesn’t bother me, I’m tuned in to watch the cool items, not the haggling.

Eh, I can see the appeal, watch it sometimes myself, and find it pretty low on my, “Why? How? What?” meter.

Now that can repo show, they’ve turned into the worlds cruelest game show, it’d be at the top. (They show up to repo your car, if you answer 3 questions right, before getting 3 wrong, they pay the note, and the car is yours free and clear. Lose and they repo the car. The thing is, the people who’s cars are being repoed are so badly educated the questions are dumbed down as to be unbelievable almost. And they still get them wrong! Like a question asking, “Which country…”, and the person answers with the name of an American city! Oh man, it is too brutal to watch, I swear.)

16

Ever seen Two Broke Girls? Two and a Half Men, How I Met Your Mother…it’s all very sex based. I’m no prude, really I’m not, I swear, but there are some advanced portions of the sex ed curriculum an 8 year old doesn’t need to cover yet. So I watch them after she goes to bed.

As for shootings, look to just about any hour long drama these days. Violence and bloodshed is the name of the game.

I wish that Discovery and The Learning Channel hadn’t utterly turned their back on their roots, but the fact is that they, along with The Food Network, have become what passes for television for the whole family.

Sort of a “The Office” for pawn shops? You’re going to have to pitch it to a network willing to spend more money. Because then you’d have to pay real actors real actors’ wages. What Reality Television has managed to do is to trim the needed writing staff down to the bare minimum (there are still “writers”, but now they come up with situations, not full scripts, and they work with the editors afterwards to craft a story out of whatever footage they’ve gotten - the proportions of these duties and who does them varies by show), largely eliminate ongoing set and prop costs, greatly reduce the costume budget, trim the sound and camera crew and equipment costs and allowed producers to hire amateur “actors” - many of whom are not SAG-AFTRA union members - to improvise most of their lines. Pawn Stars seems to have a bit more that’s scripted than many shows, or perhaps they’re just more obvious - as you say, these guys are just dreadful at line reading, and it’s very obvious when they’re reading off boards, rather than interacting with each other or improvising.

But the bottom line is…the bottom line. Reality Shows are much cheaper to produce than scripted television, and they sell. When SAG went on strike a few years back, the networks needed to fill the time slots with something, and Reality Television exploded. The genie’s out of the bottle, now. They’re not going to give up on this newer, cheaper way to produce content unless people stop watching.

17

I didn’t care for Olivia, either. BTW, she came in for her interview in a skintight white tank dress with black undergarments. :smack: She’s also heavily tattooed.

18

What do her tattoos have to do with anything? Corey and Chumlee are covered in 'em.

19

I think when you said “The Office” but with a pawn shop, that has never occurred to me but that’s probably it. And that doesn’t appeal to me at all, but I guess J would have to see a script and see what writers could do with it. Many people in corporate america can relate to the office. I doubt many people could relate to a pawn shop environment, although it isn’t too difficult. It just wouldn’t be very interesting without great writing and compelling characters. Which is why Pawn Stars stinks for me.

However, your point is taken. Reality TV is MUCH cheaper. I never even thought about being able to basically hire “actors” that don’t belong to any union, which is what they do with every reality-based show. Combine that with all the other costs associated with a real show, and the problem is clear.

20

I enjoy the cool items and the little talks they give about them. I want to turn into The Old Man when I get on a few more years. He is so dry the desert won’t take him.