Watching Pawn Stars and

[rockstar232007]

I sorta like pawn stars. I was very critical of it before it ever aired, and it wasn't so bad when it came on. Actually, when it originally aired, it was like 5 items in 30 minutes with a minimum of other stuff thrown in. So, it was pretty informative with a little bit of entertainment (even if it alot of it was scripted, it still showed alot of stuff I ddin't know about in a little amount of time).

The past season or two though, the directors apparently thought it would be cool to spice things up by spending at least 5 minutes of each show watching the employees sit around and do some scripted event. Such as, they buy a gun and one of them makes a bet so they all go to the shooting range and shoot it, or Chumlee is "accidentaly" caught on video breakign stuff in the storage part of the warehouse.

There used to be a time where the only thing that wasn't truly education on the history channel was ice road truckers, but they have really added alot of garbage and keep adding more. I mean, pawnstars was good how it originally was, but I don't want to see 15 minute sof some obviosuly scripted crap and only a few minutes of genuine stuff. then theres other shows like ancient aliens which do bring up some good historical points, but comes to pretty rushed conclusions (such as teaching me about something I didn't know about, then saying that it must have been aliens...).

Just like 1 American pickers is sort of okay, but do I really need to see "picked off" and all sorts of other spin offs, and on the science channel, do I really need 2 different oddities shows (apparently it is made by the people who thought of pawn stars...).

I have seen people demonstrating a hunger for knowledge and real things, but the trend seems to be more towards reality shows on channels that are supposed to be about learning. In 2000, TLC had junkyard wars and a bunch of educational programs, but eventually turned into "hoarding: buried alive," "the cake boss," toddlers and tiaras," and all sorts of crap- I hope that the history channel and others don't go the same way.

Actually, United Stats of America on the history channel was intertaining and informative, and I got people who would never watch that show (they'ed watch the kardashians or jersey shore instead... ) to watch it, and event they found it interesting, yet the history channel only had like 5 episodes of it, and is promoting more reality garbage instead.

There's no such thing as "educational tv" anymore.

The problem is, most, if not all of today's programming (wink-wink) is based on drama vs. actual day-to-day life. In fact, they're so predictable, it's not even funny.

If you compare what's on today, to what we (the children of the '80s) grew up with, that whole "dumbing down of society" myth, sounds more and more like reality (no pun intended).

 

[Publius pro tem]

Watching Pawn Stars and...

...your IQ slipped a digit and portions of your brain are now atrophied from non-use?



Sorry IoM - I just can't watch that stuff.

Kills more brain cells than acid.

Pawn Shop Wars.
Storage Wars.
Luggage Wars.
Cake Wars.
Chef Wars.
Dance Wars.
Fishing Wars.
Midget/Pit Bull Wars
Tow Truck Wars.
Pest Control Wars.
Garage/Auto Mechanic Wars.
Antique Wars.

All on the channels that USED to be somewhat educational...

.​

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

I think the last show I watched regularly on History Channel was when Gunny had Mail Call, and that's been four years, for me.

I still catch the occasional episode of That Metal Show or a Sam Dunn metal documentary on VH1C, and pro football. But there's very little on TV that interests me at all.

 

[slapshot]

Just like 1 American pickers is sort of okay, but do I really need to see "picked off" and all sorts of other spin offs, and on the science channel, do I really need 2 different oddities shows (apparently it is made by the people who thought of pawn stars...).

i wanted to break my tv when i stumbled across the canadian imitation

 

[LesLuvva]

...your IQ slipped a digit and portions of your brain are now atrophied from non-use?



Sorry IoM - I just can't watch that stuff.

Kills more brain cells than acid.

Pawn Shop Wars.
Storage Wars.
Luggage Wars.
Cake Wars.
Chef Wars.
Dance Wars.
Fishing Wars.
Midget/Pit Bull Wars
Tow Truck Wars.
Pest Control Wars.
Garage/Auto Mechanic Wars.
Antique Wars.

All on the channels that USED to be somewhat educational...

.​

Yup. It started with Deadliest Catch, and now almost every show that involves earning a living outside an office has its own "reality" show. The thing I can't stand about Pawn Stars is what a scumbag Rick is. Hypothetical example:

Some poor bastard about to get his legs broken b/c of gambling debt rolls in with, say, the Declaration of Independence. Behind the scenes, Rick says something along the lines of "On one hand, this would be a really cool piece for the store. But I don't like it because if it's real, it's going to be expensive, so I'm bringing in my buddy who is an 'expert' in historical artifacts." Then some guy who looks like he just woke up from under a rock strolls in and give some story about the piece, and eventually validates it. So, Rick has an artifact he can retire on, looks at this guy, and says, "I'll give you 150 bucks for it," and the "negotiation" begins. Yeah, I know it's the free market, and the guy has the choice to either take the money or walk (and some do walk), but when I see that crap, it helps contextualize the pawn shop scene in Pulp Fiction. I think it's Tarrantino's take on what doing business with a pawn shop is like...

 

[mr_mer]

And yes, I assume the show is scripted...

My oldest step-son worked for a few television productions (Family Jewels, the JLo talent show, some barter thingamajic show) and we were talking about these type of pawn/trade/storage crap shows. The trades are real, the money is real, but the dialog is somewhat scripted.

Once someone has decided they want to part with an item and go to Rick's pawn shop, for example, the producers will not interfere with thenegotiation, but they will take excerpts of the actual dialog and script it for them to say it in front of the cameras.

Now, if someone out there is on the tv/movie business and need production assistants, give my boy a call. I am not paying his September rent.

 

[TOMMYTHUNDERS]

If anyone on here had the guitar we probably wouldnt sell it.

Let me go on record that if I have a guitar that someone is willing to pay ~100,000 bucks for I will sell it in a heartbeat without a second thought. There is no instrument on earth that I would rather have than 100 grand. I would sell that thing so fast it would make your head spin. If somebody gave it to me in the morning I would be looking for buyers before noon.

 

[Penny Dreadful]

I don't know if the show is completely faked, but I've heard from friends in Vegas that they DO advertise as far away as LA and San Diego for people to bring unusual things to a production facility nearby and "audition" them for possible use in the show.

Personally, I'd rather see more stuff, and less of that inane and phony drama among the 4 principle participants.

I want to smack Chumlee. He has milked the lovable doofus persona to the point of me skipping over his parts with the fast forward button.

He makes $25K per show and bought a Maserati. Jealous? Yes, yes I am!

 

[PraXis]

I used to like that show, but hate it now. It's so bs.

"What do you want for it?"
"$5000"
"What do you really want for it?"
"$4500"
"I'll give you $200."

WTF

 

[AXE]

It all started with American Chopper.

And went down from there.

 

[lunchmeat]

Heres the ebay link. it sold for $110,000

Search Item number: 220939792311
eBay Search: Advanced Search


Mary Fords Personal Gibson Les Paul Electric Guitar History Channels Pawn Stars | eBay

 

[Ides of March]

I just read that other thread. I guess I should have checked before posting. Interesting read that one. Yeah I'm kinda off Pawn Stars now too from reading the fakeness involved. What would you guys say if Randy Rhoads LPC arrived on the show instead of Mary's SG? I would freak out if someone sold that, I wouldn't. If I owned either one it would be in a case or I would take it to a museum on a display. I also believe Gibson should own that guitar and keep it on display somewhere.

 

[Hamtone]

Whenever I see an sg I think of Angus Young, so seeing Marry Ford with it, just looks weird.

 

[TOMMYTHUNDERS]

What would you guys say if Randy Rhoads LPC arrived on the show instead of Mary's SG? I would freak out if someone sold that, I wouldn't. If I owned either one it would be in a case or I would take it to a museum on a display.

There is no instrument on earth that I would rather have than 100 grand.

it could be my all time favorite guitarist's favorite guitar, it could be the sweetest sounding, best playing instrument in the history of music... i'd still sell it for the right price. practical>sentimental

 

[Ides of March]

it could be my all time favorite guitarist's favorite guitar, it could be the sweetest sounding, best playing instrument in the history of music... i'd still sell it for the right price. practical>sentimental

Yeah I guess if the money was needed. I read the seller who posted on the previous thread said they lived paycheck to paycheck and had some family members who had cancer problems. I guess that would warrant 90 grand and selling the guitar. But could you just imagine owning one of Les Pauls Gibsons, or Randy's Custom. I think I would just sit and stare at it all day lol.

 

[Gin&Pentatonic]

Manufactured drama FTL.

 

[TOMMYTHUNDERS]

Yeah I guess if the money was needed. I read the seller who posted on the previous thread said they lived paycheck to paycheck and had some family members who had cancer problems. I guess that would warrant 90 grand and selling the guitar. But could you just imagine owning one of Les Pauls Gibsons, or Randy's Custom. I think I would just sit and stare at it all day lol.

i could be a multi-millionaire, and i'd still sell it. if some dude wants to pay me a ridiculous amount of money for a guitar i'll let him.

 

[FUS44]

I don't know if the show is completely faked, but I've heard from friends in Vegas that they DO advertise as far away as LA and San Diego for people to bring unusual things to a production facility nearby and "audition" them for possible use in the show.

Personally, I'd rather see more stuff, and less of that inane and phony drama among the 4 principle participants.

My buddy runs a pawn shop and said they must have an army of people looking for items.

His pawn shop deals in rare stuff and he said that it would be 30 years before they got a season's worth of stuff even remotely interesting enough to film.

 

[Pinkie]

Reality TV is not reality sorry.