Family Comes First, Money Comes Second
Why Anyone Will Enjoy Pawn Stars
Sin City has been known to be very different than most American cities. It is the prime location for anyone looking to get away and burn a hole in their pocket at the casinos, stay in luxurious hotels, or visit a pawn shop. Las Vegas, Nevada is home to the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop which has become quite famous over the past couple of years, for hosting the hit reality television show called Pawn Stars. This historic series has become popular on a international level, and is watched by countries such as Britain and Australia. The show follows four main characters who each play a crucial part in the daily operations of the pawn shop, these people include Rick Harrison (the owner), The "Old Man" (Rick's father), Corey (Rick's son), and Chumlee (Corey's lifelong friend). Pawn Stars is a prime example of what makes reality television so great, it includes an aspect of history and comedy which can appeal to a variety of people, it keeps viewers on the edge of their seats due to its unpredictable outcomes in offers and buys, the business is ran with class and ethics and finally because of the family-like atmosphere in the shop
To begin, the reality TV show Pawn Stars incorporates aspects of both history and comedy. As a popular show on the History channel, the shows integrates the aspects of history by including various artifacts. These artifacts can represent key historic time periods, including historic events and significant inventions. One paramount item that is brought into the shop during the episode called “Silence of the Lambo” is a sterling silver Tiffany Walkman, which was originally owned by John Entwistle who was in the band “The Who”. Items that were originally possessed by famous individuals like this one, are seen in almost every episode. When watching the show, you feel as though you personally experience an items value and contribution to history. The facts about the items on the show educates the viewers and shows them the importance of the past. Not only can the show educate the audience, it can also provide a sense of comedy. The history of the artifacts brought onto the show is a serious matter, yet the show revolves around the light-hearted characters involved. Characters like Chumlee are able to provide laughter to the show by acting foolish and humorous. The actions of the characters can show the viewers that business does not always have to be so serious, and that you have the ability to enjoy your job. Both the history and comedy tie together to educate the viewers in an entertaining way that makes you want to watch episode after episode.
Another reason to enjoy this show is because the build-up to closing a deal is one of the most entertaining and suspenseful things about it. Every episode an employee of the show is faced with a tough decision on whether they should pay someone a certain amount of money for an item. Usually the seller is asking for way more than what the shop can sell it for, so trying to convince them to come down from their original offer is no easy task. An example of this would be during the same episode, a man brought in a 2003 Lamborghini Murcielago and was originally asking for $115,000. After negotiations Corey and the man could not make a deal on the car due to a $5000 price difference in what both would be willing to take. This scene can keep an audience at the edge of their seat because to buy the car would be a big deal for the shop, but the fact that they could not over such a small number in the grand scheme of things attracts viewers. It is said that "the likelihood of a deal being made and the amount of surplus captured by the party making the final offer"(McCannon and Stevens 62). Coming up with a price on an item is no easy task when you sometimes do not have a market to base it off of. In Pawn Stars, they always have items come through the store that can be odd and unusual and tough to put an exact price on it. An example of this would be on the same episode when a guy brings in a pin for passing his urine test for the Olympics. As unusual of an item this is, Rick was able to buy it for a price he wanted it for at $100. During an interview, Rick talked about dealing with these type of sales by saying, “If you have a really strange doo-hickey, you’re not going to find a lot of collectors....You just have to figure out what the market is and how desirable it is. It’s a tricky business”(Mary-Jo Kranache 8). Whether it’s a 2003 Lamborghini Murcielago or an Olympic pin for passing a urine test, the deals on the show are always intriguing due to the fact that as a viewer you never know how the deal will end.
Most of reality TV is staged and characters act unlike their true selves to entertain the audience, but the people on Pawn Stars do not fall into this category. What you see on the show is the people in their true form and ethics has always been preached and shown by Rick and the employees. A way he demonstrates this for example, is whenever someone asks for a certain amount of money and they ask for less than what they can get, Rick tells them and is willing to give them more than what they originally ask. He said in an interview that he does this because “I truly believe in six degrees of separation. The day I rip off a customer, they will tell 10 people, who will tell 10 people, who will tell 10 more people. You will get a bad reputation”(Mary-Jo Kranache 8). As a man in business trying to get as much money as he can, for him to be this ethical and value the customer, shows how real this show is. Rick has also been known to be a tremendous boss through the way he treats his employees. He pays his employees more than other pawn shops do because he values working with good people and this is present on the show constantly. Everyone seems to like Rick and everyone seems to get along with one another, which not always common in the workplace. In the interview Rick Stated, “I want positive people who realize they have a good job and they get paid more than everyone else. It’s because they work for the best and they have to be the best”(Mary-Jo Kranache 8). This just goes to show that the personality of the people you see is not an act to entertain the audience, but them being their true selves.
In addition, the show embodies the meaning of family because it is a family run business. The shop was created and owned by Richard Benjamin Harrison, “The old Man”, and his son Richard Kevin Harrison, “Rick”. There are not many reality TV shows that are about family run businesses, which is one reason why this show is unique. The fact that the majority of the show revolves around family helps it relate easily to its viewers. The characters on the show are so close which allows them to joke around with one another constantly, creating a great sense of humor. Not only that but, the love that each character shares for one another adds warmth and compassion to the show. Overall, the family like atmosphere of the show is warm-hearted and can easily relate to its viewers.
This is not your ordinary reality television show, it is safe to say Pawn Stars separates itself from the rest. The viewer is able to get both knowledge on history and be entertained in the process. The close-knit relationships on the show are second to none, the meaning of family is truly resembled in every episode. Pawn Stars is a prime example of what makes reality television so great, it includes an aspect of history and comedy which can appeal to a variety of people, it keeps viewers on the edge of their seats due to its unpredictable outcomes in offers and buys, the business is ran with class and ethics and finally because of the family-like atmosphere in the shop.
Works Cited
Works Cited
Kranacher, Mary-Jo. "Growing a Family Business in Sin City Thoughts from ‘Pawn Star’ Rick Harrison." Ebscohost. N.p., 1 Jan. 2013. Web. 17 Feb. 2017. <http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=10&sid=60f9177d-dfe4-4ebb-8236-b266e1cb8ce3%40sessionmgr103&hid=129>.
McCannon, Bryan C., and John B. Stevens. "DEAL MAKING IN PAWN STARS: TESTING THEORIES OF BARGAINING." Ebscohost. N.p., Sept. 2013. Web. 17 Feb. 2017. <http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=5&sid=a84f4402-600c-455a-9f03-60cc77a412a1%40sessionmgr4006&hid=4102>.
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