Pawn Stars' Big Hoss lost over 100 pounds...

[Adam West]

In that case he deserves an Oscar, 'cause he plays stupid really really well...

Well I guess he does because he is actually pretty smart. If you go back to the very first episodes before Chum took on the dumb, lazy sidekick role, he could basically identify most everything in the shop, tell you what it's worth, etc. I think there was an episode where "Big Hoss" made some sort of wager with his dad over knowledge of the items in the store and Chumley was basically educating Hoss on identifying marks, what they were worth, etc.

[samurainoir]

He doesn't seem to come across to me as a jerk. Just apathetic like he is being forced to work in a business that really doesn't interest him. He isn't as shrewd of a negotiator as his dad or the "old man". He's getting a lot better since the series started, but has a long way to go.

Rick and the old man definitely have a passion for this that Hoss obviously doesn't, outside of the cars and motorcycles.

Also keep in mind that Corey/Hoss is not a partner at this point in the business, he's an employee technically and does not have the latitude in general to negotiate like Rick and the Old Man. An employee does not have the vested interest that an owner does (paycheque vs overall profit). I'm sure there is a greater degree of risk-aversion in his position, particularly if your bosses are also your dad and grand-dad who prefer you to err to the side of caution (we see this repeated on the show).

Also as store manager, Corey oversee most of the mundane transactions that the television viewers aren't privy to... the loans, electronics, gold and jewelry that are generally the bread and butter of an actual Pawn Shop (It's been stated that he personally does the most buying and transactions... his are not likely all antique toasters or civil war memorabilia).

I've recently watched Hardcore Pawn and Pawn Queens, I am not interested really in them at all.

I think the strength of Pawn Stars is the fact that it's on the history channel and their is a mandate there. It makes it much more constructed, but I don't think this is a bad thing. You seen in the original "pilot" for Pawn Stars what it could have been if it landed on another channel. Instead of a focus on the items on Hardcore Pawn, you just see the spectacle around car wrecks of humanity.

Pawn Queen's on the other hand is on a female centric network, and it a female oriented store. I'm just not interested in handbags and wedding dresses, although there was a Barbie in the first episode that was mildly interesting to me given that it's in the toy continuum.

[kennermike]

Whats Pawn Stars ??

[samurainoir]

I'm starting to get bored with the show. I generally like antiques, but for me looking at an old gun week after week is like looking at a bunch of oak dressers. The night shift girl angle does nothing for me.

My favorite is the Clark County Museum guy. The autograph guy is cool too, but the real/not real/fake anticipation angle is getting a little old.

It has become trapped by their own successful formula to some degree, particularly when they seem to be churning out episodes now en masse after relatively short initial seasons of a dozen or so episodes.

I'm sure that spinning the automotive and antique restoration guys off into their own shows might have cut off their legs someone as well.

It will be interesting to see where they go with Cajun Pawn Stars, and the region that one occupies.

[Hector]

I agree with the hardcore pawn stuff. Ashley is a runt with a capital C, seth is just a skinny little wussy, and the dad just looks skuzzy.

Oh man...you are sooooooo dead on...