Research, Reality TV Style

I watch reality television. Don't judge me. I can't help it.



I'm drawn to shows like Hoarders, Pawn Stars, The Biggest Loser, Storage Wars, Jersey Shore, Worst Cook in America--yes, I watch them. Am I proud? No. But recently, I came across a new-to-me reality show set in Detroit, Hardcore Pawn, and it was very different from the other shows I watch.

Hardcore Pawn does not focus on wealth, strapping young adults, or fun antique finds.

It highlights the seedy side of the pawn business--desperate people doing anything to scrape up money.

While I didn't find the show itself compelling, the customers and interactions blasted me with book ideas and dialogue snippets. Even as I laughed at some of the conversations, I couldn't help but feel saddened by the grisly reality of poverty and addiction. Some of the customers show up several times a day and head straight to the casino. Others need cash to pay monthly bills. One woman announced she was headed to jail the next day.

From my standpoint as a writer, the show gave me interesting material. Dozens of people wait in line each morning for the store to open. Then, inside, they wait even longer. Many of them are irate. Just watching the way they physically handle waiting is an eye-opener. Some are so self-centered and hostile, I almost couldn't believe it, but then I kept watching, and it became obvious that they weren't putting on an act.

I imagine anyone growing up in a poverty stricken area full of crime quickly learns to watch out for number one.

By the end of the episode, I had to give the producers of Hardcore Pawn credit. They broadcast an unflinching view of one segment of Detroit. It's one of the few programs that doesn't hide poverty. It might be cringe-worthy, but it did give me plenty of material to use in my books.

Do you watch reality television? If not, can you help me to stop watching reality television??

Have a great Wednesday!

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