I'm Full...No, Really, I'm Stuffed

Lately I've been glued to a few reality television shows. No, I'm not a Jersey Shore watcher (never seen it) nor am I a fan of Biggest Loser or whatever is currently on prime time. I have become enamored with two shows of late, "Pawn Stars" and "American Pickers."

"Pawn Stars" has nothing to do with porn, sorry to disappoint. It is a show based in a Las Vegas Pawn Shop. They see the most amazing things come through their doors and each episode features a few of the crazier items. They get items that date back to the Civil War and items you would never imagine, like a personal submarine. What floors me is the knowledge that the men who run the store possess. They have a three generation family business (which must be a rarity in this day) and all three men have an amazing grasp of history and the items that represent the ages. I enjoy the history lessons as much as the characters that are these gentlemen.

I've said before that the Hubby and I often learn much more than we buy when we go searching for antiques. It gets to be such a better experience when you walk away with an understanding of an item or the era in which it was used or invented.

The second television show that has my undivided attention is "American Pickers." The show follows two antique pickers from Iowa as they drive across the country in search of "stuff" to sell. It really is often rusty, old stuff that has been hidden away and neglected for years. They too have a wealth of knowledge that can only be gathered from years of experience and research. I am in awe as they spot rusted metal and can identify it and tell it's history. I would kill to spend a day with these guys rummaging through an old amusement park or warehouse full of coin-op machines.

The problem I would have in either of these jobs is that I could never part with a really cool item and would end up as a feature on "Hoarders" unable to get to the bathroom because of my collection of gumball machines, carousel horses, and pinball machines. Can't you just picture that episode?

Watching these shows has made my evening television viewing quite enjoyable. That was until the other night when I finished one episode only to find it being followed on another channel by a show called "American Stuffers." I was not familiar with the title, and as it sounded similar to "American Pickers," I tuned in. That was a big mistake. It is a reality show about taxidermy. I'm not kidding!  I was so shocked that it took me a few minutes into the show before I found the remote to change the channel.

Who in their right mind came up with that idea? Who do they think is their target audience? Can you hear, "Hey kids, let's gather around the T.V. for some family time and watch these guys stuff that family's dead dog!"?  I don't think so. I'm sticking to antiques and rusted metal.