Pawn Star Proverbs (Part 1 of 4)
Can an American reality television show provide mental health lessons?
By Quentin Steen, Representative/BC Member Education Coordinator
What’s a pawn star? For those who haven’t seen the show, Pawn Stars is an American reality television series shown on History channel and produced by Leftfield Pictures.
The series is filmed in Las Vegas where it chronicles the daily activities at the world-famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop. This 24-hour family business opened in 1989 and was originally operated by patriarch Richard “Old Man” Harrison, his son Rick Harrison, Rick’s son Corey “Big Hoss” Harrison, and Corey’s childhood friend, Austin “Chumlee” Russell.
The series, which became the network’s highest-rated show, and the number two reality show behind Jersey Shore, debuted on July 26, 2009.
The series depicts the staff’s interactions with customers, who bring in a variety of artifacts to sell or pawn. They’re shown haggling over the price and discussing the item’s historical background. Narration is provided by either the Harrisons or Chumlee.
What’s a proverb? It’s a short pithy saying in general use that states a general truth or piece of advice.
So, what’s a pawn star proverb? More importantly, what does it have to do with our mental well-being?
A pawn star proverb is my little play on words to highlight the little tidbits of truth that I’ve picked up from the show.
Over the next few months’ Mental Health Moments, I’ll delve into plenty of pawn star proverbs and highlight their subtle connections to our state of mental well-being.
Quentin Steen is a certified mental health first aid instructor for the Mental Health Commission of Canada.
Get your BRAIN right and your MIND will follow!
3 Mental Health Resources to Help You
- If you or someone you know is struggling with a mental health issue, CLAC has a number of resources and interactive tools available to help you at My Health and Wellness.
- Stronger Minds features videos and quick reads from mental health experts, activities to help you gain resilience, and ask-an-expert videos in response to questions.
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) provides accessible, reliable, and professionally produced resources on an array of health topics including (but not limited to): addictions, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, depression, etc.