http://www.hulu.com/watch/234775#i0,p0,d0
For this assingment, we had to analyze an episode of American Pickers. My fellow group memembers were Jade Merritt at: http://jademerrittmdia3110.blogspot.com, and Brian Fong at : http://mdia3110fong.blogspot.com. We did the discussion through email
I have always been a fan of the show, the unique odds and ends that Mike and Frank would find in their hunt in old building and barns, amused me. Everything from old automobile parts to antiques brought out the history buff in me (while still lamenting the lack of actual documentaries on the History Channel) But until this assingment I never had to actually sit down and think about an episode until this assingment. When I did I noticed something about the majority of the people Mike and Frank court; they are almost always somewhere out in the country. That seemed logical at first, after all people in the country are more likley to have old cars, and motorcycles sitting around than in the city, after all they have the space. But then it hit me: the people who call themselves "collectors" are actually hoarders. The first gentleman Mike and Frank called on in this episode, goes to auctions just to buy more stuff, justified by a love of American Nostalgia.
Although Jade and Brian would agree with me that most of the people on the show were hoarders , they didn't think it was the main point. They all concluded on dominant polysemic idea: namely that real heart of the show is the history from the items that Mike and Frank discover on their picks. That is the conclusion we eventually all got from it. Jade also noted how much of their picking is done in Rural America, in areas that can seem pretty run down, (Mike and Frank will avoid areas if they think they are too "nice" when they go out picking); and noted that "Maybe us Appalachians already own the cool stuff and that’s fine by me. But it does seem to suggest that those who have stuff to sell or those who collect live in the poorer parts of the country, but offer the more rich parts of American History. " In contrast Brian and I disagree noting that these people are hoarders who aren't that connected to their items. Brian also chimed in, his intial polyvance reading that the main point of the show was how Mike and Frank made their living. These were the polyvance readings within the discussion, all and all we seemed to have the same interpeation with some small personal disagreements
I watch American Pickers all the time and never once viewed it as being hoarding. Your group has opened my eyes. I believe a lot of the "collectors" on the show really do have a passion for their relics and do not have a problem with hoarding. But on the other horizon there are plenty of "collectors" that I could immediately attach the hoarder tag to. I am giving you a future thank you, since every episode I watch from now on I will be thinking of this blog.
ReplyDeleteI never thought of the collectors as hoarders but I see where you get that, especially with that first guy. I think that the point of the show might be the main characters and the relationships they have with the other collectors. I think that the history on the objects is an interesting side note to the show. Also, does anyone else think that Mike is trying to burn his words into your head anytime he has an interview with the camera? His voice does not please me, haha.
ReplyDeleteMichael, I thought that your analysis of American Pickers was pretty much on-point. I thought your thought that the people featured on the show were hoarders was a very interesting and accurate take on the show. They never really address these peoples’ obvious obsession with stuff as unhealthy or strange, they mostly just focus on the history behind the stuff. I’ve seen the show before, but until reading your analysis, I never really noticed that these “collectors,” as they call them, are really quite similar to the hoarders featured on the program of the same name. I also thought that your group-mate’s point that most of the show takes place in Appalachia in order to avoid things being “too nice” to give the show that rustic, antique feel.
ReplyDeleteI agree that many people think that collectors as hoarders. However, I do no think so. I think each item has different meanings, and the meanings are different to everybody. In addition, I also believe that collectors is part of people who carry the history. The items they collected can contribute to our culture, and it may remind people some stories or something meaningful in the future.
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