Of course I'm going to say Jersery Shore (here on in: JS). Isn't it everyone's by now?! Whether or not you watch it as religiously as me or millions of other viewers, you know what I'm talking about.
It's sad how trashy tv has become such a necessity for our generation...but I'm not going to lie, I love it. In an era with networks being ruled by reality television, it was only a matter of time till someone developed a Big Brother 2.0, with more sex, alcohol...oh and of course gym, tan, and laundry!
Along with the rising popularity of the cast of JS, they've brought with it an acceptance of extreme alcohol consumption, excessive one-night-stand "smooshing", and overall ridiculous partying behaviour. So what is it that makes this show SO damn appealing to people that it was signed on for more then the original one season? Who knows! But for me, I think its a combination of "do people like this actually exist??", "this is a train wreck waiting to happen" (the kind you don't want to look away from), and Pauly D's hair... and JWoww's twins ;). No but seriously, as much as people think they are or WANT TO BE the Situation or Snooki of their town, they're not and they know it, so this show becomes a type of alternate reality, allowing viewers to escape/dream for those 60 minutes....60 GLORIOUS minutes might I add.
However, there has been continuous controversy surrounding the concept of the show even before production had begun. Besides the obvious issues surrounding cancer-linked tanning and unsafe behaviour (excessive drinking and casual sex), New Jersey governor Chris Christie has been seen speaking out against MTV and the cast because of the negative stereotypes he claimed JS created about the REAL Jersey Shore. He was quoted saying: "What [MTV] does is takes a bunch of New Yorkers -- most of the people on Jersey Shore are New Yorkers ... [and] drops them at the Jersey Shore, and tries to make Americans feel like this is New Jersey. I could tell people, they want to know what New Jersey really is? I welcome them to come to New Jersey any time". Yet according to a poll of 1001 adults by the Fairleigh Dickinson University, viewers of JS have a more positive view of the Garden State (59%) versus the 44% who have not watched the show. Ironic? I think so. (Only 20% of viewers take the negative stance.) Moreover, Italian-American groups such as the National Italian American Foundation and Unico National have expressed their outrage at the depiction of "typical Italians" on JS. Unico president, Andre DiMino, after a failed attempt of having the show cease production, expressed his outrage at how Italian (youth) are portrayed as nothing more than self-absorbed, partying bimbos and how this was a direct attack on the Italian-American community by MTV. Furthermore, DiMino (and others) are completely livid at the the casual use of the term "Guido". "Guido" is, indeed, a racial slur, with the same derogatory nature as the N word. But the same way African American youth have embraced the term amongst themselves, Italian youth have done the same. However, MTV made it acceptable for EVERYONE to use, when they made it part of the promotions for the show, two of which were "eight of the hottest, tannest, craziest Guidos," and "[the show] exposes one of the tri-state area's most misunderstood species... the GUIDO. Yes, they really do exist! Our Guidos and Guidettes will move into the ultimate beach house rental and indulge in everything the Seaside Heights, New Jersey scene has to offer." Cast members have been questioned about their thoughts on the use of this term and all come to the same consensus: it may have once been a derogatory word but not any more.*SPOILER ALERT* It'll be interesting, to say the least, to see how these roommates fit in with the OLD Italian culture as season four kicks off in the motherland, ITALIA!
Along with the terms Guido/Guidette, made-up words and phrases of JS have found their way into our language. Terms coined by the cast, such a "grenade", "GTL", "DTF", "smooshing" and "T-shirt time" have become REAL words/phrases used in serious conversations. I know I catch myself using JS terms all the time, and not just when I'm making fun of how crazy these people are. Its completely absurd to think about how "grenade" (referring to an "ugly" girl/woman who no one wants to "get with") has become a word of substance. This alone should vanquish any doubt in a questioning mind of the magnitude that this show has influenced our generation. I'm not 100% sure but I'd be willing to bet that sales of Ed Hardy are slowly starting to rise up again....
Any takers?
Lo and behold, JS has become a launch point for several other ethnically-based reality tv shows following 8 young, extremely extroverted cast members (saw that coming a mile away). Some of these include:
- The Persian Version *a tentative name* (follows 8 Persian-Americans)
- Wicked Summer (follows 8 Irish-Americans)
- Brighton Beach (follows 8 Russian-Americans)
- K-Town (follows 8 Korean-Americans)
- Lake Shore (follows 8 Torontonian youth) >>YAY CANADA!!!
- Geordie Shore (follows 8 British youth)
I doubt I'll be able to get into any off these spin-offs as I did with the original (its the Joey-Friends fiasco all over again), but good luck to these aspiring roomies! God knows they have big shoes to fill.... except Snooki's, shes probably a size three W.
