The Reality of the "Situation"

I have fallen in love with Jersey Shore.

I used to think it was a hyped-up show about Italian-Americans always getting into fights, but it's so much more than that. The show's premise is primarily this: take eight strangers and move them into a house, and see what happens. Doesn't that show sound like another MTV show that has been on for 24 seasons? It's basically Real World for guidos, which I think is heaven.

Since my obsession with the show began last week, I have done some reading up on the show to see what I have missed. I'm not surprised that there has been a large response towards the show, especially from Italian-American organizations. There has been so many letters, statements and angry phone messages to MTV I'm sure their duck phone is quacked-out.

MTV has always created shows that are controversial, and not everyone is going to like them. I think My Super Sweet 16 is worse in that the 16-year-old is spoiled, arrogant and rude to everyone around them, and their parents pay for them to get whatever they want. Does anyone who is not part of the Royal Family (and I mean the Pitt-Jolie's) need to receive a new Mazzaratti or book a New York club out when no one can legally drink? The JS shore kids are just having fun, having developed their own sense of self, and I strongly believe they are no way told how to act.

Vinny and Sammi "Sweetheart" both attended university; Pauly D. is a successful DJ; Nicole "Snooki" wants to be a veterinary technician-- they want to make something out of their lives, like everyone else does. What's so wrong with that?

I don't think that by them calling themselves "guidos" and "guidettes" they are belittling themselves or hurting anyone. As a girl I work with says: "I hate Jersey Shore and I'm Italian," then don't watch. Ethnicities need to be celebrated, especially the ones that embarrass us; those are the ones that will shed light on the reality of subculture, making others aware. So to the people who hate my beautiful JS cast members, maybe you need a little GTL time to relax and figure yourselves out.