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Shorely They're Joking: "Jersey Shore" is Offensive and a Waste of Time

Graphic by Connie Zhou '12

In the land of “T-Shirt time” and fist pumping, eight carousing 20-somethings gather into one house and spend their time doing what they do best: GTL-ing (gym, tan, laundry) by day and “beatin’ up the beat” by night. Lucky for the American people, all of this is captured on camera and shown to the public every Thursday at 10 p.m. on MTV.

“Jersey Shore” has become one of the most popular television shows of all time. In fact, adweek.com, an advertising news site, suggests that 12 million people tune in to “Jersey Shore” for each new episode.

But I hate it.

“Jersey Shore” is just God-awful. If “being a guido is a way of life,” I’d rather be dead.

Yes, this makes me slightly out of sync with the rest of society, since I never know what happened on the last episode of “Jersey Shore,” but I’m willing to make the sacrifice in order to avoid watching it.

Trust me, I have seen it. I have been forced various times by friends and even family to watch it because it is “hilarious” and “extremely entertaining.” Yes, I have witnessed Sammi Sweetheart get into a fistfight with JWoww as the males of the house, who were worried and titillated at the same time, watched it happen. And yes, I have witnessed Snookie getting arrested because she was too drunk. Shocker.

I simply don’t find that watching bar fights, fistfights, and catfights is entertaining.

I really don’t get it. It’s sad, and slightly scary, too.

Not only does the show not interest me, but it is also disgusting. These are people who audition to get paid exorbitant amounts of money to do nothing but eat, sleep, drink, and party.

In the end, the producers pick only the classiest people to be on the show, too. Never before have I seen so much hair gel, tanning booth-orange skin, and alcohol combined with so little dignity, clothing, and common sense in one television show.

Guys, please put a shirt on. We get it; we can see your “situation.” Ladies, don’t wear a bathing suit if you’re not going to the beach.

Speaking of which, the lack of common sense in this show is just absurd. In no way do I find hearing Snookie say things like, “I’m not sure what lobsters eat, but I think they eat like insects or something… so I was gonna feed them worms” is funny. It’s sad and frankly pathetic that a grown woman doesn’t know that worms aren’t insects.

Besides that, the show just gets way too personal. And intrusive. Is it really necessary to put video cameras in the bedrooms to watch them before they do, in the words of the Jersey Shore’s cast, “the business?” Is it also necessary to track the sexual history of every member of the cast, each one of who is a complete stranger to most watchers?

It’s unethical, too. MTV is televising to the entire world the stereotype that all Italian Americans, and all those who live at the Jersey Shore, are trashy and sleazy, when clearly that’s not true.

The fact that MTV is also promoting the use of the word “guido,” which is an ethnic slur and not just a nickname, makes the show even more offensive.

In the end, the message this show sends to its viewers is not okay. I know that most people don’t take it seriously, but the characters’ language, attitudes, and ways of life become embedded in society. The drinking, sex, smoking, fights, and grudges on the show are seen as characteristics of an American to people all over the world that have seen the show but have not been to America.

Some may call me a “hater,” and I won’t disagree. I’ll just keep sipping on some “haterade” until this show finally ends.

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  • P

    PrudenceNov 13, 2011 at 6:25 pm

    Whoa, things just got a whole lot eaesir.

    Reply
  • S

    SadakoFeb 18, 2011 at 9:39 pm

    I’m not quite sure what to think. They’re pretty crass but it’s hard to look away. Also, Snooki has the same stuffed animal as I do. (Except mine’s a gator and has a way classier name than Crocadillly)

    Reply