Jersey Shore is MTV’s most popular weekly series in almost ten years. The ratings are staggering and just keep going up each week. When the show first debuted, it was watched by a mere 1.2 million viewers. Last week’s episode was watched by 6.5 million viewers. Why is Jersey Shore the hottest reality show on TV? Is it just a good guilty pleasure, a trainwreck you can’t help but watch, or is there something deeper in play? I just enjoy the show and find it entertaining as Hell. As an Italian-American, I’m not offended by the trashy antics of the fist-pumping guidos at all. In that way, the show is no more offensive than the Real World or The Hills. It’s a small group of people acting like jackasses that don’t represent me or my culture in any way whatsoever.

Jersey Shore is a phenomenon. Love it or hate it, it’s THE must watch watercooler show. It’s got a loyal fanbase of young followers who don’t care about CSI or watching David Caruso try to act hip while taking his shades off and on over and over again. Jersey Shore is maximum drama and no scripted one-liners read by dull, overpaid actors and actresses. This season the big storyline has been the off and on relationship between roid freak Ronnie and Sammie. Ronnie has been flirting, drinking, and making out with grenades left and right while Sammie still pines for the big, dumb HULK. The storyline has gotten stale though, and viewers seem ticked off. I’d like to see other cast members get more screen time. The much-hated Angelina has been bland this season, not the bitchy villain I’ve hoped for. Vinnie actually seems like a decent guy, so he’s dull as well. The Situation spends most of his time flexing and smirking and looks 45. He needs a decent storyline to prove he’s worth the millions being thrown at him. Jersey Shore needs to get back to the GTL basics. Fist-pumping to house and more brawls……they were the highlight of season 1. As soon as we can put the Ronnie/Sammie relationship mess on the back burner, the better the show will be for it. What’s the appeal of Jersey Shore? It’s just an entertaining, mindless way to spend an hour before bed. It’s not a shitty “scripted” crime show for old people like CSI: Kansas or a soap opera for the Noxema set.

I’ll see you all every Thursday night at 10pm, watching your MTV. Someone save me some hair gel, and don’t start fist-pumping to house music without me!

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