subject: New Jersey's Finest: The Latest Season Of "jersey Shore" On Satellite Tv [print this page] If there was something that MTV and its programmers weren't expecting to make a big impact, it was the simple reality television series "Jersey Shore." Sure, the producers wanted to smell a hit, but chances were that it might not work out the way that those who felt strongly about the program were hoping. After all, at first glimpse, "Jersey Shore" is a whole lot like a lot of other reality television programs out there these days. It featured tanned and toned twenty-somethings sharing a living space, arguing thanks to the liquid courage of liquor, and trying to pick up other toned and tanned beach-goers to the sounds of dance music. Pretty much the same formula that the "Real World" started following once satellite tv arrived and the reality series became less about people with their own jobs, and more about an endless booze cruise.
But with write-ups in "The New York Times," the chance to appear on Letterman and Leno, and countless parodies and comments on blogs and YouTube channels across the internet, those stars of "Jersey Shore" managed to become famous. While they might be a lot more recognizable in the show's second season, which takes them to Miami Beach, the "Jersey Shore" cast managed to delight viewers and captivate the world of satellite tv simply because they didn't actually seem aware of a camera. Now that DJ Pauly D actually gets booked at Las Vegas casinos and Snooki is trying to launch a cosmetics line, it might be a different story. But on that season one, it was just some delightfully dense Italian-Americans doing their thing, coining phrases, and enjoying home-cooked meals.
However, while "Jersey Shore" might have captivated the world of satellite tv, not all who tuned in were amused with what was going on. The state of New Jersey tried to stress that Jersey Shore vacations didn't have to focus on beating up the beat dances and drunken brawls in bars. Various Italian-American organizations worked very hard to distance themselves from those hair-gelled and tanned faces on television, saying that it wasn't particularly cool to call oneself a Guido. But at that point, with John McCain tweeting at Snooki to talk about the tanning bed tax and millions of viewers lined up to tune in for season two, it didn't seem to matter as much what alleged voices of reason had to say. America wanted to see a crew of kids who didn't pump their gas, they pumped their fists for a second season.
Whether the crew of "Jersey Shore" will manage to delight the entire season, especially as they enjoyed free room and board in Miami, remains to be seen. But the fact is, whether staring at satellite tv or not, this particular batch of party animals from New Jersey doesn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon, for better or for worse. And with the surprisingly great comedic timing, not to mention the duck phone, there's a chance that even cynical viewers will find themselves sucked in, waiting excitedly for the next episode to air.
