‘Jersey Shore’: It’s ‘The Real World’ with herpes!
You might have missed the premiere of MTV’s “Jersey Shore” last night, but you know the premise: Take a bunch of twenty-something strangers, stick ‘em in a rented house, turn on the cameras and wait. It’s the formula that’s worked for more than 15 years on “The Real World.” But TRW depends on a combustible mix of characters to make it go — there’s always a jerk and there’s always a nice kid. Every Puck has his Pedro. And arrayed in between is always a continuum of young adult personality types, united by narcissism and fake bravado. Where “Jersey Shore” is genius, in a really repellent and fascinating way, is in how it alters the formula. There isn’t one Puck in the cast of eight young roommates — they’re all Puck. The only thing they have in common is how grateful you are not to be them. “Jersey Shore” is a 42nd St. freak show in Ed Hardy lounge pants.
I know, I know. But please understand something: It wasn’t class or ethnicity or socio-economics that made me watch this reality-TV trainwreck and feel like I was better than everybody on screen. I am better than them. So are you. So is everybody you know. The cast of “Jersey Shore” is so unrelentingly toxic that they might as well have been created in a lab. They’re vain, stupid, mean and awful, without exception. And that exception is where “The Real World” always hooked you in — that one cast member who was so recognizably human that all the others, even the Pucks, started to look human too. “Jersey Shore” doesn’t have that person. “Jersey Shore” runs as far and as fast from that person as it can. “Jersey Shore” wants to find that person and run him over with its Trans Am.
It isn’t entertainment, exactly, and it isn’t pop sociology. It’s lazier than that and it sets its sights way lower. It’s like some deranged peep show. Watch it if you can. And if it doesn’t make you want to take the longest, hottest shower of your life, your next cable-TV payment is on me.
UPDATE: Don’t take my word for it. Read Vicki Hyman’s hilarious recap in The Star-Ledger.
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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Bill Barol, Jeff Davis. Jeff Davis said: RT …and far too much hair gel. @billbarol "Jersey Shore": It’s "The Real World" with herpes! http://bit.ly/5Y6K4a #blogpimping [...]
Alert Wikipedia. We now know who invented the Friggin’ Hair Poof. And isn’t fist-pumping so last who-let-the-dawgs-out?
You know, Andrea, you love The Situation. You just don’t know it yet.
In response to another comment. See in context »Didn’t realize there was a “Real World” sans herpes …
Please note that most of the cast comes from Long Island and Staten Island, not my beleaguered home state.
Also, enjoy this site, which MIGHT be ironic http://www.guidofistpump.com/
@joe – first, I’m surprised they couldn’t find enough fist-pumpers and hair poofers in New Jersey and had to sneak in Staten and Long Islanders. Second, that site is tremendous. Not sure how I ever survived without a fist-pumping Guido of the Week.
In response to another comment. See in context »Hahahah this show is way better than any of the “Real Worlds”. The “Real World” series has gotten lame with the cast being created to make every viewing demographic happy. It’s the same topics in every season; homosexuality, being black, racism, etc… It’s boring. Jersey Shore is how the “Real World” should be for now on. So for all the Old people, like the one’s that have commented on this, go watch something else. Better off go complain and make a new series, “The Old World” and become a cast member.
Stop hating on the Jersey Shore.