As a Jersey Girl, born and raised, I find MTV’s newest SCRIPTED “reality show” Jersey Shore to be offensive and insulting, not only to Italians, but to anyone who has lived along the shores of the Garden State. I watched no more than a few minutes of it and was disgusted by it.
The TV series is a heavily scripted show that claims to be the real life adventures of Italian stereotypes. The show is not based in any reality whatsoever and only furthers negative images of people in Jersey.
What’s worse is there are people out there who think this crap is real and that people who live in and around the shore are like that. I’m not saying there aren’t jerks out there, but take it from me… there is NOTHING realistic about Jersey Shore.
Like all reality shows, this series is produced to insult the viewer because MTV (like all networks with reality shows) knows that reality TV appeals to people with limited education, are lonely or are in loveless marriages/relationships or believe everything they are told.
Here’s the truth… The cast of Jersey Shore were assembled through a casting call, hired to live in the house, told what to say and do (although some of their lines are improvised) and given the nicknames they have.
The writers are non-union writers (that’s why there are no writing credits) who work for less than unionized TV writers who write for sitcoms and dramas. And because they receive no credit (like the writers for pro-wrestling) they can work in the event of a writer’s strike. It’s also a great gig for a college grad looking to make a break into the world of TV. Sure, you don’t get any credit, but at least you get paid.
Don’t be a drone. Don’t follow like a bunch of mindless sheep. The real Jersey shore is a beautiful place filled with many great memories waiting to happen and tons of potential for families and friends looking for vacation spots.
Zoey Castelino 