Why NOONE actually respects Jersey Shore

(and consequently, New Jersey in general)

Jersey Shore is everyone's show they love to hate. They love to watch, poke fun, follow the drama and laugh at the fakeness of everyone on the MTV hit series. In all seriousness, it's not different than a more fabricated, pointless version of The Real World. But even The Real World was worth looking into: a Baudrillardian simulation. Wiki that if you don't see the link, I don't feel like explaining.

Jersey Shore has no 'real' or useful referent--it's useless garbage produced for laughs. It's racist, sexist, misogynist, and probably more inappropriate 'ist's I haven't thought of. There are no real characters, only persona: the 'Situation' is only an alter-ego created by a poor, pathetic Elmer Fud-ian who probably has penis envy.

Nothing ever really 'happens' on The Shore either-- people 'smush', they go out to drink, they tan.... All high-risk activities that we'd probably rather watch people do in combination than do them ourselves. We can live vicariously through the Shore-ians, but only to a point--then it gets boring.

Aside from melodrama, and breakups that seem to come full circle by the end of the episode, Jersey Shore is the epitome of awful TV. Yet, everyone watches it every Thursday night--to the point where people call it "Jersday". Phrases and mannerisms are copied from the show into real life, and tanning has once again started to re-gain its lost popularity.

Why? Why would we ever want to look like the oompa loompa Snooki, or have humungous breasts like Jwoww, be a pathetic sack of bones like Sammie, or whomever? All of the persona on the show are flawed and alcoholic, yet in an interview with Rolling Stone all reveal to have some form of post-secondary education.

If that doesn't make me lose faith in the natural selection of the world, nothing will. Noone respects JShore because it's the bottom-of-the-barrel that makes us feel better about how well off we are: when we drink every weekend it becomes 'okay' because they do it every night. Seemingly our vices become virtuous in light of The Shore.

Why I'd watch Jersey Shore over something like Storage Wars or Pawn Stars? Populous and popularity: its nice to have a common denominator with others on campus. Even if it's the lowest common denominator.