The Jersey Shore is a reality TV show that follows the lives of eight young men and women who share a house at the beach for the summer. In my opinion, it is reality entertainment at its absolute best. This show along with Paradise Hotel are probably my favorite reality TV shows ever. I heard the early years of the Real World were extremely good too and that the Jersey Shore reminded fans of those seasons.
What really made this show great was the producers did an awesome job selecting the housemates who all handled the pressures of the house very well. Sure they got into fights with themselves and outsiders, but they always seemed to come together as a family. This is what every group of true friends should do.
Mike "The Situation" was by far the most entertaining person to watch, though Ronnie came across as the bigger stud in the end with his winning of Sam and his tough guy fist fights. Ironically, Mike may have shot himself in the foot when he told Sam that Ronnie was the only guy in the house not attracted to her. I guarantee this was the moment the wheels of her attraction for Ronnie started spinning like crazy. Mike took a lot of heat for bringing home ugly girls, but he also pulled in some good-looking women too. Nothing wrong with throwing a wide net.
I think Ronnie was an honest kind of guy without fakeness. What you see is what you get. But the one thing I didn't understand was how he took no heat for stealing Sam from Mike. Weren't they boys at this point in time? And if the plan was to sleep with as many women as possible on the Jersey Shore, then why steal the one girl your boy has been throwing game at? In Ronnie's defense, Mike hadn't sealed the deal yet, so maybe all is fair in love and war.
Pauly D was annoying to me at first because I misjudged him and thought he was the typical, blow-out fade, Deutschbag kind of guy. But he was a very cool kid who always had his boys' back whether that meant taking one for the team or popping someone in the face for pushing his friend. Kind of a cheap shot punch, but hey, if you push somebody then you should be prepared to fight. The sexual tension between Pauly and J-Wow in the nightclub was unreal. Moments like this were what this reality TV show was all about. Attraction among young people.
J-Wow was definitely what I would call a down chick. She always had Ronnie's back and was ready to fight anyone that messed with her girls. I felt sorry for her boyfriend, but seriously, what kind of guy would let his girl do a show like this?
Snooki was annoying with her Prima Donna behavior, but I eventually grew a soft-spot for her, especially after the punch that was heard around the world.
Sammi to me was way too much of a princess. She could never do wrong in her own eyes. Still, she definitely had her moments of sweetness and I'm willing to bet she and Ronnie have no problems when the cameras aren't rolling.
Vinnie was a cool kid and probably the kind of guy you could trust with your sister. Mike better hope so anyways. LOL.
Angela...was that her name? I can't remember. She was a hater. Definitely a hater. I was glad when she left, but I saw her on the reunion episode and she was looking hot. She needs to stop dating married men.
I think the Jersey Shore is truly a reflection of the times. There has been a lot of outcry that this show is a racist portrayal of Italians, but these people are missing the big picture. I don't know a lot of Italians, but I do know a lot of young people and this is how a large crowd of them are acting. The "guido" mindset is not limited to New York and New Jersey and is really just a subset of the Generation X and Y era of meathead metrosexuals which was created in places like California and Florida where the need to look good with your shirt off and look flashy in the club is a year round event. Trust me, people in California go to tanning beds more than anywhere else and there are cities in Florida that are overflowing with tan juiceheads and sexy "guidette" chicks that party hard and thrown down like dudes. If you don't believe me, check out Darren Bryce's book Fratire
Also, if you want to read about the Guido mindset in New York City, I suggest you read Rob the Bouncer's blog or his book Clublife: Thugs, Drugs, and Chaos at New York City's Premier Nightclubs
Another good book that discusses the lifestyles of macho young men is Guyland: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men.
The Jersey Shore was an awesome reality TV show which does what it's supposed to do, entertain you with a great cast unafraid to show their true colors. Maybe I'm wrong and they were all putting on a show, but it sure didn't seem like it.
I'm giving this DVD five stars.