The punch heard round the world...

The Jersey Shore is probably one of the the most if not the most infamous Reality TV programs on air right now. With its equal part haters and supporters it has put MTV on the top of the map of Reality TV show makers. What initiated the shows popularity during its inaugural season was what I like to call "the punch heard round the world". Snookie, one of the shows main characters, was inebriated at a bar, as she often is, and began to curse and throw something at another patron across from her. The patron, who was later to be revealed as a school teacher, took action to Snookies drunken shots with a shot of his own, and preceded to punch her in the face. When looking at the video this whole thing is shocking, disgusting and just flat out wrong, but this is what MTV is looking for.

MTV, and other Reality TV show creators want this, they want to capture the borderline crazy and very much of the time illegal to happen. It makes for good ratings because viewers want to see the risque shocking and appalling to happen. But where do we draw the line? As much as I have expressed my disdain for Snookie even she doesn't deserve to get hit like that. I mean in my opinion MTV all but sets this up to happen, they constantly send these now very public and very publicly hated figures out into the most volatile of situations. It's easy enough for a normal person like you or me to go out to a club and get into a fight, now imagine going out with a crew of cameras and a group of people with a negative reputation in a place that feels the very show being filmed paints it under a negative light.  You are just asking for things like this to happen and continue to happen.

My point is that today its an always drunk Snookie getting punched in the face for her antics, but tomorrow who knows? When is this going to stop? Will we have to wait until someone gets really hurt or maybe even killed before we stop following around cocky drunken characters into the night? The same way Snookie was punched in the bar that night  future violence can escalate, someone could end up getting shot or stabbed the next time they are in  one of these heated altercations, which happen on almost every episode. Or is this what MTV and Reality TV creators want to happen next...to capture the first live Reality TV show stabbings, or shootings or worse on their prime time television show?

Fist Pumpin @ The Jersey Shore

So I must admit that the main reason why I created this blog was not just for my disdain for reality TV as a hole...but for my immense disdain for one particular reality TV program...The Jersey Shore...Now I will also admit that I am a bit jaded with my hatred toward the show because I had an opportunity to work on the show during its inaugural season but turned it down to work on another show that at the time I thought had a better chance of sustaining interest, but flopped, so I guess you can say my hatred is laced with a bit of jealousy. That being said you cannot dispute the popularity of the show and its entertainment factor. I however do not like the show. I don't  approve of what it stands for and the messages it portrays to its younger audiences.

Point in case, my 13 year old cousins idol is the "Situation"...A guy known for his elaborate haircuts, 6 pack abs and knocking himself unconscious by beating his own head against a wall during an argument with other cast members in the house. I find this alarming...when I was 13 my hero's were men of substance...my grandfather, a man who came to this country with $17 to his name and worked his entire life so that now he can have over a million in the bank, or  Micheal Jordan, a man who transcended the NBA and sports in general. Not some drunk fool who "gets with" a lot of woman at clubs...What has the "Situation" ever done to improve society...or even attempt to...Dancing with the stars????

I also think the Jersey Shore promotes unhealthy and violent relationships. The star couple of the show (Ronnie and Sammi) are known for their terrible fights, breakups and make ups. Heaven knows what we are not shown and what the cameras don't  record...This puts the wrong idea of a healthy relationship in the heads of young teens who might just be starting out in the dating word...which is already tough enough without seeing these two every week blow up at each other. It promotes non stop partying and binge drinking...all they do on the show is go out and drink, stay home and drink, go to the beach...already inebriated. I mean "Snookie" (who was arrested for being a publicly drunken fool on the beach) was paid 32 grand by Rutgers University to be the key note speaker at their most recent Graduation. Snookie, a girl who's probably never stepped foot into a college classroom...but I'm sure has stepped stumbling foot into many a frat house or dorm rooms.  And her most memorable quote from her speech? " Study hard, but party harder" Like really? This is just absolutely ridiculous to me. Oh and last years previous graduation key not speaker at Rutgers...Nobel Prize Winner Toni Morrison...got paid less to speak than she did...That just shows you the true price of an education...and Rutgers priority scale...

The show also glorifies violence...every episode there are fights, and not just arguments but fist fights...The very first time I heard about the shows success was after an infamous fight at a club where one of the female characters got punched straight in the face by one of the male characters....last time I checked that was illegal...but yet after that episode was when the show gained the height of its popularity...Come ON!

Personally I just think the Jersey Shore is an abomination and glorifies people who don't deserve the attention.  Especially with the economy the way it is and unemployment being so high its a shame that these bums are being paid millions of dollars to "GTL" (Gym, Tanning, Laundry). This is exactly whats wrong with our society and our country, its exactly whats wrong with MTV who has now done a complete 180 from Music Television from its conception to Shitty Television such as Jersey Shore and Teen Moms. I guess you can say my review of the Jersey Shore is not a very good one. This show is the exact reason why NJ and Reality TV get a bad wrap...I mean the state of NJ banned the shooting of the show, that's why they had to go abroad over to Italy to shoot the most recent season. They're not wanted in their own country nor the initial state the show was meant to take place in. I get it, viewers want to see sex, hott guys and girls making out and tons of controversy...but to what extent...and at what cost?

Intro to Un-Reality TV

I'd like to welcome you all to my very first blog ever. After much thought and consideration I have decided to make a blog on a topic that I have had much exposure to in both my work life as well as my personal life..."Reality TV".  It seems that today's airwaves are bombarded with these reality TV shows, from the infamous Jersey Shore to Toddlers and Tiaras it seems one cannot change the channel without being inundated with such muck. I say such muck because back in 07 when I graduated from college I entered the TV industry hoping to make an impact with my work and be apart of something special, whether it be in TV News or Sports, or shooting Documentaries, I wanted my work to mean something... Naive and new to the business I soon found out just  how competitive and cut throat the industry really was and before I knew it I had found myself crossing the line into the dingy world of Reality TV. Now I cant say exact details of my experiences due to confidentiality agreements but lets just say I was a far cry away from my initial dream...but hey, you got to pay the bills somehow right?...Throughout the course of my blog I will talk about the social ramifications Reality TV has on our society, specifically our youth and also the negative impacts it has demographically just in our state of NJ alone. I hope my readers will find my opinions interesting and I look forward to to sharing my blog with all of you. I now bid you adieu until my next entry....

VJS