If "The Guiness Book of World Records" had a category for the longest 15 minutes of fame, the cast of Jersey Shore, mainly Snooki, would most definitely hold that record. The show and cast have become a pop culture sensation to the amazement of me and many, many people around the world, so much so that I think it's becoming an epidemic.
Recently, Snooki appeared on the cover of Rolling Stones, a respectable magazine for music, politics, and pop culture news. Ne-Yo, one of my favourite singers by the way, resented this atrocious decision by Rolling Stones Magazine and really questioned what the editors and decision makers were thinking. She also appeared last week at a university and was paid $32,000 by the student committee to speak, $2,000 more than a Nobel Prize winner to tell students to work hard and party harder and those with a tan were happier. The student body claims that it was money well spent. Oh and today she appeared on Wrestlemania and won (to be fair, I was impressed with her athleticism). It has officially gone too far.
After hearing that she got paid more than most Canadian's salary, I knew that this epidemic of shallowness, this wildfire of stupidity, this contagion of lunacy just had to end. Oh yeah, did I also mention Snooki was so offended by Ne-Yo's comment that she deleted all of his songs off her iPod? Her megalomania really has made her head big. She expects that when she opens her mouth with her boneheaded opinions and crude remarks about others, they should not be offended, but dare a celebrity speak their own opinion about her and it becomes a personal attack. She even replied saying that Ne-Yo's career is in the gutter right now! Listen lady, you've accomplished very little in the eyes of everyone, so don't act like you own a high chair on your high horse. And your hypocrisy: laughable.
Of course, this Jersey Shore epidemic is only spreading because so many people love this show. The thing is, so many claim that they watch this show for their stupidity, but I honestly think it's a cover up for their pure love of the show and cast. I mean, there are people who dress up like Snooki, people who wait in lines to see DJ Pauly D, people who would probably buy an ab machine or workout routine endorsed by Mike "The Situation." Unless I've gone mad, I thought having some association with this show had a negative stigma.
It bothers me that some of my friends watch this show on a regular basis; I know you guys are better than this. Drunken exploits, narcissism, and sex are a dying act on this show. It's a one-trick pony if you will. The fact that much of the cast has not yet finalized a contract with MTV for the fourth season makes me think the show is nearing its end. The show without its most famous stars would only validate this show is trash. Strange as it may seem, there are millions of other airheads that would fit right in, yet the show needs Snooki and The Situation not because they add anything to the show, but because of their undeniable popularity with Generation Y. Once these characters are gone, its novelty erodes.
If that's the case, maybe my misguided anger at terrible television can be directed at K-Town, a rumoured show identical to Jersey Shore which stars Asians. Yes, our stereotypes are being showcased with millions waiting to see. The fact that television continues to air reality trash only validates where the industry is headed. Reality shows provide a cheap alternative for networks who pay their stars a fraction of what they would have to pay professional actors and actresses while collecting the same revenue from advertisers. Financially, it's a well-thought out scheme that has ultimately hindered the growth of television creativity and programming quality. The stars who rise to the top of these shows very often amount to nothing after the show's end, with many relying on future reality shows exploiting their former celebrity.
With the future of society in the hands of this generation, I'm quite worried we'll have another financial catastrophe in 30 years. The best part about that sentence is that fans of Jersey Shore won't get it, but the rest of us most certainly did.
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