Guilty. I plead guilty. There are some shows you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that are just trash. And sometimes you just can't help it. You have to see if there is really is a reason that millions upon millions of people are tuning in to this show.
So I caved. I broke down and picked up the On Demand menu and hit the play over Jersey Shore. It both was and was not what I suspected. It is over the top, and yes the people in the house are very, very much wrapped up in their own drama. They often appear to fail how their interactions with other people affects people they say they love. They are also very unapologetic about it. Anyone that talks any kind of smack about the crew is labeled a hater, or jealous.
Think about the personalities that typically drive a reality show at any level. For the most part, these people love the camera, they love the spotlight on themselves. Shit, half the people on American Idol suck horribly at singing yet after getting kicked out in the first round, the contestants will whine and moan that they ARE good enough and deserve more time.
In the 'Jersey Shore' we get hit with personalities that think so much of themselves it's almost preposterous. Right upon meeting all of them, you notice that ALL are just completely confident in themselves, most people would think a little bit too much. This is pretty much the overriding context of the entire show.
The results of acting with such narcissism? Drama at almost every turn. Things go shitty in a hurry. Almost immediately, someone will become jealous due to lack of attention, or even just a perceived lack of attention. They will then act this out, by talking about themselves in some flattering manner, parading in underwear(Snookie) or lifting up their shirt (Situation.)
Eventually you end up disliking most, if not at all characters at one point or another. Ronnie for getting into a fight, (though to be honest, I am betting there were a fair amount of douche bags yelling at him for no other reason than there was a camera near by. Look, if you aren't part of the show, don't try to get on by being a fucking clown.) Situation for constantly creeping, Vinny for running his mouth and also playing girls, Snookie for being so dramatic and always needing attention, and so on.
But,
You also secretly root for them. You root for them to get it. That they do act like ass holes from time to time. That yes you should have fun, but don't aim to do so at the expense of someone else. Girls are not some commodity, and neither are guys. In some parts you think one might have turned the corner, maybe they'll be a reasonable human being for the rest of the series only to be proven wrong over and over again.
That's the unfunny version of why it has redeeming value. But if you don't find the Jersey Shore Shore funny, you may have to re-think your sense of humor. The irony that it wasn't just the characters that were on the show that were living up to the stereotype, but the surrounding crowd as well. From random girls calling each other sluts on the street, to the guy who actually hit a girl, the scum in the series was in no way limited to just the main characters.
All in all, I guiltily admit I enjoyed it. It's not high brow, it's at time brutal to watch as any random reality show on VH1, but their is a certain uniqueness to this group that separates it from any predecessor.
No comments:
Post a Comment