Jersey Shore

Season one of Jersey Shore is the pinnacle of reality television. The cast of characters ranging from the massive and alcoholic Mike "The Situation", to the iconic gremlin "Snooki" are pristine casting, reaching where trashy tv had never been before. From public urination to street fights with neanderthal strangers, this show is the perfect cocktail of grotesque entertainment.

The derelict Shore House becomes just as much of a character as any of the cast, functioning as a zoo-like observation deck for drama, messes, family arguments and fist fights.

This show is a masterpiece of garbage, with each ingredient elevating it to another level of iconic. A must-watch.

Reality TV is trash. I get that sentiment exactly, but after watching a few episodes of Jersey Shore, I started to see beyond the fake tans, the fights and the horrible language (and bad grammar). What did I see? I saw myself and my friends at age 21. These people aren't stereotypes, they are TRULY how immature people act. I say let them enjoy being young. They are proud of being themselves and having fun. Is this quality TV programming? No, but you know what, sometimes quality programming can be boring. This JS cast is anything but boring and I found myself actually liking them. They ARE characters and they know how to put on a show. I don't know how long this show will go on, and I really do hope they keep the cast intact (at least for season 2) because I will be watching. B-

Out of all of the reality shows that has been on during the past decade I can say upfront that MTV's "Jersey Shore" has to be one of the worst if not the worst of the decade. Its ranks right up there with the rest of the reality shows that are total crap.."Frankie and Neffe", "The Real Housewives Of...", "Making The Band", "College Hill:Atlanta", just to name a few. "Jersey Shore" is pure unadulterated trash.

From a previous comment,it is a sad representation of our youth and he is right,but what moron executive at MTV came up with the idea or the thought of it would be entertaining to show to social retardation of a bunch of twentysomethings each week make fools of themselves and others in public? All this shows is acting out with all of its gritty behavior,promiscuity,violence(oh yeah,each week..the fights..OMG the fights!)all in the name of getting ratings. Another bad reality show? Yes. Stereotyping of ethnic groups(Italians)or making fun of other minorities? Yes. Its not fun nor its not pleasant. Its stupid. Beyond stupid. "Jersey Shore" is one of those shows that has no intelligence(what intelligence?),no real morals or complexity. Its self-absorbed, and completely ridicious. The characters on this show along with the people who produced it are nothing but lowrent sand-for-brains. Its not only an embarrassment to us,but it shows how half of our youth are a bunch of morons,and its a diss. Come on,MTV you used to show music videos here. What the hell happened????

I'm not going to lie. I hate reality television. I really do. Everyday, everywhere you turn, there's a new reality show on the horizon for obnoxious (mostly young) people who clearly don't deserve the attention they're getting on their own reality show, only to have them become tabloid fodder for the next several months after the show has faltered or been replaced by a new one. Everybody knows about Paris Hilton, the Kardashians (Khloe, not Kim, is one curvaceous Armenian-American bombshell, by the way), Kendra Wilkinson, the various "Love" shows on VH1, and now MTV has put out their latest: "Jersey Shore."

Seriously, what is our American culture coming to? Have we really been reduced to an "idiocracy"? According to Mike Judge's 2006 film, yes we have.

"Jersey Shore" became a huge hit when it debuted in December 2009, and also sparked a myriad of controversies stemming from its negative portrayal of eight Italian-American young people (according to Wikipedia, only five of the eight 20-somethings are actually of genuine Italian ancestry), who have a summer share on New Jersey's Seaside Heights community and thus bringing a lot of unwelcome notoriety to the area. These eight self-proclaimed "Guidos/Guidettes" (four Italian-American men and four Italian-American women) - alpha male Mike "The Situation," DJ Pauly D, Ronnie, Vinny (my personal "favorite," meaning he's the least annoying and he is essentially a nice, good guy who for the most part stays out of the worst trouble), Sammi "Sweetheart" (the only one of the cast members who is actually from New Jersey), Jenni "JWoww," Angelina "Jolie," and fan-favorite Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi - spend their summer on Jersey Shore partying, hooking up, tanning, drinking, fixing their hair (guys and girls both), clubbing, fighting, and engaging in every other form of debauchery known to man while also finding some time taking turns working in a boardwalk t-shirt store.

"Jersey Shore" is pretty atypical when it comes to reality television. The show is pure trash, pure unbridled trash. But like most guilty pleasure television, "Jersey Shore" keeps you watching no matter how much it goes against your better judgment, and however many brain cells you might kill by tuning in to watch new episodes every week. It's an instance in which you'll be watching it one minute, and then kicking yourself the next for doing so. The characters are typical reality show fodder: the alpha male, the entertainer, the bitch/drama queen, the slut, the troublemaker, the instigator, the stalwart nice hero guy - you get the point, because we've seen it all before. None of the characters are particularly likable or sympathetic (except for my "favorite," of course, Vinny), but they are engaging and have over-sized egos and personalities that have launched them into pop culture stardom, whether they are deserving of it or not.

In other words, they're here to stay, whether we like it or not...

MTV really outdid themselves with "Jersey Shore"; not only was the show a ratings success (as of now, a third season is already in the works), but it has become a bona-fide pop culture phenomenon complete with t-shirts, endorsements, and its own "Jersey Shore"-esquire lingo ("yo, that ugly chick in the jacuzzi's a 'grenade'"). Already, "The Situation" is set to gain $5 million by the end of the year in a planned autobiography book deal, a workout fitness routine, and various other endorsements. Ronnie was charged with aggravated assault stemming from an incident in which he knocked out a guy who had confronted him at a nightclub. And poor little "Snooki" was recently charged with annoying people on the beach while heavily intoxicated; and she also got her lights punched out by some guy at a bar during the first season (poor "Snooki" - she's got a big mouth, all right, but no one deserves to get hit like she did by a big drunken coward like she did, no matter how annoying she was being).

"Jersey Shore" is trash entertainment, purely. I'm addicted to this show now, I think, after having purchased the first season on DVD after scattered viewings on TV got my mouth watery for 20-something New Jersey-style antics and debauchery. I can't stop thinking or talking about it with people who care for it. Yes, sir, that's reality TV infamy for you, and it worked its magic on yet another poor soul who will be feeling very sorry for having watched it on an ultra-curious whim...

I can't believe it only has a 3.6 rating. Sure it's no Game of Thrones but this is binge worthy, trash tv at its finest. Think Friends but everyone's drunk and arguing 70% of the time. It's hilarious, and always cheers me up. I love it!