“I keep my hair high, muscles juiced, and my fist pumping at all times,” says Paul Delevecchio a reality star known as “Pauly D,” on MTV’s new hit series Jersey Shore.
Last August, MTV started filming the series with what the show called eight of America’s “hottest, tannest, and craziest” Italian-Americans in Seaside Heights, New Jersey.
The show became a hit after the first episode.
“I love it!” said SKHS senior Meg Morrissey.
But many question whether the show’s popularity is due to the dramatic quality of the show or the pure character entertainment.
On popular blogging sites such as Facebook.com and Twitter.com, the Jersey Shore is the topic of much discussion.
“Jersey Shore became a ritual, it’s like brushing your teeth. Every Thursday night at 10 p.m. you just had to see who was getting clowned on for their big Fred Flintstone toe,” says SKHS senior Dacota Freselli.
Surprisingly, there is more drama to the show than last night’s bar fight.
A week after the show aired several advertisements that helped make the show possible were claiming they wanted to pull their name and choose not to be associated with The Jersey Shore.
Controversies aroused due to a cultural explosion. Just as African Americans do not disdain the N word, Italian Americans claim being called a “Guid, Guido, Guidette, etc” is offensive to their culture.
The term “Guido” is actually used as a derogatory slur towards Italian American men of a certain swagger.
André DiMino, president of UNICO (a national Italian American service organization), told TIME.com, “It’s a derogatory comment. It’s a pejorative word to depict an un-cool Italian who tries to act cool.”
But is a “Guido” really “un-cool”?
According to Jersey Shore cast member Vinny, “Everybody loves a Guido. Babies, dogs, hot girls, and cougars.”
Some people, however, have taken the show to another level and disregarded the controversies.
“The Jersey Shore show has really impacted my life,” said SKHS sophomore Amanda Velleco.
“Some people would find being called Snookie an insult, but I look at is as a compliment,” she said. “I’ve recently just dedicated my life to living the Jersey Shore lifestyle and I couldn’t be happier,” she added.
Could it be the character-types who populate Jersey Shore who may be aggravating the several Italian-American takes at the show’s use of the G word?
A similar controversy arose over portrayals of Italian-Americans with The Sopranos in the late 1990’s.
Controversial arguments will continue to rant but none will affect the way cast member Mike Sorrentino, “the Situation” feels. “If hating is your occupation, I probably got a full time job for you.”