Oh, Jersey. Having spent some of my most formative years in Staten Island, I know it well. The northern part, anyway; it was the best and closest place for reasonably priced gas, tax-free shopping (even after NYC removed the tax on clothes and shoes) and days at the shore. Southern Jersey, however, is as alien to me as Siberia and Arkansas.
Thanks to MTV’s new reality show “Jersey Shore,” everyone, regardless of geographic location, can share in the wonders of The Garden State. I missed the premiere and doubt I will ever make the effort to watch the show but, unlike UNICO, many Staten Islanders and the Jersey Shore tourism board (who even know this existed?), I’m not offended by it.
Italian-Americans should just suck it up. You can’t always be represented in a positive or multi-faceted light. Asian-Americans don’t bitch and moan about their men being stereotyped as computer nerds or karate masters and women divided into dragon ladies and exotic flowers; and those are the nicer generalizations of a diverse ethnicity.
Staten Islanders need to s.t.f.u. and get a sense of humor about this whole thing. (And, before you get mad at me, know that I lived in Staten Island for nearly twenty years of my life and Brooklyn for a year before hopping over the Verrazano.) First of all, the show’s not even set in Staten Island. Saying a reference to Jersey also includes Staten Island is sort of akin to saying people are talking about Staten Island when mentioning Manhattan—completely ridiculous and big-headed. The line between Jersey and Staten Island is slightly foggier because so many people move from Staten Island to Jersey and the stereotypes are more than similar. Is that why you’re annoyed? Because it touches so close to home? If so, get over it and find a sense of humor and some perspective.
Secondly, you know you make deprecating jokes about Staten Island, Brooklyn and Jersey all the time. I know I did and continue to; especially when someone refers to “True Life: I’m a Staten Island Girl.” (Just think about that for a second. This episode first aired my senior year of high school—2002—and people still talk about it more than seven years later. That’s sort of amazing. At least I think so.)
The Jersey Shore tourism board should thank their lucky stars for all this free publicity. Ask California, North Carolina’s Outer Banks and New Orleans. It’s hard out there for tourism these days.
It’s actually perversely flattering, all this attention on this tiny part of the country. Seriously, what did Jersey (and Staten Island) do to warrant it?
Furthermore, what’s the big deal if some kids from Jersey make fools of themselves on national cable TV? Who cares if viewers make judgments? Anyone with a brain knows MTV’s “reality” shows are far from actual reality. MTV knows what its viewers like and they accordingly cast, script their shows and edit their footage.
You know, if you think about it, you shouldn’t even be mad at the show or MTV; but at the individuals who allowed MTV to film their lives and their antics and willingly lived up to what MTV asked for. I guess some anger can be directed at MTV for exploiting the ridiculous and exalting these stereotypes for profit.
But, mostly, just laugh and endeavor to live so that people learn not everyone is like the MTV stereotype when they meet you. Besides, your ire is drawing more attention than the show alone ever could.
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