The End Of The World As We Know It

I’m beginning to think the world is actually going to end in December of 2012. What is MTV thinking putting on this TV show: J-Woww & Snooki? To me, the JERSEY SHORE for MTV is what the Steroid Era was for baseball. The ratings were great and the numbers were huge, but man oh man, did MTV sell its soul. Why can’t this network--that used to know what was cool--close the JERSEY SHORE era out, count their millions, move on? This has to be rock bottom for Reality TV. It can’t get lower than this. J-Woww & Snooki’s spinoff makes the Kardashians feel like 60 MINUTES.

If you haven’t seen this funeral for taste and morality, the formula isn’t far removed from JERSEY SHORE, except dumber, less exciting, less funny, and, if you can believe it, crueler. And that’s where my problem with this program exists. I don't think humor based on being cruel to other people is funny. I don't get a rise out of poking fun at someone’s face, hair, size, or height. In the episode I watched, nothing happens except J-Woww’s moron boyfriend makes fun of Snooki’s moron boyfriend/baby-daddy. Did I mention that Snooki is pregnant on this show, moving out on her boyfriend to live it up with this J-Woww? And, of course, the whole thing is blatantly scripted, the girls being asked to exaggerate their over-the-top SHORE characters. That's right, kids: Being an idiot and making fun of people is cool.

The concept of the show is grounded in following these two travesties around as they behave like, well, travesties. In one cringe-worthy scene, J-Woww asks their two real estate agents (a man and a woman) if they “F” each other. The agents are both like um, huh? What can I say: In a far-off galaxy hilarity ensues. But here on Earth, bad. Why doesn’t MTV rip this garbage off the air?

Kids see this crap and carry it out in their lives i.e. cyber bullying and attacking their peers via text or Tweet about the way they look and the way they live. Kids aren’t equipped to expertly handle this kind of warfare. I however believe that bus monitor who got “bullied” should’ve been able to handle it, and sure as heck not profit from it. All we found out with that video was that woman shouldn't work with kids. Sorry, I digress. My point: MTV is sending the youth, 99.9% of its audience, a bad message. Enter Mom & Dad. Because NOTHING is more important than parenting. NOTHING.

I plead with the network of Adam Curry and SINGLED OUT and THE TOP 20 VIDEO COUNTDOWN to stick a fork in this JERSEY SHORE thing. I still think MTV has some good things to say and I’ll still watch a REAL WORLD every so often, even though it’s a snoozefest, but at least I kind of like some of the characters. But this J-Woww & Snooki spinoff is disturbing. It may very well be the end of the world as we know it.

Watch the Trailer: http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20605939,00.html

Read More:http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20605939,00.html

Brian Huba
7/12/12