I Can't Believe I Love MTV's "Jersey Shore"

I think I remember hearing about "Jersey Shore" only after one or two episodes had aired on MTV. The world was making a great big deal out of this pint-sized brunette named Snooki being punched in the face on live TV. I told myself that I was not going to indulge in this silly reality show. I recall the early days of MTV's "Real World" (before the show became a flashy reality soap opera.) Nope, no way was I going to tune into "Jersey shore"-that is, until I tuned in.

But unlike other reality shows that I have watched only occasionally, there was something about this program that kept me tuning in over and over again until it became somewhat of an obsession. Three seasons in, I am already looking forward to Season 4 that will take place in Italy. How did I get so hooked? And furthermore, how does a reasonable person justify watching this kind of "trash TV"? Observe.

Addiction Factor: Snooki
Justification: What is a Snooki?

When you see a little 4-foot-something back flipping and chugging cocktails in a nightclub it's pretty hard to turn away from the TV screen. After watching one episode, you immediately ask yourself: what is a Snooki? You've got to keep watching to find out. Then, once you have started watching, you realize that little Nicole Pollizzi is feisty little ball of love. (Cue sappy music.)

Addiction Factor: Those are some crazy Italians.
Justification: They are not blonde.

No offense to blondes or any reality show featuring a bunch of California-bred college kids. But it was kind of refreshing to see a different segment of the population represented on television. When "Jersey Shore" hit the air three seasons ago, the world got a taste of a demographic that was unlike any seen before on reality TV. Guido/Guidette arguments aside, the world needed a different kind of reality show shakeup. "Jersey Shore" gave us that.

Addiction Factor: Sammi and Ronnie.
Justification: They make my relationships look like a bucket of cupcakes.

Clearly, one of the biggest draws of "Jersey Shore" is the coupling of Sammi and Ronnie. Their turbulent relationship has provided endless fodder throughout seasons one, two, and three. The Guido who claimed he would never fall in love at the shore did just that-with some pretty disastrous results along the way. But for some reason we just can't seem to get enough of these two. Sammi and Ronnie are why television soap operas are dead.

Addiction Factor: The hookups, the hookups, and the hookups.
Justification: The hookups, the hookups, and the hookups.

Come on, now. Everybody loves a little sex on TV. You have to admit that without all of that "smooshing", the show would probably be pretty boring. We could condemn those Jersey Shore kids for their sexual appetites until the cows come home. But they're only doing what comes naturally to them - the same things that come naturally to a lot of people who are not on TV.

SOURCES:

www.mtv.com