The Real Jersey Shore

My parents drove me to Seaside for the first time when I was two years old. The ride down felt a lot longer than an hour from Hightstown, New Jersey. I kept asking my parents, "Are we there yet?" every ten minutes. My mom and dad took turns telling me, "No, Pumpkin, not yet." I eventually stopped and started talking about everything I could think of.

When the bridge entering into Seaside came closer, my dad shouted my name from the front and tapped my tiny knee. I instantly fell in love with the blue-green water when I first looked down from the bridge. My mouth couldn't think of any words to say for the first time. My father looked for a parking spot as I absorbed the color of the water and sand. Once the cherry-brown 1990 mini van stopped, my parents opened the enormous front doors and instantly I smelled the salty seawater. The ocean smelled like a bitter sour lemon with salt sprinkled on top.

My mom interrupted my thoughts as I tried to soak in this new environment by opening the bulky sliding door and said, "Pumpkin, are you coming?"

I smiled and replied, jumping onto the blacktop, "Yes, I am."

 My mom took my hand and guided me across the street as I inhaled the ocean air. The houses on the way to the boardwalk had several stairways leading up to wooden doors. Garbage cans were tucked under the stairways and people stood outside soaking in the air of the ocean as I did for the first time. My dad took my left hand when we reached the boardwalk. The waves splashing on the sand turned into my favorite sound. It looked and sounded like a pool splash, but a hundred times bigger. I snapped back into reality when my parents stopped somewhere to get some food. My dad told me I could have whatever I wanted on the menu, so I asked my dad what fried pickles were.  My dad described fried pickles to me as sour cucumbers dipped in dough. I had no clue what he met by that, but I told him to order me fried pickles and Oreos.

These days, real Jersey people cannot go anywhere without someone comparing them to the Jersey Shore show. For example, last semester in my speech class I mentioned I am from Jersey, and from that day forward most of my classmates associated me with different cast members. Everyday I heard about the program and how I reminded them of Snookie or Jwoww. At our speech banquet, the co-chairman said, "One day, Kim will admit her friends and her are just like Snookie." I don't know how I am like Snookie because I'm don't have an orange tan, I'm not short, large chested, or loud all the time either.  Her poof hairstyle comes in various sizes. Some girls make small poof to keep their bangs out of their face. Others style their hair with a medium poof for more of a fashionable look. Snookie wannabes style their hair in a larger poof to look like some famous person. The poof hairstyle is worn by New Yorkers and New Jersey natives. My classmates' comparison to Jwoww seems to fit me more because we're both tall girls and always there for friends. Even though I seem to be like Jwoww, people have no right to compare anyone from Jersey to cast members of the show. The cast members are real people and some are natives from Jersey with their own personalities. 

MTV discovered this group of people who they refer as "Guidos" and "Guidettes." The cast members also downgrade themselves with this stereotype throughout the show. "Guidos" and "Guidettes" are originally from New York. New Jersey and New York are always in a battle over who's better. The New York Times defines "Guidos" and "Guidettes" as "originally an ethnic slur against Italian immigrants to America, since 'Guido' was a common Italian Christian name ...Among the values espoused by the self-described 'Guidos of Jersey Shore": heavy tanning, muscular definition, a labor-intensive toiletry regimen, family, and hooking up."  

Jersey Shore is based around the most popular vacation spot and beach in New Jersey.  MTV centered the show around hookups, friendship, drama, work, and love for the cast members. The cast spent three seasons in Seaside Heights as well as one in Miami, Florida, and Florence, Italy. Six out of nine cast members are from New York. Snookie (Nicole) is from Marlboro. Jwoow (Jenny) is from Franklin Square. Mike (The Situation), Vinny, and Angelina (only Season 1 & 2) are from Staten Island.  Ronnie is from Bronx. Only 2 out of the10 are actually, from New Jersey. Deena (only Season 3 & 4) is from New Egypt.  Sammi is from Hazlet. The last and final cast member, Paul D, is from Johnston, Rhode Island.