Reality
TV is, by far, the worst innovation of television programing in our time. These shows, usually centering around a
competition, are slow, boring, and uninspired waists of time. Viewers will watch thirty minutes, to an hour
of show just to find out who will advance and who will leave. The melodrama centered on these high stake
moments seem to be the only reason anyone cares to tune in; or so I
thought. The “Jersey Shore” on MTV is a
reality TV show unique in that, it does not center on any kind of competition. Somehow, this show has become so insanely
main-stream without relying on the “high stakes” drama involved with a
competition.
The “Jersey
Shore” is a story about eight “guidos,” as they call themselves, that live
together in a house. They’re only
obligation is to work part-time at a T-shirt store. That is it…
That is the summery of the entire show.
Each episode is like a recap of what has been going on in their lives.
The
editing for this show is enough to make me sick. When you watch “Jersey Shore,” you watch a
constant flow of different camera filters, lenses, and camera movement. The soundtrack is constantly changing depending
on the mood of the next five seconds.
Many shots are repeated over and over again as if the creators of the
show are particularly proud of getting a shot of this guy turn his head. The majority of an episode is watching
recaps, and previews. Then, when we are
introduced to new content, the pacing is so fast, I can hardly tell what just
happened, but don’t worry, they will show it again, and again.
The
actual content of the “Jersey Shore” can be summed up in two words, “Bad
Acting.” After watching several
episodes, I have realized that the cast is probably not as dumb as they
seem. Rather, I think they are just
really poor actors that react awkwardly around each other. For example, with a healthy mix of girls and
guys, much of the show centers on the relationships they try to develop with
each other. The weakness comes from the
way they handle conflicts within these relationships. We are mostly treated to awkward staring
followed by a voiceover/interview style where the actor spells out his or her
feelings rather than; um… I don’t know, ACTING!
It
is, however, interesting to see the “Jersey Shore” for what it is. The show does ask a very interesting
question: “What would you do, if you
didn’t have to do anything?” I think
much of the show’s success comes from asking this question because it is
something that many people long for. We
get a glimpse into the lives of a group of young adults that have no
obligations, and I can see how this idea can be interesting.
The
problem I still have with this show is that it is not entertaining. Like every other reality TV show, the viewers
are just wasting their time rather than enjoying a complex story. The “Jersey Shore’s” audience is mesmerized
by the hypnotic editing and promises of
promiscuity to come.
