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Lessons from Jersey Shore
By Samir | July 28, 2010
I’ve endeavored, on my recent staycation, to be as unproductive as possible. To that end, I’ve decided to watch the entire first (and only) season of MTV’s Jersey Shore series. The show documents the daily lives of four self-proclaimed Guidos from the Northeastern US and four counter-balacing “Guidettes”. Set in Seaside Heights, NJ, and spanning a summer of tanning, boozing, floozing and partying, it’s very promising indeed!
Much has been written about the show, its negative depiction of Italian-Americans, its glamorization of dangerous and artificial tanning practices, its frequent showcasing of physical, if not sexual promiscuity and so on and so forth. But the cartoonish, over-inflated personalities, which are in directly inverse proportion to the intellectual weight that comes with them, are still a part of the human experience. Of course, I couldn’t turn off my brain during the show, and a few interesting life lessons were there to be had, between the fights, hot tub makeouts, and trash-talking.
Believe in yourself- By far the most interesting personality on the show is Michael “The Situation” Sorrentino. Before the Shore, Situation was a 27-year-old gym manager from Staten Island, NY. His biggest achievement was a set of impressive abs. No really. I’d have to wager that there are at least 100,000 Mike Sorrentinos in the US alone. But Mike’s meagre accomplishments never stopped him from developing an uncanny self-confidence (perhaps bolstered by a little compensation for his massive insecurities, but let’s not digress). He’s given himself and his abs the nickname “The Situation”. He believes everyone should like him. From Day 1, he seizes control of the house and runs all the logistics. When the boys go out, he’s Top Gun and Pauly D and Vinny are his wingmen. He never, ever, ever, ever admits he’s wrong until it’s the last resort. And after Season 1, he’s the breakout star of the show. Why? You can achieve great things with confidence, even if the other raw materials aren’t exactly premium.
Stick to what you’re good at- As a corollary to the above - Mike’s a dumbass. He’s not bright. His career prospects are most likely minimal, beyond being a caricature of an Italian subculture on TV. What’s he got? Abs and a big mouth. Always ready to lift up his shirt and bare the washboard, he works his abs constantly and in any situation - with no shame whatsoever. He’ll walk up to girls and say “check out the situation over here” and point to his abs. One of his “rules of life” is to always put on his shirt “at the last minute”. He’s got abs and boy, does he work them. Us normal folks, we’re not so different from Mike. We’ve got maybe 1-2 aptitudes that we excel at, maybe a dozen things we can manage without burning down a house and the rest is what we pay others to do for us. If we indugle in those 1-2 things, if we find careers in fields that let us exercise that which we find excel at and find rewarding, we’re a lot closer to happiness than most people who spend their lives wandering from job to job.
Don’t be afraid to be yourself- The men of Jersey Shore are Guidos and don’t apologize for it. Not only do they not consider it an epithet, they proudly take it on as a mantle. Because Pauly D owns a tanning bed, spend 25 minutes on his hair daily, and has Italian flags on his bag and DJing equipment, he is dubbed “the ultimate Guido” by Ronnie. Don’t think these guys have heard flak from others about their chosen identity group ? Of course they have, but they’re too busy enjoying life to give a s**t! And with everyone around them it, shows - the self-confidence, self-acceptance, and all that comes with it makes them lightning rods for ladies, attention, and controversy.
Champions are made when no one is watching- About 90% of being a “Guido” is looks. Muscles, tan, clothes are all key to rock the mantle. You don’t see it often on the show, but very briefly, it is mentioned that Sam, Pauly and Ronnie spend 2 hours a day, every single morning, at the gym working out, tanning and doing laundry. They dub the practice “GTL” (Gym, tanning, laundry). Aside from one episode, we don’t see them in the gym or tanning salon - EVER. Of course we wouldn’t, it makes for boring television. But just the same, those looks didn’t come from boozing and lounging around at clubs. And though Ronnie’s “patent creep” dance move is assuredly good cardio, it surely doesn’t account for his chiseled physique. When the cameras are not rolling, Sam and Ronnie busily invest in the assets that bring them the benefits they are reaping today. If you want the glory of the spotlight, you have to work for it in the dark.
Aim high, pay the price, sacrifice, succeed- Compared to the average person’s idea, 2 hours in the gym every day is decidedly extreme. For the boys of Jersey shore, it’s basic maintenance. Long ago, they decided they wanted a certain level of results in their training and that came with a certain amount of sacrifice. Most people do not realize this, and continue to assume that, if they put out an average effort, they could possibly one day reap an above-average benefit. This is not how life works. You can’t get the megabucks career without working your ass off. You can’t get “Situation” Abs by working out 3 days a week and eating a typical North American diet. Don’t let others, and their tendency to gravitate towards a comfortable average, dictate how much effort you put forth and how high you want to aim.
In the end, nothing much really matters- Season 1 was loaded with drama of epic proportions. In 9 episodes, there were at least 4 physical altercations. Their relationship statuses changed at the quarter hour. Some cast members made out with 4 other cast members. Some punched other cast members, some fought and some pranked each other. At times, they couldn’t coexist at all, at times they had supper all together. And at the end of the summer, they all wanted to return for Season 2. The takeaway from that is that, if you have a good support group and you’re happy doing what you’re doing, don’t worry too much about the rest - it tends to sort itself out anyway.
Speaking of Season 2, it starts tomorrow. Can’t wait.
Topics: Misc. / Divers |
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