Good way to sum it up...I haven't watched Real World in years, but this I would watch.

Welcome to the world of popular cultural conventional wisdom. I came from a place that thanks to Michael Moore's string of films the rest of the world thinks is made up of people who eat rabbits for food and couldn't hold a job if it came with two handles.

It'll pass. Till then, relax.

Yeah I know it'll pass. It's just Jersey is probably the most mocked and ridiculed state in the entire country (or at least top 2-3), and I've always been a big supporter of my home. Yeah we have our problems, but still...its home. Basically its one of the few things I'm passionate about these days.

And Bloor, I hear ya. But I never bought into that pablum anyway...we have our own crappy housewives show.

OH YEAH GO PUMP YOUR OWN GAS, PISSANT

I love how she announces that "the tits are coming out tonight" earlier in the night of this outfit.

Also, when she comes back and says she wanted to drink water and eat ham, and then shows the ham packaging to the camera while reiterating "ham."

Bill Simmons and the "reality show czar" basically devoted an entire podcast to Jersey Shore, and its really entertaining to listen to (second one on the right sidebar): http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/simmons/index

aren't you always complaining about jersey's taxes and other stuff?

That was mostly me being a fervent dissenter of our soon to be former Gov. Corzine. I hate that man because he had a major hand in ruining us financially. But he's going away and things will get better.

And Fu, I wish we could pump our own gas, but sadly I can't make the laws. I teach my friends how to do it when they're driving out of state. Sad I know.

All I know is my Jersey Shore nickname is M-Train.

Seriously, Jersey is subject of more scorn than Louisiana now, which is quite shocking considering I'm from the bayou, and I know how bad it can be down there.

My jersey name is "The Tan-ticle"

Deny.

Fix'd.

I hate jerseys endless strip malls and lack of left hand turns, but appreciate the natural beauty, tomatoes and support of aging rock bands.

< THE BLOWOUT

Haha that's a region Bloor, not a state. The region may get more flak than the mid-northeast, but individually Jersey still earns more ridicule. I see your point though.

And Jewels, you left out Jersey sweet corn, blueberries, and cranberries...we're 2nd in the nation in blueberry production and 3rd in cranberry. Also we're 3rd in bell pepper production and 2nd in eggplant production.

As for support of aging rock bands, the states biggest paper the Newark Star-Ledger (cir. 300,000+ daily) rain a nice article and concert review the other day about TEH WRENS.

And we have nutty town names too Max. From the 4 different Washington Twps to communities to Loveladies, Ho-Ho-Kus, Hopatcong (not to be confused with Lake Hopatcong...different town, different county), Buttzville, Hi-Nella, Cheesequake, and more...

<--- The Tan-talizer

Yo, dude's situation looks like Rambo with his shirt off.

Also, re: Vanlandingham and Bloor's reference to a small segment of their state/region's population getting a bad rap... TRUST me, over our lifetimes, Bloor and the rest of the Southerners on this board have heard (and probably given out) way more denigration of dumb rednecks, hillbillies, hicks, white trash, uneducated and poverty stricken trailer home living backwoods morons than Vanlandingham has heard of gelled guido douchebags. Have you ever thought about why the characters in Raising Arizona have southern accents even though they live in Arizona? Because people associated simple-minded trailer park living folk with slow Southern drawls.

Monty does have a point with California though. Schwarzenegger? Seriously?

<-- The Bicep

C-Gel

This is very true. Most of the people I work with come from up north and I hear about how much more civilized it is all the time. If the really felt that way then why the hell are the down here, the weather can't be that much better.

Because, as with the Croakies (sp?) sporting Ole Miss frat-boy & Atlanta transplant Michael Hudek, "F- them n_ggers".

The South Will Rise Again

Your response when they say things like is either "Delta is ready when you are" or "The same road you came south on runs north too"

But nobody ever moves back.

I mean, Hudek doesn't seem very Anglo-Saxon trashy, like most Southern names, white and black. Not a whole lot of Croats or Slovaks or what-have-you native to the place, either.

T-Tan

I'm disappointed

I love the Jersey shore. I'd live there in a heartbeat. I have spent a decent amount of time in Bradley Beach, Neptune City, and Red Band and have to say I think I can count on one finger the amount of times I've even seen people like on this show in public.

Also, aren't there endless strip malls in just about every fucking whereverville, USA? Saying a place has too many strip malls is like saying they have too many paved roads. I don't think strip malls are unique to one location over another, they're indicative, or at least are remnants, of a cultural/economic philosophy in this country.

Every town along the shore that I've been to has it's own life and personality. Privately owned business and a unique "culture" if you wanna call it that. At the very least, it feels "alive".

I dunno, I get Vanlandingham's frustration, but certainly recognize that this happens to a lot of places all the time in this country. The population finds it easier to compartmentalize their perception of other places via reality TV rather than personal experience and interaction. But, I guess that's their right. haha