Why Jon Bon Jovi Wasn’t a Fan of ‘Jersey Shore’
The Jersey Shore cast has occasionally touted their show as relatable and accurate in regards to portraying their side of New Jersey. But rock band Bon Jovi had a different experience growing up in the Garden state.
Jon Bon Jovi once voiced his disapproval of ‘Jersey Shore’
Jon Bon Jovi didn’t mince words when it came to the Jersey Shore. The vocalist had strong ties to New Jersey, having been born and raised there. He credited the state for turning him into the person that he was, which he felt other artists could identify with.
“New Jersey shaped who and what I am. Growing up in Jersey gave you all the advantages of New York, but you were in its shadow. Anyone who’s come from here will tell you that same story. … It dates back to Sinatra. Anybody — Jerry Lewis, Abbott and Costello — they all had to fight for what they did, and this is where they came from,” Bon Jovi once told ABC News.
His attachment to New Jersey was one of the reasons why he wasn’t a fan of Jersey Shore. The reality TV series followed a group of young New Jersey natives and their day-to-day lives. But the “Only Lonely” singer felt the Jersey depicted in the show shared little in common with the Jersey that he knew.
“It’s not my Jersey shore. I was there way before they were. We used to go down to the boardwalk all the time when we were kids, that was a cool place to go. People from New Jersey know that’s not what it’s like,” Bon Jovi once told OK (via Contact Music).
Generally, Bon Jovi was against the Jersey Shore’s type of entertainment as a whole, and its ability to manufacture reality TV stars.
”I more resent that those shows create ‘celebrities’, that’s bad. Some kid is struggling to write a song, or to be an actor or write a book, and kids want to get famous to be famous. I don’t like that. It’s really sad,” Bon Jovi said.
‘Jersey Shore’ cast member Mike Sorrentino once defended the show
Jersey Shore managed to produce several popular reality stars like Mike Sorrentino. He tried out for the program in its inception after dabbling in modeling.
“In 2008, I was trying to do fitness and underwear modeling and it wasn’t really working out. Someone told me that VH1 was trying to do a show about guidos from the East Coast. It was supposed to be a Challenge-type show at first. I did the pilot,” Sorrentino once told Vulture.
The success of the show and its cast brought out many detractors who criticized the show’s stereotypical depiction of New Jersey and Italians. But Sorrentino defended the series, asserting that he and the rest of the cast were simply being their real selves.
“It’s not necessarily a stereotype; it’s just how it is,” Sorrentino said. “In New York and New Jersey, that just happens to be the style,” Sorrentino said in an interview with MTV News. “It’s just watching a bunch of young kids interact with the cameras. Is there a dictionary definition of how Italian-Americans should be portrayed? I know I didn’t hold back and I’m not too worried about what people think. When I look in the mirror, I feel good.”
Why was ‘Jersey Shore’ canceled
The original Jersey Shore lasted for six seasons before coming to an end in 2012. Many speculated it might’ve been a decline in ratings that caused the show’s end. But MTV News executive Chris Linn set the record straight in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.
“We’ve always said we’d do the show for as long as it made sense. We noticed what was going on in their lives, with Nicole (Snooki) having her baby, the relationships, etc. it felt like the right time to bring it to a close and end on a high note,” Linn said.
Linn claimed that the show’s ratings didn’t factor into its cancellation as well, since its viewership was still doing well.
“The show still dominates, it’s the No. 1 show in our core demo, it’s still incredibly successful,” Linn said. “It’s really about their lives evolving and changing in a way that moves them away from the original conceit of the show. As successful as the show is, we don’t want to be in a situation where we’re milking every ratings point out of a franchise until the end. Our audience demands reinvention and is always looking for what’s new. As tempting as it is to squeeze something to the end, we made what we think is the right, tough choice to end the show on top.”
