Why I love Jersey Shore

There, I've admitted it.

I LOVE THIS SHOW. I want to move in with this tanned group of guidos and guidettes and be like their house mother or something. I actually got a little teary last week watching Sammi and Ronnie. When are they going to just admit that they're in love? Why, Ronnie, why the grenades???

Situation, God help me, I love him. He's actually starting to sound like the voice of reason.

I have a secret crush on Vinny. Only when he wears his glasses, though. And Pauly, who doesn't love that sweet grinning fool?

Snooki is priceless. Just priceless. When she dances? There are no words.

I hate Angelina though. There's going to be trouble this season. Big trouble. That girl is up to no good, trust me.

But here's why I think I really like these kids so much:


<< Click it, if you dare.


Yes, that's me, circa 1988. Cancun. My friend Anne and I went down there and we had the pure luck to be in a hotel with, and directly across the hall from a room full of Jersey boys. The two with me in the above photo are Tommy D. and, seriously- I cannot make this shit up- Pauly. I, of course, was the original J-Woww. Or J-NotWoww, you decide. I was certainly rocking the tan. These adorable guidos were like brothers to us. Walked to the bars with us, made sure we got back to our room, we even went to dinner with them almost every night.

For two naive girls from Minnesota, the experience of being immersed in this little pool of straight up Jersey was a culture shock of ungodly voltage. By the end of the week "we was talkin' like them" and "you betcha that they picked up our inflections, doncha knooow". We all exchanged numbers and addresses, and if I remember correctly we corresponded with them off and on for the next couple of years.

It was one of the best times, ever.

I have no idea where these boys are now, of course, but I get to go back in time once a week thanks to MTV and Jersey Shore. And I wallow in it.

Here's to you, my sweet Jersey boys from 1988!