Are We All Fist-Pumping?

In 2009, MTV came out with a television show that has transformed my generation, the Jersey Shore.  For those who don't know, the Jersey Shore is about a group of "guidos", who spend their summer on the Jersey Shore. Cameras follow them around filming them going to clubs, their hookups, “GTLing” (gym, tanning, laundry), and their mundane job at a T-shirt shop or gelato shop. Why has this generation become so fixated by watching these ridiculous people making fools of themselves? It seems that I can hardly go a day without hearing the words, Snookie, The Situation, or fist-pumping.

When the cast of Jersey Shore is not filming, they make club appearances. Now, I have not been to one of these appearances, but I have witnessed one in Rochester, NY.  It was six below outside and a huge snowstorm was on its way, but the line to the club was out the door and around the corner. As I drove past, I thought people were crazy to be wearing mini-skirts and tank-tops just to see these people. In the morning, I found out that I was correct; many people that night suffered frost bite and had to be taken to the hospital. How could we have let it come to this? When did our society become so influenced by a group of 8 people that could barely hold a conversation about anything else besides tanning, alcohol, or sex? I think that it is mostly due to the fact that we are obsessed with the materialistic and the obscene.

Not only is this show ridiculous, but it giving New Jersey a horrible reputation. Very few people can think of Jersey without picturing the cast first. Personally, all I can picture is dirty clubs, guidos, and fist-pumping. In reality, that is not the case at all. Recently, the new governor spoke out against the shows saying that Jersey is nowhere near the portrayal of MTV. I think that teenagers, myself included, really need to reevaluate what they want to be watching and whom so they want influencing them.

Buh bump, Buh bump

Ever since I was little, I have spent my summers in Chatham, Massachusetts, a small fishing town on the “elbow” of Cape Cod. Normally, Chatham is a quiet seaside town with a few bustling weeks in July. But this year things radically changed. We experienced an extreme increase in marine life. You might be thinking well of course you did your surrounded by the water! But, this year some unexpected guests arrived off our shores, some Great White Sharks. Yes, the king of the waters himself decided that he would vacation in Chatham this year.

Now for the year-long residences and summer residences, it wasn't really that big of a deal. But, for the numerous tourists it seemed like the world was ending. Their was wide stricken paranoia, where people would not swim in the water or go to any of the beaches where they spotted. Not only did we have these annoying tourists, but many shark enthusiasts have also invaded Chatham. About 2 miles off the coast, the water is filled with boats varying from small skiffs to the National Geographic boat. People love the attention that Chatham is getting. But because it is bad press, I don’t think that this will help out Chatham in the long run. Having weekly articles describing new sightings forced the Coast Guard to close many of the beaches. Chatham has the most coastline in the United States, but the paranoia quicly made beach options minuscule. Fortunately, there has not been a fatal attack, so why can't we just educate people instead of closing down beaches? Chatham has a great lifeguard staff and since the start of this, they have gone through extensive education on everything sharks. The lifeguards are more than willing to share their new knowledge. So lets be smart about this new invasion, why does my Chatham have to change?