Jersey Shore vs. Jenks

  

Let's begin with the fist-pumping-'GTL'-Snooki-lovin' phenomenon that is Jersey Shore.  Personally, I believe that MTV has regained their popularity and place in pop culture because of what has evolved from the media monster that is Jersey Shore.  There was a time when I would go to the MTV channel and find nothing new or interesting to watch.  Then came a miracle in the form of fake, spray-on tans.  It seemed like everyone and their grandma was watching the first season of Jersey Shore!

The larger-than-life personalities of these young New Jersey folks made watching the show a surreal experience.  Although ratings shot up, Jersey Shore brought along its share of Debbie-Downer moments.  Many Italian-American organizations and even the governor of New Jersey felt that the J.S. cast wrongly portrayed the Italian community and were a bad representation of New Jersey.  So, I believe, to provide shows with more substance, MTV might be trying to promote and focus just a tad bit more on shows like World of Jenks to keep its moral meter in check.

MTV is known for its reality shows and documentary-style series.  The most well-known documentary-style series that MTV airs is True Life, which explores and follows people from many walks of life and, of course, the Real World series. A couple of already-established feel-good documentaries on MTV, are If You Really Knew Me, which aims to break down high school cliques and stereotypes by having students get to know, on a deeper level, their fellow classmates, and The Buried Life, a show in which four friends embark on a journey to complete a "bucket list" and help a stranger along the way.