Jersey Shore -- There's No Way This Can Be Real (Is There?)

Before I started at my new job (but, after I learned I had been hired), I watched an episode of MTV's award-winning cheap & tawdry show Jersey Shore. I, obviously, was aware of the show (who hasn't heard of "Snooki," "The Situation" and "J-Woww?"); but, I'd never actually sat through an entire episode.

I watched one episode; then the next, then another. Like a bad car wreck, I couldn't turn away.

I know there's been a great deal of controversy over the show, and apparent slurs against the Italian community. And, it's hardly worth debating the merits of the show -- I don't know anyone who would suggest the show is 'great.'

Instead, I started wondering about some of the more cheap and tawdry action. Not only does the show seem to encourage the housemates entering into intimate encounters with each other (and, pretty much, any other living thing); but an awful lot of it is filmed. And, even more unnerving; many times, these encounters happen with multiple people in the room; almost as spectators....

With that, I started thinking -- obviously, was whether the show was, in fact, "real?" MTV had another show (one I've never seen, but again, heard about) called The Hills. Apparently, the show was filmed and promoted as a "reality" show; but the ending of the series gave the definite impression that the audience had been fooled, and the show was not true reality (there's debate over whether the show was actually scripted; but certainly the final scene of the series indicated the show was being shot on an outdoor movie set, not a real outdoor location).

Could Jersey Shore be in the same boat? Would MTV do it a second time? Cast and showcase a show with the presumption that it was "reality" when in fact it's completely scripted and exaggerated?

I don't know that there's a good answer to that question -- if it's scripted, then I'm disgusted at what MTV thinks the public wants to see (and, even scarier, they're right... the new season just set the record for the series viewing audience). If it's not scripted; well, that's even scarier, that people like that exist (not just he stars of the show; but also the assorted and varied people they "interact" with... I wonder what the laws for emigrating to Canada are like........