Jersey Shore is simple. It takes MTV’s tried and true Real World format and throws eight strangers into a house, complete with a jacuzzi and lots of alcohol. But this time, all of those strangers happen to be self-proclaimed guidos (or guidettes). And the house happens to be on the Jersey Shore, the apparent mecca for said guidos (and guidettes).

Que the outrage.

Ever since Jersey Shore’s debut on December 3, it has been all over the news (if the kind of news you read happens to be TV Guide, which for me, it is).

First, there was UNICO. The Italian-American service organization complained about the show’s frequent use of the term ‘guido.’ (Still confused about this word ‘guido’? Check out the ‘Jersey Shore Handbook’ for assistance).

Then they started losing sponsors. Domino’s was first, telling TVGuide.com that ‘the content wasn’t in keeping with what [they’re] all about.’ That’s true, the show is definitely not about making cheap pizza.

Then MTV lost American Family Insurance, and most recently, Dell. They did, however, gain a sponsor- BeenVerified.com, which performs background checks. I’d say they’re hitting their target market, ey? Especially after last week, when Jersey Shore made headlines once again for castmember Snooki’s altercation with a New York City schoolteacher (he hit her, in case you missed it).

All this controversy and the show’s ratings continue to rise. In its three weeks on air, the little show has grown from 1.3 million to 2.5 million viewers, and it’s doing especially well in the coveted 18-49 year old demographic, as well as with women (i.e. this show should be gold for advertisers).

Jersey Shore mania is everywhere. You can generate your own nickname (I got ‘The Appointment’ in case you were curious); you can watch Alyssa Milano transform into a guidette; you can even spot Mike ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino on the cover of Entertainment Weekly’s Best and Worst of 2009 issue this week.

Plenty of people have been asking me when I was going to do a post about MTV’s controversial hit (including our own Pamela!), but I’ll admit, I was hesitant at first. What do I, a white girl from Missouri, know about this mess?

Well, I may not know much about hair gel and fist pumping, but I do know about good television. And despite (or perhaps because of) the controversy, Jersey Shore is damn good television.

Is it ‘ethnic bashing’?  Sure, you could say that. You could also say that every reality show on BET or CMT is ‘ethnic bashing’ too. Maybe this isn’t PC, but these shows are not about white people or black people or Italian people, they are about those specific people. The people crazy enough to get cast on a reality show.

It’s a television show, people. Calm down.

Just think, without Jersey Shore, we never would have learned the true art of fist pumping and hair pouffing, we never would have seen a duck phone, and we never would have been so blessed as to meet Mike aka ‘The Situation’ who boasts, “I got girls back here almost every night, there’s not a time that I don’t have girls coming back. Girls love The Situation.”

Yes, Mike, we do love you.

Image Credit: NJ.com

Danielle is the Television and movies Editor  for Girls Guide. You can check out her personal blog, Addicted to Television, where she talks about her television obsession. If you want to give her free movie passes she wouldn’t be shy in taking them, so you can email them to her at danielle [at] girlsguidetothegalaxy [dot] com, and you can follow her on Twitter – @daniellesmyname.