TV Reality: Jersey Shore as a Media Ritual

Media and Society 2400

April 20, 2021     

TV Reality: Jersey Shore as a Media Ritual

By: Flor Pierina Rincon

      

      An example of a media ritual that I wanted to discuss is the famous reality TV show, Jersey Shore. This TV show ran from 2009 to 2012 and it aired on the American cable channel, MTV (IMDB, 2009). It centered on documenting the summer and spring vacations of six Italian-American young adults: Mike Sorrentino, Jenni Farley, Nicole Polizzi, Vinny Guadiagnino, Paul Del Vecchio, Ronnie Magro, and Samantha Giancola (IMDB, 2009). As the show progressed through its six seasons, the main cast members rose to fame and the show gained a large fan following with more and more turning on their TVs every Thursday night to watch the crazy parties and alcohol-fueled decisions made by these cast members. Hence, one could argue that the very act of turning your TV every Thursday to watch this reality show in itself is an example of a media ritual as well, as this everyday life practice worked towards enhancing the transcendental value of the media. The show is known as a pop culture icon of the 2010s, averaging about 2.5 million viewers per episode (The Hollywood Reporter staff, 2018). This translates into 2.5 million people watching the TV show every Thursday at the same time, transcending the importance of Jersey Shore, the reality show, itself and of the actual act of watching it. Therefore, this popular reality TV show allowed millions of people to further develop a very ritualistic relationship with the media through the re-creation of reality and liveness. This show allowed viewers to re-create what they expected reality to be, as this group of 20-something year-olds did what every 20-something year-old would do if they were put to live in a large house, at the beach, with six other young adults: party hard and make bad decisions. In a sense, the young adult demographic watching the show was probably enticed by it because re-created what they would want their spring and summer vacations to be like. 

            As Couldry puts it, we live in a world in which the media has become the center of society, because when we consume it, we develop relationships that lead us to worship it. This idea of "the myth of the mediated center" alludes to the notion that society is a "common space focused around a shared 'ritual' truth", therefore creating complex relationships between consumers and the media (Couldry, 2008, 99). In the case of Jersey Shore, there was obviously an appeal to watching the show at the exact same time and date as other people, relating back to the concept of 'liveness' in which we are able to have access to the same, current and shared realities (Couldry, 2008, 98). There was a sense of "togetherness" in being able to develop this media ritual with the rest of America, which is why the show in itself had so much popularity and a high viewership. In terms of re-creating reality, the producers of Jersey Shore included a plethora of truth-telling strategies to make it seem as though there was no intervention in the editing of the content and live TV. For example, the cast members were "ordinary people" that later gained celebrity status with the rising fame of the show, yet were seen as relatable to young adults across the world. There were hidden cameras all around the house, which enabled live footage of the events. Therefore, the show re-created reality and viewers became enticed by its "naturalness", identifying themselves with the crazy escapades of the cast members. 

References

Couldry, N. (2008). In Media rituals: a critical approach (pp. 95–106). Routledge.

IMDb.com. (2009, December 3). Jersey Shore. IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1563069/. 

The Hollywood Reporter staff. (2018, April 8). TV Ratings: 'Jersey Shore Family Vacation' Premieres Strong. The Hollywood Reporter. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/tv-ratings-jersey-shore-family-vacation-has-strong-premiere-1100398.