NJ Gov. Christie Says the Show, 'Jersey Shore' Is Bad for the State

New York Times ^ | 07/26/2010

[SeekAndFind]

Some five million Americans may love “Jersey Shore,” but Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey says he thinks the MTV show, about a group of Italian-Americans sharing a beach house in Seaside Heights, is a “negative” for his state.

The governor appeared Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” and after questions about the state’s serious challenges, he was asked by the host, Jake Tapper, whether he thought the reality program was “positive for New Jersey or negative.”

“Negative for New Jersey,” Mr. Christie replied. “What it does is it takes a bunch of New Yorkers — most of the people on ‘Jersey Shore’ are New Yorkers — drops them at the Jersey Shore and tries to make America feel like this is New Jersey.”

“The Jersey Shore is a beautiful place,” Mr. Christie added, “and it’s a place that everybody should come on vacation this summer.”

The governor’s remarks might well lead a few staid Sunday talk show aficionados to see what the fuss was all about. The timing could not be better. The show begins its second season on Thursday night.

[Wilderness Conservative]

Ex-wife, eh? Say no more. I totally understand. I was going to come back with a disrespectful comment but after looking at your profile I dare say outside of our home states we have a lot more in common than differences.

[Kenton]

[Amberdawn]

Lol! It’s tradition. Let’s go down the shore is something we here on the east coast have always said when summer rolls around.

[Tanniker Smith]

Yeah...I noticed the HUGE cultural difference between NJ and Staten Island when I drove the half mile across Outerbridge Crossing.

Totally different worlds.

And no one has ever asked, "You from Staten Island? What exit?"

[Tanniker Smith]

why is the New Jersey coast called “the Jersey shore”

I believe it has to do with people from New York (or elsewhere) looking for an affordable vacation in them olden days, and they would pack up and go "down the shore". In New York, across the river is "Jersey", not "New Jersey".

[Ditter]

I just find it odd because no other state with ocean frontage, and they are lots, refer to their coastline as “the shore”. At least as far as I know, they don't. But as one freeper said, it is in reference to the entire southern part of the state.

[pineybill]

My wife and I took our first cruise ever out of Bayonne-it was Spring Break, about a third of the passengers were from Staten Island.

I rented a tux for the formal dinner nights, their idea of dressing up was a colored tee shirt and adding a second gold chain around the neck.

[4yearlurker]

I grew up in South Jersey and we always referred to the beach as “The Shore.”

[Ditter]

That makes more sense than calling the whole of the sourthern part the shore.