The (fake) tan lines are drawn: Jersey Shore invades Miami

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The bad boys and girls of summer are back.

Jersey Shore returns tonight (9 p.m. on MTV) for its second season -- based in Miami this time around, not Seaside Heights, N.J. Debuting in December 2009, the show quickly became a cultural phenomenon that raised hackles, spawned late-night jokes and made celebrities out of eight previously unknown 20-somethings. It also brought a whole new and not exactly salutary meaning to such words as "pouf," "pump," "juicer," "gorilla," "creep" and "grenade."

Here are six questions and answers to help you get a better handle on what's ahead.

So what do those words mean, anyway?

A "pouf" is hair that's been built up to Everest heights with the aid of a large quantity of gel. "Gorilla" and "juicer" refer to pec-laden males who may have added something to their Mai Tais to help said muscles grow. To "creep" is to cruise for women, although you might want to avoid a "grenade," euphemism for a less-attractive female.

How did this become a hit in the first place?

There are a lot of reasons, but here's one short answer -- Jersey Shore is The Anti-Hills. It's vulgar, in-your-face and frequently offensive. There's no Lo here, and certainly no Brody, with their frosted, perfectly constructed sweat-free exteriors. There's no Kristin or Audrina, either, decked in Abercrombie & Fitch rompers or Vintage Polos.

The dialogue doesn't feel scripted, and the scenes don't look like they've been rehearsed -- although it is unclear how one would rehearse hot tub scenes with drunken cast members in various states of undress. For better or worse, Jersey Shore put the "real" back in "reality," and after six seasons of highly stylized pseudo-life on The Hills, viewers probably were ready for something fresh.

"It's something we talked about in the beginning," says Chris Linn, MTV's chief of production. "We already were feeling that our audience was looking for an authentic, realistic experience. There are so many shows that you can smell and feel are not real, and we really wanted to go in that other direction."

But surely it's not that simple, right?

Surely not. Pick any reality show from the many dozens on the air, and you could make the same argument, from Gene Simmons: Family Jewels to The Real Housewives of New Jersey. What's specific to Shore -- setting it apart from The Real World franchise, which inspired it -- is the culture of the locale and the characters themselves. We haven't seen a lot of people like them on reality TV, including Real World, have we?

If Jersey Shore put the "real" back in reality, then after endless tabloid stories about salary disputes, club brawls and egos run amok, how can it possibly return as the same show?

While there are exceptions to this rule, sharks are typically jumped the minute something that was once deemed hot becomes a complete parody of itself, as Jersey Shore nearly has. The show almost became too popular too fast -- not a good sign -- and the tabloids swooped in to feed. The spectacle has often been tacky, gross and seamy.

Those three words may actually work in Shore's favour, considering it's a show about outsize characters with potty mouths and highly dubious hygienic habits (back to that hot tub).

"Obviously, there was some nervousness that they were going to be different, more self-aware, play it up for the camera (during the second season), but we were really pleasantly surprised," Linn says. "They haven't changed."

What about the controversy over the word "guido" that caused so much grief last season -- where does that stand now?

One of the first words out of Pauly D's mouth last season was "guido" ("I was born and raised a guido") and the slur was instantly echoed by everyone else. MTV tried to strip the word of its inherent ethnicity and stereotype, insisting it had nothing to do with Italian heritage, but rather a certain type of lifestyle. Various groups representing Italian-Americans were infuriated and began a running battle that continues to this moment.

Just last week UNICO, the Fairfield, N.J.-based Italian-American service organization, announced that the large Italian flag painted on the garage door in the series had been removed by MTV. Also, the word "guido" was rarely used after the pilot. UNICO national president Andre DiMino said, "We certainly are going to be watching it very, very closely to see if they continue with their negative stereotyping and denigration of Italian-Americans, but I'm cautiously optimistic."

Can Jersey Shore survive?

The big question saved for last. Shows live and shows die, although the life cycle for reality phenoms is dramatically accelerated. Characters, especially brassy ones, can wear out a welcome quickly. Plus, Jersey Shore won't even be at the Jersey Shore this season, and instead in Florida's South Beach (the show needed a locale with a warm climate to get the second season launched in July; it will be back on the shore for the third season). In a sense, that means the most important character -- if the show title is any indication -- won't even be back this season.

"Overall, we're happy with the show," Linn says. "In terms of it being a hundred per cent real and genuine, we're overjoyed. The cast does not disappoint and the show does not disappoint."

TV viewers will, as always, be the judge of that.

-- Newsday

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 29, 2010 E5