The Online Reflector

Reality television has hit some low points over the years, but the lowest of the lows came with the sex-crazed, tan, alcoholic members of “Jersey Shore.” As much as this group of eight made us cringe and feel better about our own lives, we love them.

I love “Jersey Shore,” and I hate myself for it. The fact that the show is ending is a weight off of America’s chest. It became the defining part of my week, and after the final season is over, I will be able to focus on more important things.

Reality shows grip us and hold us in. They feed our desire to be free and not be  held down by society’s rules. These wants and needs are why this show specifically gripped Americans and even the world. It dropped the social expectations of younger people. We all want to burn our skin and glue caterpillars to our “inadequate” eyelashes. This type of reality television has tainted our sense of beauty.

The end of the series will help boost people up. This end will show them that speaking in complete sentences without cursing does not sound odd. We will be able to focus again on our work. Maybe we will see less skin and more of people taking responsible actions.

As much as Nicole “Snooki” Pollizi makes my stomach turn, the change I saw in her when she found out she was pregnant was astonishing. We all have little Lorenzo to thank for the end of the series. The series helped her meet her now-fiancé and the father of her child. Even though she did cheat on him on camera, she showed growth as time went on. She left that part of herself in the reruns of the show. The final season’s previews seem to show this growth, and hopefully it’s not all for show.

As strangely heartwarming as the change in Snooki has been, MTV is still bringing the smut full force. The heartbreaking part is that this sells. One of the clearest examples is “The Real World: Where the Heck They Are Now.” This once meaningful social experiment is now in its 27th season and has lost all meaning it originally had. It has become about partying and seeing how many hook-ups cast members can rack up.

In earlier seasons, the show brought true social discussion. Hawaii season cast member Ruthie Alcaide was hospitalized for alcohol poisoning after she was filmed falling off a stool at a bar. Pedro Pablo Zamora, a member of the San Francisco cast, was the first openly gay member of the cast who had AIDS. Alcaide used her experience to become sober and teach others about the dangers of alcohol, and Zamora used his fame to become an activist for education about HIV/AIDS.

Not all “Real World” experiences are that life changing. Cast members come in and out of the house acting as if they were raised in the wild. MTV needs to see the effect that these shows are having on viewers, who see reckless behavior without consequences. That’s what viewers often want to imitate. Many viewers ignore Alcaide’s struggles and the equality and education that Zamora brought to the airwaves.

Even major networks’ reality shows have focused on unstable characters. A man who goes by the stage name Horse showcased himself on the NBC show “America’s Got Talent” getting hit in his testicles multiple ways. The fact that the producers would let this “act” get beyond the initial screening is appalling. Even more disgusting is that he got beyond the first round. He was chosen over singing, dancing and other artistic talents. Now even reality shows meant to showcase real talent are choosing sensational acts over real talent.

Each network needs to take a serious look at what it is marketing to its viewers. Even “Jackass” told its viewers not to try things at home and that professionals  oversee the stunts. MTV is the worst for showing these destructive behaviors. And I’m addicted.

I’m glad that “Jersey Shore” is ending. Now I can move on with my life. I can use my hour from 10-11 p.m. on Thursdays for reading, watching the news, catching up with friends or even being a productive member of society. I can stop having my mind warped by GTL and the drunk mannerisms that Deena Nicole Cortese comes up with.

“Jersey Shore” is not the only landmark show to end its time on MTV. “Teen Mom,” which followed the lives of young mothers Maci Bookout, Catelynn Lowell, Farrah Abraham and Amber Portwood, wrapped up its final episode this month. This show had impact and demonstrated the true colors of the teenage mother experience.

Even this show took a turn for trash television with cast member Amber Portwood being charged with domestic battery and probation violations during the filming of the show. It ended at the right time, so that the girls could leave as some of the rare respectable MTV alums.

Reality television needs a reboot. Networks need to get back to reality television that is responsible and educational, rather than raunchy and disgraceful.

The first launchings of “The Real World,” “Big Brother” and many other shows were true social experiments. Now they are cess pits for the bottom of the gene pool. This brand of television can accomplish ratings without pushing limits of profanity and nudity.

Most importantly, if MTV listened to viewers, the network would realize that bringing music videos back would be the greatest business decision they could ever make.