Masculinity and the Jersey Shore

One of the most popular and overly talked about reality TV shows currently on MTV is the Jersey Shore. Part reason why the show is so fascinating from a college guy's standpoint is that fact that many of the male characters in the show are partaking in the same sort of glorified gender performances that occur on a daily basis at FSU like guys going to the gym to get there 'swell' on, or going to the club with your bro's and macking on ladies, or acting like complete idiots in public with no disregard for anyone around. The show reinforces a hyper masculinity that many younger guys in a college environment can relate to and laugh at.

The dehumanization of women is always present in the guy's weekly sexual conquests as they categorize the ugly females as "grenades" or "hippos" while the good looking girls are usually regarded as "slam-pieces" or something along those lines. The most interesting aspect of this specific Italian masculinity being portrayed in the show is the way in which the guys also embrace many popular female gender roles while still maintaining a very rigid and hardcore masculinity. The grooming habits of the men on the show can be considered slightly feminine in typical American society just in the sheer amount of time spent on self grooming. Mike the Situation explains his reasoning on the premise of "Gym, Tan, Laundry" by explaining that,“ If you don’t go to the gym, you don’t look good. If you don’t tan, you’re pale. If you don’t do laundry, you ain’t got no clothes.” The fact that these "manly' men consider themselves "Guido's" and are full blown members of this Italian subculture, it deflects the attention away from some of their more feminine characteristics and acts. The Guido culture exemplified in the Jersey Shore is a good representation of the complex nature of gender performances and what is deemed as acceptable in mainstream American society.