Rules are rules: New Jersey’s Economic Development Authority approved a $420,000 tax credit today for the first season of MTV’s Jersey Shore, despite the years of damage that the show has done to the state’s already less-than-golden reputation. The government does not take into account the show’s content, which is illustrated in its official description of the Guido Real World: “The roommates live in a house and are asked to work in a local establishment on the New Jersey Coast. The cameras capture the interaction,” reads the official application for the credit. “Interaction,” in this case, means dancing, drinking, fighting, and farting; so, some lawmakers are not pleased about the taxpayers’ burden.
“I can’t believe we are paying for fake tanning for ‘Snooki’ and ‘The Situation,’ and I am not even sure $420,000 covers that,” one New Jersey assemblyman said. Governor Chris Christie said in a statement that he, too, dislikes what the show means for his state’s image. According to a spokesperson, Christie “has also been clear about his belief that film tax credit programs are not the most effective way to spur economic growth throughout the state.” But, the mayor of Seaside Heights — the show’s locale — said, “The boost to the economy certainly shows; when they are here, this place is busy.” Let’s see Jerseylicious do that.
