"I feel like a pilgrim from the friggin' 20s"--Snookie. Wow. My roommate's and my jaws just dropped on that one.
They're pretty fucking cheap as it is. I think they offered them a whopping $10k to come back, up from an initial offer of $5k. Court jesters are visible, but they get relative peanut scraps. (I don't watch the show, but I did find that bit of economics news interesting when I came across it.)
The first half was uber boring. The second half ramped up rather nicely. The girl drama sucks but that just means we get more cat fights, the other leg this show stands on. Personally, like it seems EVERYBODY else, I think Angelina should not be on this season. The season preview at the end made it look 10x as wild as the first. MVP? Vinny hooking up with Snooki and Angelina? Fights galore? Im pretty sure this will be the biggest thing MTV will do for a long time. I would tend to agree that making a new cast would be interesting since Im sure the really really hardcore guidos would come out of the wood work to do anything to be on this show. Honestly they could have done a spin off with The Situation and Pauly and then just had a whole new cast for The Jersey Shore.
I could be mistaken, but I was told it was $10k an episode up from $1k an episode for season one. Or maybe that's what the cast was demanding from MTV? I don't really remember, now that I think about. I just watched the first episode of this season and I'm shocked that my brain even still works.
With the brand of the original cast they know they have a show tons of people will watch for an entire season even if the show sucks, it's about as close to zero risk profit you can get with reality TV. They would probably be successful with an entirely new cast, but they run the risk of having shitty characters no one cares about, and without the old cast the brand loyalty to keep watching isn't as strong. I am absolutely shocked that they're paying Vinny, Sammi and Angelina the same as The Situation. It's fucked up that they'd pay completely replaceable characters the same amount as the main draws of the show. Someone please tell me he got some kind of ridiculous sign on bonus or something, because he's worth way more than 10k an episode, the others probably aren't worth even that. Do yourself a favor and watch it.
Snooki and The Situation are the two that would even cross my mind to give a better deal too. Snooki doesn't add that much to the show in my mind but her public persona really took off in popularity. Pauly D and Jwow only really seem to be alright sidekicks to the main two stars. As far as everyone else, they are basically useless. Bringing Angelina back after what like two and a half episodes last season? Ive always rooted for Vinny because he seems the most down to Earth of the entire cast and isn't the typical juice head that this show was trying too lampoon. I do totally agree that they brought back the cast so that they didn't have to take the gamble in finding new characters when they already head hugely popular ones in the bank. At some point they need to get a new cast for a later season or spinoff, there is just too much untapped looniness from Jersey. Fuck just give that Youtube star with Patron for blood and his back up juice head their own show. I promise you that'e be a hit.
Snookie and Situation are pulling in crazy cash for just showing up at clubs, outside of the show. I talked to a club owner in Toronto and he said he paid $15k for the 2 of them to show up and drink. Pauly D is getting a bit of cash DJ'ing from what I hear, but the others are just riding the coat tails of those 2. You DO NOT spend all the time and effort building up a popular brand to then turn around and not use it. That would be stupid, and I don't think even MTV is that stupid. And when Obama was on The View, they mentioned Snookie. There is NO reason in the world to drop that. And I'd believe that they're all stupid enough to do some sort of "we all get paid the same" show of force deal when they renewed.
Snookie's Obama tanning tax rant was worth watching the entire episode. Also, am I the only one that actually likes Vinny? He's the perfect almost-guido straight man for all those crazies to play off. Ronnie seems to be a genuine asshole. Situation seems to have a bit more self-awareness this season and plays up the character for the benefit of raitings. Paully D is just flat dumb. Sammi is a fat emotional trainwreck that is in serious need of counseling. Angelina's bitter she has thunder thighs and isn't as famous as the rest of them. Snookie provides the entertainment equivalent of a drunken midget who's just almost-normal-sized enough to be noticed by the rest of society and granted entrance into bars.
No I really like Vinny. I'm curious as to whether he and The Situation will get into it again this season. I would really like it if he were to bang The Situation's sister. I'm excited to settle in and watch Sammi on her emotional roller coaster ride as Ronnie goes out and slays some broads. The night Ronnie brings home a girl shit is going to hit the fan and major drama is going to ensue between the guys and girls with Vinny being the mediator.
I don't see the cast as a brand. Are the Real Housewives a brand? Real World? Has any reality cast been considered a brand? Maybe American Idol, but that goes along with talent. One trick pony in my opinion.
I guess now he can afford a Cadillac so his tattoo isn't as ridiculous. Ridiculously awesome, I mean.
I'm pretty sure at least one of the Real Housewives has/is getting her own spinoff show. It's only a matter of time before there are more. Not so much for the Real World though. And any of those Flavor of Love, Rock of Love, celebrity dating shows have been brands. VH1 got an absurd amount of mileage out of those shows. And the Jersey Shore season premiere tripled the ratings of last season's first episode with 5.4 million viewers. Obviously they were going to do better this season just based on the exposure the show has gotten, but there's no way they approach those numbers with a completely new cast.
Well, they're onto season 2 now, so that's at least a 2-trick pony. And if anyone says Snookie or The Situation, what do you automatically think of? Them. That is branding. Very successful branding. How can you say otherwise? The other examples you mention, not even close, except for a very few popular American Idol contestants. Regardless of the severe lack of talent they have, they are now popular and firmly entrenched in pop culture.
While being arrested, Snookie yelled at the cops, "I'm Snookie! You can't do this to me!" It's the beginning of the end, me thinks.
And Snooki being arrested was while they were filming Season 3. So even more Guido-fabulousness to look forward to!
That's it? Spencer fucking Pratt gets 120k+ himself for one night and The Situation has to split a paltry 15k? Criminal. I think most people like Vinny because as you pointed out he is the most down to earth and it's easy for the average person to put themselves in his shows. That said he's also the most replaceable, a fairly well spoken guy that doesn't have any ridiculous quirks, he's a dime a dozen, but there's only one Situation. I'm already fist pumping for the third season!
At the risk of sounding completely stupid (which actually isn't bad, given that I'm a straight male in an mtv thread)..... Random question: how far in advance do they actually film these things? They're already on a season 3? I mean I know it takes time in editing, and then marketing the season, but what if Season 2 just takes a steaming shit in ratings? And if it (probably) becomes another ratings boon, does the cast have more leverage for a season 5 or something? Another random question: Whatever happened to Road Rules? Apparently Real World is still going because my wife, unfortunately, still watches it, but didn't MTV used to have a stable of decent "reality" shows?
Just re-watching this episode, I love how Jwow says "I'm putting Vaseline on my face" when preparing for a physical confrontation with Angelina. Does she know that MMA fighters actually do that before they get in the cage? Also, I'm betting on Ronnie as a sleeper superstar. I think he's the smartest and most socially aware cast member (clearly this is not a notable accomplishment) and as a free man with some of the best dance moves in North America, I think he'll be a force to be reckoned with. His "I'm ready to get creepy, I'm ready to get weird" proclamation alone makes me a fan. I think that's the hottest Snookie has ever looked