Borders, the bookstore that has been a mainstay in malls nationwide, is on the verge of bankruptcy. But, not to fear—-Snooki is here! The star of Jersey Shore, living proof that Andy Warhol was wrong, has “written” a book, Snooki—A Shore Thing. Clever. On Monday, January 10, Snooki will be at the Borders in the Time Warner Center, Columbus Circle, to sign for her fans, guaranteeing long lines and a boost to Borders’ bottom line.
Snooki told the New York Daily News, “I never knew I would write a book!” Well, guess what, Snooki, you haven’t. Valerie (What Was She Thinking) Frankel wrote the book and is shamelessly promoting it on her blog. And she has harsh words for those of us who don’t appreciate Snooki: “My message to Snooki haters (and I mean the bitter, rabid scarily savage ones—not you, Anderson Cooper): Lacking a sense of humor is not something I’d advertise. You might want to seek help about the depth of your rancor. It’s not healthy. Just saying…”
We don’t hate Snooki. (It’s hard to hate someone who is so full of life and personality). But her act is not humorous to parents who are trying to keep their children from imitating the behavior glorified by the crew on Jersey Shore. After the cast appeared on The View, a middle school teacher posted this on the show’s bulletin board:
As a middle school teacher I get a first hand look into how these shows affect our youth, and let me tell you, it is BAD! My students are aspiring to be like the kids on this show and that scares me.
Doesn’t anyone get it? This conduct—drunken binges, doing drugs, random hooking up, disorderly conduct, catfights—has destroyed the lives of many other young people, actors and actresses, with far more talent than Snooki. Those who have jumped on the Jersey Shore train, promoting and encouraging these reality performers, do them a disservice. When the next “it” act takes over, Snooki and her lot will be kicked to the curb with their futures in shambles.
When Snooki was arrested and fined $500 and community service for her drunken episode, the judge had some sobering words for her:
If this was scripted, only you can decide whether it’s worth trading your dignity for a paycheck.
Snooki responded: It was not scripted, sir.
If this was your idea of having a good time, your recent celebrity has apparently affected your judgment in this matter.…You seem to be acting like a Lindsay Lohan wannabe in this matter. Going through life rude, profane, obnoxious, and self-indulgent is not the way you want to live your life.
For parents and teachers looking to inject a little reality into the lives of the adolescents they parent and teach, here are some suggestions:
Actions have consequences. An evening of drinking and drugging may not seem so appealing the morning after, particularly if that Friday night date turns into a Monday morning court date.
Friends lift you up. Not take you down. Surround yourself with people who bring out the best—not the worst—in you.
Find the right role models. When she appeared on Ellen DeGeneres’s show, Snooki said that she didn’t want to be a role model. So don’t make her one! Chances are there are wonderful role models closer to home—siblings, teachers, coaches, and, yes, parents.
Think longterm. Young people live “in the moment,” and it’s sometimes a challenge to get them to think ahead—to college, career, family. One misstep that winds up on Facebook or YouTube can derail a life.
Perhaps Snooki is beginning to get it. She told Ellen: “I want to remember my night, and sometimes I just don’t.” She stated the obvious, that living with “reckless abandon” is not always fun. “It sucks,” she said. “You’re like, `What did I do? Why did I wake up in a garbage can?’”
Snooki—A Shore Thing is fiction, but Snooki admits that the protagonist, “Pint-sized” Giovanni Spumanti, is based on her. Snooki is not a writer, but one thing she can do is rewrite the script to her own life, hopefully with a happy ending—sans garbage can.
Charlene Giannetti is the co-author with Margaret Sagarese of nine books for parents of young adolescents, including The Roller-Coast Years: Raising Your 10 to 15 Year-Old Through the Maddening Yet Magical Middle School Years.
