The Joiseyfication of American TV

Mini-slattern Snooki of Jersey Shores fame has announced that she's knocked up and engaged (something that happened in that order, natch). We don't yet know how her newly delicate condition will affect her "reality" TV career, but as David Hinckley notes in the New York Daily News, she'll probably have to retire for now, bambinos being "an incredible buzz kill for a life of hooking up and getting wasted."

Hey, speak for yourself, Dave.

But Snooki's hasty departure won't result in a dearth of Joisey stereotypes on TV. No, not by a longshot. Here's Hinckley again:

Meanwhile, we’re well into another season of the Jersey beauty salon show  

“Jerseylicious,” where at least two of the women are visually indistinguishable from Snooki.

We’ve got “Jersey Couture” and “Cake Boss,” which is a nice change of pace because they’re putting makeup on the baked goods instead of themselves.

“Real Housewives” of New Jersey bows to no one in making Jersey look like a place where you’d cross the street to avoid running into the women, never mind the men.

But perhaps the definitive confirmation of New Jersey’s TV reputation comes from the NBC sitcom “Are You There, Chelsea?”

It’s based on a book Chelsea Handler wrote about her life in L.A., The title character is a hard-drinking, hard-partying, loudmouthed waitress.

Partway through development, the producers decided something didn’t feel right.

So they moved her to New Jersey.

Perfect.

J'accuse American reality TV of discriminating--against Idaho, Nebraska and Wyoming.