It's becoming increasing evident that I need to apologize.
I've been denigrating certain people in a Situation and all those involved with the Situation have been working hard to show me the error of my ways.
In short, I was wrong.
So very wrong.
And I'm sorry.
So very sorry.
I spoke with emotion, not logic, and I ended up perceiving an entirely skewed version of said Situation.
I thought I was right. I was convinced of my rightness. I was right to the point of being Right. I was so blinded by my arrogance that I couldn't clearly see the Situation for what it was.
And for that, I'm full of regret.
I've tried to ignore the Situation but I can't anymore.
So let me say this clearly so there's no confusion, no misinterpretation, no distortion...
The second season of Jersey Shore kicks major ass.
You see, I talked a lot of shit about the Situation, Pauly D, Snooki, and the rest when I was doing media on book tour. I went on and on about how much I loved their whole first season, how it was lightning in a bottle, and how that scenario could never be recreated.
I prattled on to Joy Behar about their impact on New Jersey and why Miami would never work. I swore to Hoda and Kathie Lee that there's no way those crazy kids could maintain their total lack of self-awareness now that they're getting huge appearance fees and the President mentions them in speeches.
My expectation was that since they're now famous they'd show up for the second season with an entourage in tow, with tiny purse dogs and personal assistants. I thought they'd eschew shopping at Strippers 'R Us for higher line stores and that their hair would be a product of Oscar Blandi, not Dippity-Do.
Yet three episodes into the Miami season, I can see how wrong I was. No matter what the situation (or the Situation), they're still the same old spray-tanned, muscle-shirted cluebags fist-pumping the evening away in all the Miami hotspots.
And I love them for it.
You crazy kids, thanks so much for keeping it real and proving me wrong.
In contemplating the Jersey Shore, I'm reminded of exactly how much I love writing about this kind of stuff. Sure, I curbed my reality television addiction somewhat during My Fair Lazy, but the notion of pop culture still occupies a special place in my heart.
Now that I'm working on my new book about volunteering and doing charity work, I wondered if there weren't some way to fuse my love.
Then it hit me like a dumptruck full of unicorn confetti...
I should start a pop culture web site and have all the proceeds go to promoting literacy.
So, over the next few months, I'll be working to create a charitable foundation to benefit from ad revenue/corporate sponsorship before rolling the site out late this fall. I already have some excellent resources in place and figuring out the process will be an enlightening experience.
My plan to keep this site from becoming yet another source of recycled Hollywood gossip is that the content will be written by real published authors. A little known fact about authors is no matter how serious the fiction is they write, they're all obsessed with pop culture. (Case in point? Check out the book my friend Anna David edited.)
I anticipate being able to enlist my cadre of friends and colleagues to do the occasional guest post, as they'll be helping a worthy cause and delighting their fans with entirely different, delightfully snarky content. Who wouldn't want to read their favorite chick lit author discuss Rock of Love or their favorite mystery writer editorialize on Lindsay Lohan's latest career move? Plus, I bet we'd get a ton of media coverage because of those involved!
So I guess what I'm trying to say is this... pop culture is no place for amateurs.
Stay tuned.
