The controversies in the series were due in large part to the manner in which MTV marketed the show, as it liberally used the word guido to describe the cast members.
Our Guidos and Guidettes will move into the ultimate big beach house rental and indulge in everything the Seaside Heights, New Jersey scene has to offer".
[13] In August 2009, female cast member Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi was punched in the face after a confrontation with a man who had allegedly stolen her drink at the Beachcomber Bar & Grill in Seaside Heights.
[14] The assailant, Brad Ferro, a physical education teacher from Deer Park, New York, was arrested on simple assault and disorderly conduct charges.
[3][20][21][22] Cast member Ronald "Ronnie" Ortiz-Magro was arrested after a fight occurred on September 4, 2009, on the boardwalk in Seaside Heights, for aggravated assault for striking Stephen Izzo[citation needed] with a closed fist.
[18][23] Ortiz-Magro says the other party provoked him while he was walking home with Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi and Sammi "Sweetheart" Giancola and that the other person involved in the fight was being disrespectful and shouted "racist" remarks at their African-American security guards and might have spat on him.
[27] Marybeth Hicks, author of the parenting book Bringing Up Geeks, criticized Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi for stating she would change the world by installing tanning beds in every person's house during her appearance on The Jay Leno Show.
[29] The show also received scrutiny from locals because the cast members are not residents from the area and portray a negative stereotype of New Jersey in general.
[32] UNICO National President Andre DiMino said that the behavior in the promos is offensive and stereotype-promoting and that "MTV is using very pejorative terms, 'guido' and 'guidette', to promote a program and as a corporation that is not correct.
"[33] After the show premiered, UNICO National claims they "can't keep up with the volume of calls" from "outraged" Italian Americans.
[31] " Linda Stasi, an Italian-American New York Post columnist, criticized MTV, saying that Jersey Shore is a show "... in which Italian-Americans are stereotyped (clearly at the urging of its producer) into degrading and debasing themselves—and, by extension, all Italian-Americans—and furthering the popular TV notion that Italian-Americans are gel-haired, thuggish, ignoramuses with fake tans, no manners, no diction, no taste, no education, no sexual discretion, no hairdressers (for sure), no real knowledge of Italian culture and no ambition beyond expanding steroid-and silicone-enhanced bodies into sizes best suited for floating over Macy's on Thanksgiving.
[35] On February 17, 2010, DiMino released a statement to RadarOnline.com, stating: We have consulted attorneys and are prepared to take legal action because we are so angry about the situation.
There are a lot of young American Italians who serve in the community and the armed services who are ashamed of Jersey Shore and we need to stand-up for them.
She subsequently appeared in a parody video from the comedy website Funny or Die undergoing a "Guidette" makeover, complete with fake tan, big-haired wig, low cut minidress, and photographically enhanced cleavage as a way of protesting how the show portrays Italian-American women.
[37] Contrary to popular response, Italian-American New York Daily News conservative columnist S. E. Cupp believes Italian-Americans should not be mad at MTV but thankful for the company shining a spotlight on a small but real subset of the culture serving as a useful negative example for their children, stating, "Somebody needs to explain to me how it's MTV's fault that the subjects of its reality show behave like stereotypical idiots.
"[39] Senator Vitale further requested that the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development opened an investigation into employment and wage practices, as well as the tax status of the "Shore Store" where cast members worked.
[41] In light of UNICO National President Andre DiMino's concerns about the show, MTV released a statement, which reads: Jersey Shore is a reality series that follows eight young adults spending their summer at the beach.
It's pure entertainment, dramatic, engaging and comedic"[43] MTV has since refrained from using the terms "guido" and "guidette" in promo clips and on their web site after being confronted by UNICO National President Andre DiMino prior to the series debut.
[35][44] FoxNews.com reported that the MTV building in Times Square received threatening emails, abusive phone calls, and hurtful Facebook messages, mainly directed at staff members involved with the press for the show, and were hiring more security as a result.
[47] When Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi was on The Wendy Williams Show she responded to the criticism saying: The Italian, whatever, national, whatever their organization is, they don't understand that 'guidos' and 'guidettes' are good-looking people that, you know, like to make a scene and be center of attention and just take care of themselves ...
[37]During the reunion special, the cast members rejected the notion that there was anything shameful about being a guido, with Paul "DJ Pauly D" DelVecchio saying, "I don't represent all Italians..
[3] Tim McIntyre, Domino's vice president of communications, stated, "One of the ads happened to show up and once we saw what the program was, we decided that the content wasn't in keeping with what we're all about.
[52]Dell also pulled its ads during the airing of the show, becoming the third company to do so, saying they will "block" their commercials and that they don't "condone or support ethnic bashing in any form.
"[citation needed] UNICO president Andre DiMino added, "I am urging our supporters to call these sponsors and demand they pull their advertising from Jersey Shore.
[53] BeenVerified.com, a company that does criminal background checks, rushed over to MTV to take the vacant advertising slots beginning December 10, after Domino's and American Family Insurance pulled their ads.
[citation needed] A representative for the company stated, "We may not be hair gel product, but we feel the program's content reinforces our brand's message perfectly.
While speaking to analysts about its second quarter financial results, Viacom Chief Executive Philippe Dauman stated that "there were some issues when 'Jersey Shore's' first season launched," but "now we have advertisers scrambling to get on it.
Dr. Daniel Cassino, professor of political science at Fairleigh Dickinson University commented on the poll results: "While we can't be sure that 'Jersey Shore' is making people like New Jersey more, it certainly does not seem to be hurting it.
Dr. Peter J. Woolley, executive director of PublicMind added; "These measures alone suggest the show isn't hurting the nations view of the state.
[66] LGBT rights organization GLAAD called out MTV and Jersey Shore for using "a dehumanizing and derogatory slur" and said that the incident "requires a swift and genuine public apology.