My quote from Huffington Post | Edited 3/6/12
Entertainment Weekly, among other news blogs, immediately picked up a story on a tweet sent out by Snooki of Jersey Shore last Friday:
Because it was Shark Tank-related news, it got my attention so I tweeted it out. As a business, television-reality show, Shark Tank is a strong product—it changes lives and brings hope to many; it’s just as educational as it is entertaining, and it made me proud to see that 6 million people were watching the show that night and [hopefully] learning from it. But when I tweeted [the news], I was amazed at the backlashes I got for mentioning Snooki! Now I have to admit, I don’t watch Jersey Shore, but I hear about the binge drinking and partying… but if that’s all she does, then why would she be watching Shark Tank? I decided to do some quick research on the reality star that people make out to be “dumb.”
“Dumb” is far from what I concluded about her. Here’s what I discovered:
- Within 3 years of Jersey Shore, in which its highest number of viewers reaching 8.9 million, Nicole Polizzi has created a one-name brand for herself, like Madonna, Jordan, Prince, Versace, etc. To be able to accomplish this in three years means that there must be a high level of exposure or interest in this person, whether it’s good or bad. Many people try to be known this way, but only a few have succeeded in the one-name category.
- With this one name brand, @Snooki has over 4.3 million followers on Twitter and 1.4 million likes on Facebook. It’s one thing to watch the show, but the number of fans and followers show just how interested people are in her brand. Those followers are influenced by her one way or another—whether they want to believe it or not, they seek her out!
- The 24 year old young lady earns $10k-$20k hosting parties, $5k to send out a tweet, advances on all deals whether they succeeded or not, and at one point even got paid $30k+ for a speaking engagement. She brings in an estimated amount of $3 million a year.
- She has written two books, and has her own product line selling shades, slippers, indoor tanning lotion, jewelry, eyelashes, perfume and nail polish
While people are at home criticizing Snooki and her buddies’ antics on their show, Snooki is at home educating herself watching Shark Tank, so she can entertain her fanbase and convert it into dollars. Snooki has become her own business. Now, who are we to be critics?
Everybody wants to be a critic. But would you drink and party the way the cast members do on the show if you were making $100K per episode? Think about it. Some of you already do it without getting paid for it.
Let’s keep things in perspective here: Yes, she has done a lot of things that get out of hand, but how many of us made stupid decisions at 24? I remember making foolish decisions at that age, too. Thank God nobody was filming it for me to see it today. Remember, Snooki is still a kid; she has the rest of her life to live, learn and become wealthier than most people at the end of their career, and when that happens she’ll be the one laughing all the way to the bank. The good part is, she does not rely solely on Jersey Shore to bring in revenue. Like other entrepreneurs, she invests her money (ignore the fact that it’s “partying and drinking” money) into other ventures, like writing two books and starting a business. Whether we agree/disagree with the Snooki brand, as portrayed on Jersey Shore, she’s obviously doing something right having all of this under her belt.
I’d like to leave you with this food for thought: Try not to judge people for minor reasons. I understand that the Snooki character models herself inappropriately, but when Shark Tank, an educational and empowering show, has 6 million viewers and Jersey Shore, as some people would say is a mindless show, has 9 million viewers, that’s not Snooki’s fault. It’s the rest of the country who would rather stay occupied criticizing her. While Snooki is busy watching Shark Tank and learning how to sell products to her fanbase, everyone else is at a standstill mocking her.
I’d like to hear your opinions about Snooki’s love for Shark Tank in the comments section below. Who’s watching the show tonight?!
