Many of us have a new guilty pleasure. And it’s kind of embarrassing.

We can’t stop watching Jersey Shore.

MTV’s latest disaster, Jersey Shore, is a reality show based on 7 (ridiculously exaggerated) “New Jersey Guidos” who live together in a house on the Jersey Shore together for a summer. The males on the show have amazing bodies, tattoos of crosses, funny hair styles and dance moves, and they have only one goal: hooking up with as many girls as possible. The girls on the show love their hair extensions, “poofs”, and wearing as few clothes as possible. Drinking, hooking up in the hot tub, clubbing, and doing cartwheels in a thong on the dance floor entail some of the “highlights” of this show.

Are you shamefully hooked on this show like I am?  If so, WHY can’t we stop watching this garbage?! 

These reality stars are all about 21. An age when many of us had a limited scope about our futures, careers or the long-term consequences of our actions. And what is America indirectly telling America’s newest MTV generation? That if you make a complete fool of yourself and do outrageous things to get attention, you can make it big too- no hard work required.

A few comments by David Claude on my recent post about Penelope Trunk got me thinking about the topic of self-publishing, reality television, and selling your dignity to build a personal brand.

Shows like Jersey Shore prove that America is a junk consuming nation. Whether we admit it or not, we love junk. We consume junk in droves whether it is in the form of reality television or food. We will swipe our credit cards and accumulate debt in order to pay for junk, we will google for junky quick-read/low-information articles. And the scariest part is that young people are being told that if you can create junk, you can make it big.

I sit there and watch Jersey Shore and think to myself, How do these Jersey Shore kids feel about their grandparents watching them talk and act like complete fools? Have they ever thought about what happens after the show’s popularity dies down? Was selling their soul to MTV really worth a lifetime of embarrassing videos to follow them? Are they convinced that doing the show is the start to a promising new career? How much more narcissistic can you be!?

And this cycle of producing and consuming junk comes back to my fears about Gen Y’ers in the workforce today. We’ve been raised on MTV: a place where you can make a career by hooking up and airing all of your dirty laundry on MTV.

We’ve been raised to think we can do whatever we want, whenever we want. We don’t know how to wait for things. Why would we? We can google, email, communicate and look up anything we need in a matter of seconds.

The media demonstrates that if we can capitalize off our story and personality, we can make more money than we ever would by putting in long hours and hard work.

How do you think shows like Jersey Shore affect the next generation’s perception of reality and hard work? 

What predictions do you have for the future careers of Ronnie, Sam, Snookie and, of course, Mike “The Situation”?

By, Ashley Crimaldi

Last week, I had the opportunity to see an amazing film called American Casino.  The movie details the financial crisis of 2008, subprime lending, and its impact on the housing market.  Director Leslie Cockburn investigates the relationship between Wall street and Main Street and in particular, how minority communities were targeted for subprime lending, causing many  to lose their homes. The film illustrates the aftermath of the crisis on communities such as Baltimore, where foreclosed properties become the norm. Former inhabitants became homeless, causing many to “squat” in boarded up buildings resulting in serious health and safety risks for the community.

The film does an excellent job not only explaining the effects of subprime lending on the American economy, but humanizes the issue so every viewer can relate. If you work in the banking industry, this film could be particularly eye opening as it shows how the every day decisions bankers make really impact the American people. As someone who doesn’t know much about Wall Street, I found the film incredibly moving and informative. The film is currently only playing in limited theaters nationwide. Check out their website to see if the film is playing in a city near you.

Hey Girls,

Featured “Career Girl” and amazing freelance writer Jessica Girdwain is looking to talk to people who have been burned because of something they posted on a social networking site like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or even a blog. She needs to talk to people for an article she is working on for a national women’s magazine.

-Did you miss out on being hired because of something you posted?
-Did you have to have a meeting with your manager becasue of it?
-Did your health insurance agent notice your partying habits?
-Did you miss out on a promotion or get fired because of your social networking activity?
-Are you afraid to accept your bosses friend request because your social networking profiles reveal your entrepreneurial ventures which you’d prefer to keep quiet?

I’ve actually been through something like this at my job. I’d rather not discuss it here, but it really shook me up.

My mentor just told me about one of his younger consultants who was fired recently because she was facebooking and blogging confidential information about the client they were working on. She was canned immediately.

Be careful and share your stories here and email jlgirdwain@gmail.com. Thanks!

Here’s a brief breakdown of how the new stimulus plan could help you!

• First-time homebuyers who purchase their homes before December 1, 2009 would be eligible for an $8,000 tax credit, and people who buy new cars before the end of the year can write off the sales taxes.

• College students-or their parents- are eligible for tax credits of up to $2,500 to help pay tuition and related expenses in 2009 and 2010.
• We can expect to see about $13 extra in our weekly paychecks, starting around June, thanks to the new $400 tax credit to be given through the rest of the year. Couples would get up to $800.
• Those receiving un-employmet benefits this year wouldn’t pay any federal income taxes on the first $2,400 they receive.
• For those who have lost their health insurance as a result of losing their job, the government will now pick up up the tab for 65% of the cost of continuing insurance through the COBRA plan for the first nine months while you look for a new job. COBRA is typically very expensive, often over $1,000 per month so this is a huge cost savings for job seekers.
• Homeowners who add energy-efficient windows, furnaces and air conditioners can get a tax credit to cover 30% of the costs, up to a total of $1,500.

Information from the Associated Press.

One of my favorite looks of the night was Carrie Underwood’s gorgeous nude colored gown. I absolutely love her makeup and simple hair style. Her highlights and white teeth are so bright that she seems to glow. Carrie did an awesome job performing live too!

Katy Perry. Hmm…not sure what to say here. Love her lip color, and would like to know how to get my hair to have those cool 40’s waves. The dress…well, I think it would be a better look if it was not that 80’s pink color. An off white, black or red would be better suited for such a busy ensemble. I do like the slight mermaid bottom but overall I think there is just wayy too much going on here.

I will say this odd look is better than her performance costume which consisted of green flats and a short Las Vegas show looking get-up with sequences and glimmering fruit all over it. Katy seemed to struggle with moving around the stage and singing at the same time. After seeing her fashion and live performance, I would put her into the one hit wonder category.

I have mixed feelings about performing live at the Grammy’s on your due date, but either way, go M.I.A.! There’s no doubt that MIA’s first born is one lucky baby to have such a hip Mom who had the “guts” to get up there and show the world how proud she was to be a mother. It was nice to see someone with a little meat on her bones too, by the way!

I’m totally in love with Jordin Sparks but am breaking up with this dress. Not a good look for anyone, let alone someone who is as tall as Jordin. It looks a bit like a huge tablecloth to me. I especially don’t like the cut-out piece that comes up beyond the neckline, nor do I like that it is a full length gown. I do have to say I’m sad that “No Air” didn’t win Best Pop Collaboration. Jordin is totally deserving and talented.

Kim Kardashian. If dating football players and being bootylicious is enough to get you to the grammy’s then you might as well do it up. Although I have NO clue why Kim was at there, I think her Grammy’s look deserves an honorable mention. She pulls off a classy, elegant, classic movie star look. I love her glamour earrings, her pulled back Audrey Hepburn hair style, eyelashes and the gown she’s wearing.

Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus did an awesome job on their live duet performance AND with their classic black Hollywood gowns. Miley Cyrus has been criticized for not dressing her age, but I thought her Grammy gown was perfect for her. I loved Miley’s hairstyle as it showed her fun personality and youth. I found myself checking out her hair color and highlights, and think they are a great fit for her skin. They seem to have a warm honey tone and the little bit of blonde highlights add dimension. As for Taylor, I’m getting a bit bored of her small spiral curls look but I suppose it does fit her style and “first love” type of songs. I think this dress definitely gave her a bit more credibility as someone who is here to stay. I really liked the way her eyeliner was done too. It almost changed the shape of her eye. I’m a huge fan of the “cat eyes” with simple eye shadow and understated lips. She looked more like a woman- good job girls!

Jennifer Hudson. My favorite girl of the night, and of the last two years really, Jennifer did an unbelievable job on her live performance. She also won best R&B Artist. Her acceptance speech was short, to the point and so real. She was teary, nervous and seemed to prepare her words on the fly. I enjoyed how authentic it was. I hate saying anything even slightly negative about J-Hud, but I must say I didn’t totally understand her dress choice. I know these types of dresses are super trendy right now, but the top looked a little too napkin-esque for me. I think the dress would be ok at any event except for the Grammys. Great job Jennifer. You are an inspiration to the world and evidence that the American Dream really can come true!