the rix mix

N.J. state Senator asks Gov. Christie to veto $420K 'Jersey Shore' production tax credit

TRENTON —A Democratic state Senator and a national coalition of Italian Americans are calling upon Gov. Chris Christie to block a tax credit awarded Wednesday to the production company of the hit MTV television show “Jersey Shore.”

“It is disparaging to Italian Americans. He should veto it, ” said state Sen. Joe Vitale (D-Middlesex), a frequent critic of the show who supports the film tax credit but said the state should not reward a television show that paints the state in negative light.

I went to high school in Jersey with dozens of people like the cast of Jersey Shore, & to be fair only some of them were of Italian descent. Maybe other Jerseyans have different experiences, like the state depicted in the slick magazine New Jersey Monthly. My guess is that Jersey Shore has brought far more than $420,000 into our economy during its four season run, with a fifth recently wrapped. Tax credits are given for that purpose, & if the recipient delivers, we have no gripe. No doubt Mr. Good Italian-American, State Senator Joe Vitale complained long & loud about The Sopranos, too. The Sopranos,  one of the best TV shows in television history, received no tax credits. I suppose Boardwalk Empire, being "historical," isn't bad for the state's image, although the basics of the show are true enough. We Jerseyans are intrigued by  our old corrupt political bosses, like Nucky Johnson.

It's ridiculous how touchy some people are about the state's image, as if one could control it. So let's hide the dying & bankrupt city of Camden, our honky tonk boardwalks, our obese governor, our current corrupt political machines, the fact that we suffer massive flooding in both cities & suburbia after heavy rainfalls, the presence of a dozen ethnic varieties of organized crime, & we'll henceforth be known only for restored Victorian mansions, upscale restaurants, Bruce Springsteen, The Pine Barrens, some pretty lighthouses, the new & sure-to-be fabulous Atlantic City Casino District designation that pretends it isn't attached to the rest of Atlantic City, Jersey Fresh produce, & a handful of remaining picturesque dairy farms.

Labels: culture, New Jersey, New Jersey politics