Friday, September 16, 2011

Is Snooki coming to Kentucky?

There's a hilarious story out of New Jersey today about bipartisan disgust for "reality tv" stars The Situation and Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi and their television show "Jersey Shore" getting $420,000 in film tax credits from the state of New Jersey.

"The governor needs to step up for decency and veto this. If the show wants to go somewhere else, let 'em," said state Sen. Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex), who said it includes negative stereotypes of young Italian-Americans.

"Let us just hope against hope that New Jersey taxpayers don’t end up paying for 'Snooki's' bail the next time she is arrested. What a terrible, terrible and misguided waste." said State Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen).


Meanwhile, Kentucky politicians are scrambling to throw taxpayer dollars at just such a project.

From the August Kentucky Film Office newsletter:
"In addition, requests for location, crew and operational needs from the industry have jumped 71 percent in the past year. This increase is due, in large part, to the explosion in outdoor reality and “survivor” type programming in television, which has allowed us to positively showcase our terrain, natural resources and cave areas."


Now would be a great time to start talking about shutting down this ridiculous form of "economic development."