Now that "Jersey Shore" is in the midst of its fifth season and the show's tidal wave of absurd popularity has crested, TV viewers have started to wonder what happens behind the scenes of the simultaneously beloved and reviled reality show.
One question fans have continuously asked since the show went to Italy is whether some of The Situation's drama-creating antics -- particularly his obsession with his alleged off-season hook-up with Snooki -- were scripted attempts to create juicy storylines. In an interview on "Live! With Kelly" (weekdays on ABC) The Situation came pretty close to admitting that at least some of "Jersey Shore" is staged.
After guest host Boomer Esiason felt up The Situation's infamous Situation (a.k.a. his abs), the two joked that the reality star had them insured, which is where the conversation got interesting. Talking about the insurance company, The Situation said, "I had to tell them that whatever they see on TV was a little, uh, ya know ..." before trailing off. "Staged!" Kelly Ripa interjected. "Yeah," he replied, before quickly clarifying that he was only "joking." Unfortunately, before Ripa could ask any follow-up questions, Esiason sidetracked the conversation by marveling at the amount of gel The Situation had in his hair.
Still, the exchange raises questions about the way "Jersey Shore" is filmed and produced. Late in 2011, blogger Sean Klitzner posted a video of a Deena-Snooki bar brawl in Italy, citing evidence at the producer had instigated it. Was the massive brawl between Ronnie, The Situation and the wall choreographed like a WWF match? It remains unclear for now, but the next time we see a flying bottle whiz past The Situation's head, we'll be wondering if a producer threw it.
