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The Guidette Behind <em>Jersey Shore</em>
By
Jen Carlson
Published Feb 7, 2011
Modified Feb 7, 2011
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Feb 7, 2011
Modified Feb 7, 2011
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Are you looking for a name, and a face, to attach blame to for the whole Jersey Shore thing? Well look no further than the NY Post, where they expose SallyAnn Salsano—an Italian-American from Farmingdale, Long Island—who one day was all, "what if we put cameras inside a Jersey Shore rental one summer?"
Salsano is a 30-something year old producer at MTV, and a few years ago she was approached by an executive at the network who wanted to work on a show about guidos. Salsano recalls she was told, "you're the biggest guido I know."
Since Salsano had rented houses at the Shore before, she said a lightbulb went off: "I said, 'If you put a camera in one of those summer shares—now that's a show.'" She's also responsible for the cast, and says she used her gut when auditioning. Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino, for example, got the job when he sat down in front of her and said, "I'm more comfortable with my shirt off."
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SallyAnn Salsano
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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