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FEATURE
A love/hate relationship: Jersey Shore has connected with its audience. Though people hate to admit it, they can relate to the cast
PHENOMENON
WHAT'S IN THE WATER AT JERSEY SHORE?
// SARAH CHAMP
Whether you've seen an episode or not, you've likely heard about grenades, guidos, t-shirt time, beating up the beat, the poof and the situation.
The outlandish, terracotta-colored cast of MTV's top-ranked series, Jersey Shore, has fist-pumped its way into the hearts of college students across the country.
It's one of several reality shows that take an uncensored look at the lives of hard-partying
roommates in their 20s (Big Brother, The Real World), but Jersey Shore capitalizes on the fun-loving, hardly working cast's Italian-American culture.
The season-three premiere on Jan. 6, 2011, set MTV network and Cable TV records with 8.45 million viewers, according to The Nielson Company's live-plus-same-day ratings. The following episodes of Jersey Shore's third season have only continued to up the ante,
drawing nearly nine million viewers per episode, half of whom are 18- to 34-year-olds.
So what's the Shore's secret? What sets it apart from other reality shows and why does it so strongly attract the college-aged audience?
While a specific genre of television will certainly appeal to a particular demographic, Brian Ott, visiting professor of media and rhetorical studies at the University of Colorado-Denver, says the type of conflict on Jersey Shore is what draws the younger viewers. "The show's conflict is almost exclusively relational and college-aged students relate to that," Ott says. "They compare their own relationships to those on television and they seem normal
compared to [Jersey Shore]. It's a train wreck on television."
on television.
A large part of that train wreck's success, Ott says, is how viewers connect with and root for a specific cast member, what media studies call "parasocial relationships." People watch Jersey Shore and form some sort of interpersonal relationship with one or more of the characters, making the Seaside Heights gang feel like real people.
A loyal viewer since season one, Stephanie Naar, a senior from St. Louis, sees the cast as real people, describing each of them and the relationship dynamics as though they are her eight roommates.
she only allowed 12 hrs, rier nine a double to center field giving strikeouts make a career record. Malazzo enough time to round
SEE SOFTBALL ON PAGE 8A
SOFTBALL|8A
Softball Rewind
For more stats from the game, check out page 8A
BASEBALL
Offense can't get going as Kansas is shutout
mvernon@kansan.com
MIKE VERNON
The Jayhawks traveled to Springfield, Ill., with hopes of turning around their three-game losing streak, and correcting their woes at the plate. Instead, they were shutout in a 6-0 loss to Missouri State.
The Jayhaws came into Wednesday's game with a focus on being able to knock in runners once they get on base. They finished the game having left eight runners on base.
"We did get nine hits and two or three balls were hit hard," coach Ritch Price said.
Things didn't go as planned for Kansas as early as the first inning, when senior outfielder Casey Lyle advanced to third base after a wild
pitch. The Jayhawks attempted a double steal that ended up with Lytle getting caught stealing.
"We needed somebody to get a clutch hit." Price said when talking about the fourth inning. "It was really disappointing."
Kansas followed up the hustle play with a huge single to left-center from slumping senior shortstop
The Jayhawks missed another big opportunity in the fourth inning with the game still scoreless. Junior designated hitter James
With the Jayhawks woes at the plate continuing to plague their season, the Jayhawks' pitching
Stanfield successfully completed a bunt single with two outes to start a potential game-changing rally.
"We needed somebody to get a clutch hit. It was really disappointing."
Brandon Macias. With runners on the corners, junior first basemen Zac Elig grounded into an anticlimatic third out.
RITCH PRICE
Coach
needed to step up and take charge in Springfield.
Sophomore starting pitcher Thomas Taylor had three strong
innings for Kansas, holding the Bears scoreless through three before struggling in the fourth. Taylor's night ended after giving up three runs in the fourth.
"He made one really bad pitch. He left the ball up and they clutched up for a two-run two-out single." Price said.
While things went poorly for the lajayhaws' big picture, their three senior hitters, that had been struggling early in the season, all had multi-hit games. Macias, Lyle and senior outfielder Jimmy Waters stepped up for the lajayhaws, something they had been lacking all season.
"I changed my base, it used to be real wide," Waters said. "We decided I needed to shorten up, keep my head in one place, and be able to see the ball better."
Waters, the team's top hitter last season, was two-for-three on the day, and improved his average to .230. Waters has steadily been improving since the start of
With the senior leaders beginning to pick up the pace, Price hopes the rest will follow.
conference play, and he credits his improvements to some mechanical changes in his swing.
"Hopefully those three seniors will keep swinging the bat, and take pressure off of the younger guys", Price said. "It's almost contagious; we just need somebody to get a clutch hit. Once we do that I think the second one and third one will follow"
Edited by Corey Thibodeaux
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I failed to mention the four NIT appearances by Kentucky and North Carolina over the last 10 years. For half of the student body at Kansas, the Jayhawks have been in the tournament every single year of their life. North Carolina and Kentucky have missed the tournament four times in the last 10 years.
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So as last Sunday's loss is replayed over and over again, this Saturday during the Final four games, remember that it has been far worse for your blue blooded friends at one time or another. Jayhawks, the country is shocked that you lost. Be worried when they are shocked that you won.
Then there were a couple years (2007 and 2008) when Kansas went to another Elite 8 and won some national title or something. In that stretch, Duke lost to VCU in the first round, Kentucky was an eight and 11 seed, and North Carolina fell in the Sweet 16 as a one seed.
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I hear about 2006 a lot as well. Another first round loss after winning 25 games and grabbing another Big 12 title, Duke, as a one seed once again, lost in the Sweet 16. Kentucky was an 8 seed that didn't survive the first weekend. Oh, and North Carolina was taken out by George Mason in the second round.
term, upses are going to happen. Sorry, but it's the law of averages or something like that. In 2005, when Kansas was upset by Bucknell after winning 23 games and capturing the Big 12 Conference title, UCLA was an 11 seed. Do Kansas fans know what an 11 seed even looks like? That same year, Duke lost in the Sweet 16 as a one seed.
Edited by Erin Wilbert