All those Seaside Heights officials who thought MTV’s “Jersey Shore” was going to ruin their town are changing their tune.
Not only is this old-line seaside resort a household name thanks to Snooki, JWOWW and The Situation — it’s on track for a record-busting summer, according to local business associations.
Just six days before Memorial Day — the unofficial start of summer — and the return of the now-famous cast, the main dish being served to the city fathers isn’t clams or Jersey corn.
It’s humble pie.
After an uproar last winter over the stereotyping of young Italian-Americans, Seaside officials were quick to distance themselves from the show.
“The governing body wants it to be known that they did not solicit, promote or participate in the filming of this show,” Borough Administrator John Camera said last December.
“Furthermore, the borough does not condone any discriminatory remarks against Italian Americans, domestic violence or the promiscuous and otherwise bad behavior portrayed on the show.”
Since then, Camera has had a change of heart.
“While the borough did not participate in the production of this television series,” he said, “we do think that in many ways it is representative of some of the people who come to Seaside Heights.
“The only negative has been the perception that these kids are representative of most of the people who come to Seaside. And that’s just silly,” Camera has also said.
The cast of “Jersey Shore” is filming the hot show’s second season in Miami.
But they are due back to Seaside Heights shortly to tape the final episodes.
When the show first aired, Daniel Cappello, the executive director of the Jersey Shore Convention & Visitors Bureau, denounced the way MTV portrayed the town.
He said he’d watch the show out of curiosity, but, “If I’m going to rot my brain, I’ll watch an episode of ‘Project Runway.’ ”
Cappello has since left that job. His successor, Bob Hilton, is far more friendly to the show.
“I think the general public is pretty smart to just watch [‘Jersey Shore’] as a show and as entertainment, but it doesn’t represent what New Jersey is about. What it does show is the boardwalk and the shore, the tanning salons and the t-shirt shops,” Hilton said.
But Hilton insists the TV show isn’t the only factor contributing to a bright summer outlook.
“We had a horrible, horrible winter,” he says. “People are getting stir crazy. There are other reasons people are coming here.”