Lake Shore’s list of enemies continues to grow
If you haven’t seen the now notorious “sizzle reel” for crap Canadian Jersey Shore ripoff Lake Shore, act quickly, or you may miss your chance. The clip is back up on YouTube (it’s already been pulled once) without those Jewish slurs. You can also find the bizarrely racist preview on Perez TV, though who knows for how long. But not to fear, because the Globe and Mail is still railing against it, about a week after the rest of us tore it to shreds.
In today’s paper, columnist Lynn Crosbie finds fault with the program not because it attempts to imitate one of the most culturally barren reality television shows in the history of the medium, but because it fails so miserably at the attempt. (This is where we must disclose that the series’ first episodes haven’t begun shooting yet.) Crosbie likens the show’s timing to making “Survivor: Winnipeg at this late date,” and adds, “By the time you are a Halloween costume, you are on your way out.” She also references a recent line from 30 Rock, uttered by Steve Martin as he watches a clip of MTV Canada: “They always get it wrong, don’t they?”
What Crosbie is getting at with her fancy similes and pop culture references is that Lake Shore attempts to ride the coattails of Jersey Shore‘s popularity by harnessing all of its offensive, sensationalistic qualities and bypassing its endearing ones. While the cast’s idiotic hard-partying ways are undoubtedly part of Jersey Shore‘s appeal, Crosbie argues it’s their “actual closeness” and “traditional values and heart” that make the show watchable.
This may be giving Snooki and The Situation a little too much credit, but Crosbie has a point: Lake Shore flaunts ignorant racism as its major selling point. Jersey Shore‘s self-referential “Guidos” and “Guidettes” seem mild-mannered by comparison.
• O Canada, Lake Shore is the vilest form of flattery [Globe and Mail]
Get this cr*p off TV please. Way to take one of the most diverse and non-racist areas of the world, Toronto, and portray it as the exact opposite. That’s probably why they decided to use racism as a plot drive in this show… they knew it would get Canadians worked up, and are hoping it will translate into ratings. well, I deffinately won’t be tuning in.
She should probably get the pop-culture reference right. Steve Martin’s line is “They can’t seem to get anything right up there”.
Face it, Toronto sucks, and this is Exhibit A. Jersey Shore = Dumb Entertainment. Lake Shore = Just Plain Dumb.
Toronto has no culture whatsoever, so they need to find “ethnic” people, and label them as such, and then let them have at it with each other. They really can’t seem to get anything right up there – the “Italian-ness” of the Jersey Shore cast is way in the background, whereas the producers of Lake Shore have made race the main character. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Can Canadians do anything original? And if they copy something, can’t they at least put some thought into it?
Toronto Life – stop copying New York Magazine; the fact that you are a monthly (versus weekly) magazine tells you how much “Life” there is in Toronto.
Canadian Idol – why does everyone look like young Anne Murray’s on this?
Queens University – you are not the “Harvard” of Canada; there is no elite Canadian University, so stop pretending there is any separation in the public university system. Stop saying it before Americans hear it and laugh at you en masse.
Etc., etc.
True Story move out of Toronto and maybe you wont have to deal with this all. Its pretty simple no? But I do agree Lake shore is stoopid(2 Os yes) and why would you blog on Toronto Life if its a waste of magazine?
The fastest way to get rid of this idiotic show is to stop giving it so much attention.