“Angy, why do you even watch that show?”
“You’re killing your brain cells!”
“Did you know that every time you watch it… a book commits suicide?”

To be honest, I do not understand why I watch Jersey Shore; maybe it’s Snooki’s poof but I can’t seem to look away. The housemates are now on season 5 of this reality show. Season 4 was filmed in Italy. Their concerns during the time spent in Italy were:

- Not being able to make coffee fast enough because Italy has antique coffee makers

- Deena having a pregnancy scare and trying to find a pharmacy in Italy

- Mike hitting his head too hard into the wall and being injured because they’re too hard

- Snooki hitting a cop car because streets in Italy are so hard to drive in

- Italy not having a good enough club like New Jersey’s Karma

- Drama and distance causing relationship problems

- Not being able to tan because Italy doesn’t have a place to do so

- Being stuck under a couch

- Overall, having a really bad time in Italy that drinking at work and falling asleep during a tour of Italy is a must.

Last night I was catching up on the new season’s episodes and all I had on my mind was privilege. Here’s a group of individuals complaining throughout season 4 about Italy not meeting their expectations of drunken as well as sober fun. I’ve been wanting to go to Italy since I was in high school; this is the main reason why I took Italian as my foreign language class instead of any other. I told everyone around me that I wanted to visit Venice some day and eat authentic zeppoles. While that dream may be a little far from me right now, it’ll always be on my list of places-to-see some day.
This whole situation with the Jersey Shore cast annoys me and saddens me at the same time.

Many times I sit back and observe conversations with friends or interactions on facebook with a similar mentality. Now that it’s a new year you have folks complaining that the FAFSA forms are too long and a hassle to fill out. Some are on school breaks and of course there are pictures being uploaded at the beach in another country enjoying a drink or visiting family. You have folks complaining that the vacation is almost over and school will be starting soon. Complaining that they have to commute back to their dorm soon. Complaining that they have too many hours of work this week and can’t go out with friends enough. Complaining that they didn’t get what they wanted for Christmas. Complaining, complaining, complaining. I even make attempts to stay away from facebook more during school breaks because of all this. I want to slap some sense into all of them and check their privilege; however, if they don’t acknowledge it themselves there is no point in me trying to force it. Like my mother always says, “Dios le da pan al que no tiene dientes” which translated means, “God gives bread to those who don’t have teeth”.

It’s not that I am bothered by other’s good fortune. If you have the money to fly out to other countries..do it! I know I would!

It just bothers me when folks refuse to see struggle beyond their own because they think you can just pull yourself up by your bootstraps when people refuse to check their privilege and/or take full advantage of the opportunities they have when these same people refuse to donate at least $10 to a scholarship fund or help fund-raise for it when they provide us, undocumented youth, with reasons why they can’t be involved.

In Jersey Shore terms, Snooki worries about her poof not being big enough instead of worrying that her scholarship fund has too much money left over and not enough applicants (this is an example, she doesn’t have a scholarship fund, see what I mean?)