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Nicole (Snooki) Polizzi getting hit earns MTV's 'Jersey Shore' episode a public service announcement
MTV will air a public service announcement after next week's episode of the controversial series "Jersey Shore" because it includes an incident of violence against a woman.
In the episode, cast member Nicole (Snooki) Polizzi, 21, gets slugged in the face by a stranger at a bar. A clip of the scene, which originally aired after the show's Dec. 3 premiere, has been circulating on the Web, drawing comments from aghast viewers.
The man involved in the attack was arrested, according to Polizzi, and the network is condemning his actions.
The PSA, set to air following the Dec. 17 episode, reads: "Violence against women in any form is a crime. If you or someone you know is being abused by a boyfriend, family member or total stranger, please call 911 or log on to www.loveisrespect.org for information and help. You can also call The National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline at 1-866-331-9474 for immediate support."
A source at the network said MTV planned the PSA long before the series came under fire from Italian-American organizations like UNICO, which say "Jersey Shore" is "trash television" and should be canceled. Advertisers Domino's and American Family Insurance have pulled their spots from the show.
MTV has said that the series, which airs Thursdays at 10 p.m., "may not be for every sponsor or advertiser."
The network works closely with teen dating organizations and has called attention to violence against women on several previous occasions, most recently the Chris Brown/Rihanna incident, with its Think MTV campaign.
Most memorably, the network addressed the issue after a "Real World: Seattle" cast member, Stephen Williams, slapped another participant, Irene McGee, in 1998. As a result of that incident, Williams was ordered by producers to attend anger-management classes.
The violent incident adds another level of controversy to "Jersey Shore." "That clip is evidence of criminal assault and battery," wrote Frank1569 on The Hollywood Reporter's "The Live Feed" blog, which posted the snippet Tuesday. "MTV needs to alert NJ law enforcement that they have video evidence of a serious crime, and that SOB needs to be arrested," said the posting.
Polizzi, who suffered bruises and swelling as a result of the punch, said the clip is hard for her to watch, but that she's glad MTV is including it in the series.
"It should be out there. Everyone should know that it can happen," Polizzi told The News. "But also, a positive came out of it. It brought [the cast] closer together."
Polizzi says the man who hit her was drunk and had been bothering her and her friends at the bar. When she spoke up to ask him to leave, he hit her.
Despite Polizzi's go-ahead, critics who assail the show for stereotyping Italian-Americans are sure to use the incident as another reason it should be canceled.
Polizzi, a resident of Marlboro, N.Y., doesn't think there's anything wrong with the show.
"The term 'guido' is being passed around a lot. It's just a term that young Italians use," Polizzi says. "We like to take care of ourselves and be the center of attention and there's nothing wrong with that. I don't regret anything about the show. What happened happened. It's all reality."
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