“We’re collectively, lightning in a bottle, the Avengers of actuality TV, however extra in order that I really feel like authenticity has been key, unapologetically ourselves always,” The Scenario tells TooFab.
Over 15 years in the past, Mike “The Scenario” Sorrentino and his roommates graced the small display for the primary time on MTV’s Jersey Shore, which might finally turn into a popular culture phenomenon, and make him and his castmates family names.
Now, as Mike and his co-stars — Pauly “DJ Pauly D” Delvecchio, Vinny Guadagnino, Angelina Pivarnick, Jenni “JWoww” Farley, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, Deena Nicole Cortese, Samantha “Sammi Sweetheart” Giancola and Ronnie Ortiz-Magro — return to the place all of it started in Seaside Heights, New Jersey for Season 8 of the present’s reunion sequence, Jersey Shore Household Trip, the truth star is trying again at his journey on the franchise and reflecting on its legacy.
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In an interview with TooFab, Mike, 42, opened up about what he believes makes followers nonetheless wish to tune in 15 years after they first realized all about GTL, fist-pumping, and guidos.
Jersey Shore first premiered in December 2009, and ran for six seasons. Practically six years later, Mike and (most of) the crew reunited for Jersey Shore Household Trip, which premiered in 2018. Season 8 of the spinoff sequence — which premieres on Jerzday, Thursday, Might 29 — marks the fifteenth anniversary and total season of the present.
When requested what he believes is the present’s “secret sauce,” Mike stated, “I believe that, you recognize, I am an enormous fan of the present, and all of my castmates. They’re brothers and sisters to me. However pay attention, each considered one of ’em, they’re family names. They’ve thousands and thousands of followers on each platform. I really feel like we’re collectively, lightning in a bottle, the Avengers of actuality TV, however extra in order that I really feel like authenticity has been key, unapologetically ourselves always, wherein why our present has been so relatable to the viewer and to the followers, they usually’ve grown up with us and we’re like brothers and sisters.”
Mike — who shares Romeo, 3, Mia, 2, and Luna, 13 months, with spouse Lauren Sorrentino — famous how he will get approached by loving followers when he goes out in public.
“It’s best to see after I go for, like, a CVS run. Persons are coming as much as me like I am their brother or their son or their uncle, hugs, and, you recognize, ‘How’s Lauren?’ and ‘How’s the youngsters?’ And it is so, so very particular,” he advised TooFab. “It is positively a once-in-a-lifetime sort of present, and I am very blessed to be concerned.”
“I assume it is a reward for, you recognize, being authentically ourselves and likewise being so relatable and sharing our lives with America for thus lengthy,” he added.
For the brand new season of Jersey Shore Household Trip, followers will see Mike and the gang going again to the OG shore home in Seaside Heights — and it seems many viewers will probably be experiencing some deja vu.
“I imply, you are simply tremendous grateful. You’ll be able to’t imagine that you simply’re on this experience and it has lasted 15 years, and that the general public and followers have grown up with you,” Mike shared. “It is type of like a pinch-me second, you recognize? And now you are again within the shore home. It smells the identical, it seems the identical. And also you’re simply taking a look at your folks who are actually just about household, doing, like, ‘Have a look at us. Have a look at us. Look, look what we did.’ ?””
“And the story continues. It is a tremendous story, and I am very, very blessed to be part of it,” he added. “So you recognize, Seaside has a really particular place in our coronary heart, and really glad that we celebrated our fifteenth anniversary there, and we closed out this season over there as properly.”
And for many who could also be questioning, sure, the enduring duck telephone is nonetheless there — together with just a few different Jersey Shore memorabilia, together with the well-known notice Snooki and JWoww wrote to Sammi to disclose Ronnie had allegedly cheated on her.
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“The duck telephone is there and it’s intact,” Mike stated. “It is part of tradition at this second. Together with the notice, you recognize, the neck brace and the sun shades, you recognize. Jersey Shore has had an enormous half in tradition and actuality TV, and you recognize, now we have fairly the story.”
Mike described the present as a “ceremony of passage,” noting that it has tagged together with followers as they’ve grown up — and has gained new viewers alongside the way in which.
“It is for, you recognize, the highschool courses to observe the outdated or the unique Jersey Shore, after which once you go to varsity, you may have the notice in your lobby, you recognize what I imply? On a sheet,” he stated. “And also you see it in every single place. , it is so loopy what this present was. And now, that is the fifteenth anniversary. So for followers, who’ve grown up with us and new followers, they love us and we love them too.”
As for who he believes has modified probably the most over time, Mike named himself.
“Huge Daddy Sitch has had fairly the journey,” he stated. “I am now 10 years clear and sober. I am 10 years this yr, and a loyal, devoted husband, dad of three. , I am opening up my very own therapy facilities this yr referred to as the Archangel Facilities. , I had this bestselling autobiography, which was killing the sport the previous 12 months. So, it has been fairly a experience.”
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“I might positively assume I might vote myself solely due to the, you recognize, the sobriety journey,” Mike continued. “I used to be most likely one of many wildest forged members … to now [being on] this superb sober journey that I am on to be the mature good pal that I’m to my roommates.”
The Actuality Verify creator stated he is “turned my ache into objective,” including that his story “has helped others.”
“My life story is now different individuals’s survival information,” he defined. “And I really feel like I discovered, you recognize, my approach in life, and others can too. If Mike The Scenario can do it, and be 10 years clear and sober, so are you able to.”
Mike went on to open up about how he’ll see the present 15 years from now, and shared whether or not he’ll let his children watch it sooner or later.
“I believe that I will most likely let my kids watch the present, Jersey Shore Household Trip, after they flip 16 or 18, which is the Household Trip sequence,” he advised TooFab. “Because it pertains to possibly the uncensored Jersey Shore model, possibly they gotta flip 21 for that.”
“As you guys all know, Huge Daddy Sitch may be very happy with his story, as I am now 10 years clear and sober, my rise and fall and rise once more is the instance,” he continued. “And the epitome of the comeback is bigger than the setback. I am a sober legend within the streets.”
“So, I am very proud that, you recognize, my kids have, you recognize, an excellent instance to develop as much as or no matter,” he continued. “And once more, you recognize, in case you guys do not know, Huge Daddy Sitch has an autobiography within the streets, Actuality Verify: How I Overcame Habit, Loss, and Jail in all types. And we bought seven figures for the yr in product sales, and we self-published. So everybody loves an excellent comeback story.”
Jersey Shore Household Trip premieres Thursday, Might twenty ninth at 8 p.m. ET/PT on MTV.
