N.J. Governor Vetoes "Snooki Subsidy"
Chris Christie says he won’t pay for a project that "does nothing more than perpetuate misconceptions about the state."
| Posted Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2011, at 5:04 PM
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is no fan of MTV’s Jersey Shore, and on Monday he made that explicitly clear by vetoing a $420,000 tax break for the hit reality show.
Dubbed the "Snooki subsidy," the tax credit is part of a $10 million state program that grants eligible film and TV production companies a 20-percent tax credit on their expenses in New Jersey.
According to USA Today, the MTV program brings in additional jobs and millions of dollars to the state. So why’d you veto the break, bro?
"I have no interest in policing the content of such projects," the Republican governor said in a statement. "However, as chief executive I am duty-bound to ensure that taxpayers are not footing a $420,000 bill for a project which does nothing more than perpetuate misconceptions about the state and its citizens."
The reality show, which first aired in 2009, chronicles the everyday lives of eight Italian-Americans who live together. Two seasons were filmed in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, and seasons have also been shot in Miami and Italy. The show plays up the worst stereotypes of Italians, Americans and Italian-Americans. Highlights include the joy of waterproof hair gel, the perils of limitless alcohol on diminutive women and, maybe, the effect of anabolic steroids on interpersonal relationships.
Season 5 is set to return to the New Jersey shore town. In a statement, MTV spokesman Nathaniel Brown said, "The governor’s decision will not impact the show."
