From Days Past

I can remember when I was 12 or 13, I was hanging out with a friend a couple blocks from my house when it started to drizzle. I booked it home to avoid getting drenched as it quickly started to really come down. As I was sprinting home, I could feel the rain pelting my head and shoulders. Then all of a sudden it stopped, and so did I. I turned my palms and face up to the sky, but felt nothing; no rain. Kind of confused, I turned around and looked across the street from where I had just run. To my shock and amazement, not 10 feet from where I stood, it was raining like a Thai Monsoon; literally a wall of precipitation. I walked to the edge of the downpour and stuck my hand in it to make sure it was real. It was, and it was really bizarre. I had never seen anything like it before or since. It only lasted for about 20 seconds before it began to rain on me, as well. I walked home soaked, but in a daze. Even at that age, I knew that I had just witnessed something extremely special.

Death of a Salesman? Is this the Beginning of the End for Mike "The Situation"?

Is the Jersey Shore's megalomaniac and unabashed, self-promoting, Mike "The Situation" out of control? Is the limelight going to his head and the pressures of being a national celebrity finally taking a toll on his sanity? Are the producers at MTV, in hopes of continued high viewership, stoking the drama fire to keep the Sitch's behavior at sensational levels? Were the MTV editors just being creative with the footage they showed up until now? Or, is the Situation just being himself and, now, being unrestricted (and a lot of time lauded for his outrageous behavior) just letting his true colors shine through? In truth, it's probably a little bit of all these things and a whole bunch more. Whatever the case, though The Situation believes himself to be the glue holding this gang of Guidos together, he has, in fact, had his tiffs with each of the 7 other housemates (with perhaps the exception of Paulie D.)

A very quick breakdown of The Situation's run-ins with his fist-pumping housemates:

Angelina - despite spotty reports of off-season hook-ups with The Situation, there was no love lost between the two when she returned on the second season. Repeatedly clashing with Angelina and coming up with some of the most hilariously demeaning insults (including calling her a hamster and giving her the moniker, "Trash Bags") Mike was instrumental in her finally packing up and leaving the show (again.)

Sammi & Roni - although initially infatuated with each other, when Sammi chooses Roni over him despite a shared kiss, The Situation, begins to bump heads with the couple. It never comes to blows with Roni, but given Roni's temper, Mike, out of self-preservation, probably made a calculated decision to move on to easier game (and I don't blame him. Roni's "roid rage" was kinda scary.)

Snooki - Even though they seem pretty tight. Snooki has grown increasingly more comfortable in her own skin and is starting to shirk the dominion that Mike tries to enforce over her and the rest of the house. In last night's episode, the two of them went at it two nights in a row with Mike shockingly slapping her for not wanting to leave the instant he did.

Vinny - Part of the MVP (Mike, Vinny and Paulie) Vinny has played a back seat in screen time to his more famous and gregarious partners. However, on numerous occasions, Mike has been guilty of pursuing girls that Vinny has shown interest in or already kissed (which is the Guido equivalent of dating; sex being the equivalent of marriage.) Going as far as "committing robbery" on Vinny with a tipsy clubber Vinny kissed only moments before him (classy, right?) And because the first time worked, Mike thought he'd try it again in last night's episode with Vinny' new girl with whom they both seemed to be infatuated.

JWOW - Their strong personalities have led them also to clash heads often, culminating in Jwow actually punching Mike in the face during the 1st season. There is definitely a bubbling hostility brewing just below JWOW's surface and her tendency to solve problems with her fist instead of brain has all the trapping of another big blow out with him.

DJ Paulie D - Despite being The Sitch's GTL partner in crime and the third member of MVP, Paulie has admitted that his friend has grown increasingly aggressive and impatient as of late. And while, Paulie thinks Mike's brash behavior only makes him look more of nice guy in comparison. It's not certain how long the laid-back DJ can continue to overlook his friend's antics.

With an estimated $5 Million (yes, million) coming in from endorsements, public appearances and television, it's hardly all doom and gloom for the man known as The Situation. However, the American people can be fickle (just ask Myspace or HD-DVD) and the corporate money train will come to a halt with a quickness, should he lose the hearts (and I would say minds, but this IS The Jersey Shore, afterall) of the viewing public. So, if you find yourself shirtless and alone at 2am this time next year getting dissed by even the "grenades" you love to shun, you'll only have yourself and your own ego-mania to blame. Michael, you've been warned, and that's the real situation.