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.

"Everybody loves me. Babies, dogs, hot girls, cougars."

I feel like MTV's new show, Jersey Shore, simply cannot escape discussion. Not since Jerry Springer has debauchery, idiocy and random violence been so fabulously celebrated on the boob tube in one neat and entertaining forum. Vinny, Paulie, Ronnie, Sammie, Jwow, Snookie, Angelina, and last, but certainly not least, Mike "The Situation" are a delightful train wreck; a sinful indulgence and shocking view into the newly-blossoming branch of the dysfunctional, American-reality-TV-show, family tree.

For those of you who have not been blessed with this shockumentary experience, Jersey Shore pits 8 self-proclaimed "guidos and guidettes" (whatever that really means) in a Real World-type environment. The housemates are required to work shifts in the landlord's T-shirt shop in return for free rent (and national infamy,) but get the rest of the time to style their gelled-up hair (I've never seen someone actually use an entire bottle of hair gel in a single session) get drunk and start fights (what more could a guido ask for?) What eventually ensues from this cookie-cutter, MTV set-up is more than even the most sinister TV exec could conjure up in his wildest and most wicked of dreams.

Whilst there are numerous viewing gems to be discovered in Jersey Shore, I especially enjoyed the step by step "guido dance lesson" or as Paulie D and Ronnie so eloquently put it: "beatin' up that beat" (though, the floor-slapping, spasmodic hip-gyrations and fist-pumping resembled more an African Anteater Ritual than actual dancing.) I think, however, one of the most iconic sound bites from this already legendary series comes from the show's only (as of yet) evictee, Angelina. When pressed on why she refuses to go in to work she retorts, in all honesty mind you, "I feel this job is beneath me. I'm a bartender. I do great things." We know you do, Angelina. Many a life has been saved by your deftly concocted Appletinis. How late is Applebee's open again?

But more importantly than its outlandish characters, however, is the show's focus on educating the glass-eyed, TV-obsessed, teenage masses…because at the end of the day, Jersey Shore is not simply another sensationalistic exploitation of America's underbelly, but a modern Lyceum, the likes of which even Aristotle would be proud. Where else could I say that I learned how to use a whole bottle of hair gel to style a frickin' sweet blowout, or how to simultaneously (and smoothly - thanks Situation) swap chicks that aren't "digging the hot tub" with some appropriately intoxicated skanks who are? I learned that a giant stenciled Cadillac emblem on your living room wall can only be outdone by one tattooed on your wicked-hot bod (nice one, DJ Paulie D.) And of course, (nimbly tying in the theme of education) I learned that NYC school teachers will hit a bitch if she mouths off too much.

Ladies and Gentlemen...The Jersey Shore.