Jersey Shore, the second season of which premieres tonight on MTV, is a phenomenon. Not a good show, necessarily, but a phenomenon just the same.
From a small beach house in New Jersey, the self-professed guidos have inspired spray tans, blowouts and ab-tastic bodies across the U.S. and beyond.
What was a regional style - term used very loosely - has gone global thanks to Jersey Shore, which earned 4.8 million viewers for its first season finale.
It goes beyond fashion, too.
On top of clothing lines, cast members have penned book deals, filmed workout videos, inspired iPhone apps and command big bucks for appearances.
Not since Miley Cyrus and Hannah Montana have a TV show and its star been marketed so insatiably. Only this is a GTL-loving band of hedonists.
Fashion icons The Situation, left, and J-Woww.
For whatever reason, there's a whole community that really identifies with the show so much that they see themselves in the larger-than-life stars.
Jersey Shore products ranging from iPod Touch apps letting you "Jersefy" your machine to iTunes' "Spread Snooki" iPhone photo app exemplify this.
For a tan like Snooki, you can purchase a lotion called Sunlove, for which Snooki is a spokesperson. Or you can sample JWoww's Filthy clothing line.
For guys, Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino's clothing line for Dilligaf by Bohica Bill includes shirts, which he rarely wears, sweatshirts and accessories.
The most entrepreneurial member of the cast, The Situation also has a self-help guidebook for "guidos" in the works, not to mention a workout DVD.
Are their 15 minutes almost up? Don't count on it. The cast just signed big contract extensions for Season 3 and added a new star, Deena Nicole.
