“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 in the end 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 wanting 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. Almost 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 general season of the present.
When requested what he believes is the present’s “secret sauce,” Mike mentioned, “I feel that, you recognize, I am a giant fan of the present, and all of my castmates. They’re brothers and sisters to me. However pay attention, each one in every of ’em, they’re family names. They’ve hundreds of 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, during which 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.
“You need to see once I go for, like, a CVS run. Individuals 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 children?’ And it is so, so very particular,” he informed TooFab. “It is positively a once-in-a-lifetime kind of present, and I am very blessed to be concerned.”
“I assume it is a reward for, you recognize, being authentically ourselves and in addition 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 might be experiencing some deja vu.
“I imply, you are simply tremendous grateful. You possibly can’t consider 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 form of like a pinch-me second, you recognize? And now you are again within the shore home. It smells the identical, it appears the identical. And also you’re simply taking a look at your folks who at the moment are just about household, doing, like, ‘Take a look at us. Take a look at us. Look, look what we did.’ You recognize?””
“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 effectively.”
And for many who could also be questioning, sure, the long-lasting duck telephone remains to be there — together with just a few different Jersey Shore memorabilia, together with the well-known observe 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 mentioned. “It is part of tradition at this second. Together with the observe, you recognize, the neck brace and the sun shades, you recognize. Jersey Shore has had a giant half in tradition and actuality TV, and you recognize, we’ve got 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 best way.
“It is for, you recognize, the highschool courses to observe the outdated or the unique Jersey Shore, after which while you go to varsity, you’ve got the observe in your lobby, you recognize what I imply? On a sheet,” he mentioned. “And also you see it in all places. You recognize, it is so loopy what this present changed into. 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 essentially the most through the years, Mike named himself.
“Large Daddy Sitch has had fairly the journey,” he mentioned. “I am now 10 years clear and sober. I am 10 years this yr, and a loyal, devoted husband, dad of three. You recognize, I am opening up my very own remedy facilities this yr referred to as the Archangel Facilities. You recognize, 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 suppose I might vote myself solely due to the, you recognize, the sobriety journey,” Mike continued. “I used to be in all probability one of many wildest forged members … to now [being on] this superb sober journey that I am on to be the mature good good friend that I’m to my roommates.”
The Actuality Verify writer mentioned he is “turned my ache into goal,” 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 means 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 in the future.
“I feel that I will in all probability let my kids watch the present, Jersey Shore Household Trip, once they flip 16 or 18, which is the Household Trip sequence,” he informed TooFab. “Because it pertains to perhaps the uncensored Jersey Shore model, perhaps they gotta flip 21 for that.”
“As you guys all know, Large Daddy Sitch could 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, if you happen to guys do not know, Large Daddy Sitch has an autobiography within the streets, Actuality Verify: How I Overcame Dependancy, Loss, and Jail in all kinds. And we offered seven figures for the yr in product sales, and we self-published. So everybody loves comeback story.”
Jersey Shore Household Trip premieres Thursday, Might twenty ninth at 8 p.m. ET/PT on MTV.
