Prepare for a 'Jersey Shore' New Year's
Thanks to MTV, Snooki will be having a ball on the 31st... literally. And bloggers are not looking forward to it

Although Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi and the cast of "Jersey Shore" regularly cross boundaries, MTV announced yesterday that it will be sending the show's diminutive, oft-drunk breakout star somewhere she's never gone before: Inside a ball that will drop over New York's Times Square on New Year's Eve. In addition to Snooki-in-a-ball, the "MTV New Year's Bash" special will feature other stars of the show leading the crowd in a "collective fist pump" in an attempt to set a Guinness world record. Bloggers did not take kindly to MTV's plans:
Health concerns
"New Year's Eve used to be about elegance and class," says Shannon Hood at Frothy Girls. "Now, I won't be able to watch the ball drop for fear of catching a venereal disease through the television set."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Snooki's not exactly Dick Clark
"Actual adults should not have to ring in 2011 with a tiny, orange person they cannot identify," says Willa Paskin in New York.
Lighting issues
"True to Snooki's personality, they should probably use UV tanning bed lights instead of the traditional LEDs," says Krista Westervelt at Gather.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
It's harder than it seems
"And you thought being a B-level celebrity was all glitz and glamour," says Michael Star in the New York Post.
It's in her genes
"She probably volunteered to do it, since her lineage is actually tainted with a few rogue strands of gerbil DNA," says Meghan Carlson at Buddy TV.
Fair warning
"The lesson we have learned here today? Avoid MTV and Times Square on New Year's Eve," says Dodai Stewart in Jezebel.
Keep it in context
"The last Dark Age lasted a thousand years before the Renaissance," says Hollywood Outbreak.
-
What will the thaw in Russia-US relations cost Europe?
Today's Big Question US determination to strike a deal with Russia over Ukraine means Europe faces 'betrayal by a long-term ally'
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Why Spain's economy is booming
The Explainer Immigration, tourism and cheap energy driving best growth figures in Europe
By The Week UK Published
-
5 tax deductions to know if you are self-employed
The explainer You may be able to claim home office, health insurance and other tax deductions
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published