How we arrived here

If you don't remember the gentleman pictured at left, you probably shouldn't be here (or at the very least, stop reading and watch). All of this is a result of him. More than 6 years have passed since Tommy and his cheese balls first graced the airwaves and revolutionized our conceptions of what reality television could accomplish. MTV's "True Life: I Have a Summer Share" opened our eyes to a group of individuals whose personalities, appearances, and daily lives shocked and amazed.

In so many ways, Tommy embodied the ideal character: completely at ease in front of the camera, absolutely unafraid to bear his innermost thoughts to an enraptured audience, and of course, tattooed/bic'd/juiced/iced. Furthermore, his gruff exterior forged on the construction sites of Whippany, NJ masked a sensitive and caring individual just searching desperately for his soulmate. This complex mixture frequently turned volatile when alcohol was introduced, fueling some of the show's most glorious and horrifying moments. As a sage cowboy once said, "sometimes there's a man who, well, he's just the man for his time and place." This was Tommy in 2003 on the Jersey shore.

Since then, something interesting has happened. Apparently life on the Jersey shore has become significantly more outrageous; the impossible truly has happened. Based on the early returns, it is TSR's opinion that while Tommy achieved iconic status for his time and place, the characters of today's "Jersey Shore" have substantially upped the ante. The unabashed level of absurdity overwhelms "Summer Share." If scientifically possible without killing a man, the "Jersey Shore" cast is akin to Tommy on steroids; think of Tommy as Steve Largent to JS's Andre Johnson. Yet this latest group of revelers still has much to prove. Tommy was an important part of our lives because of his ability to both repulse (think 1 bathroom shared by "20-30" people) and endear (packing his "woobie," the blanket his mother knit him as a baby). While the cast of JS has already indicated they are more than willing and able to raise the bar with regard to the former, only time will tell if they can pull through on the latter. Regardless, Tommy and his Kangol collection will always hold a special place in our hearts as true pioneers. He laid the foundation, and now it's up to The Situation, DJ Pauly D, and J-WOWW to carry that heavy torch forward. We're all counting on them.