Big Sean Tells Joan Rivers His Mom Loves Her, QVC On ‘Fashion Police’

We were in the gym Monday night doing the elliptical (trying to burn off some flab) and tuned into a special MTV Video Music Awards edition of E! Entertainment Television’s “Fashion Police.”

Big Sean’s mom is a QVC and Joan Rivers’ fan

Eternal QVC jewelry queen Joan Rivers is a co-host of the show. Of course, she and her fellow “Joan Rangers” were dissecting the fashions that the music world’s top stars wore to the awards show in Brooklyn Sunday night.

Hip hop artist Big Sean, who we had never heard of, had attended the VMAs and flew to LA from New York City to appear on “Fashion Police.” During the show he mentioned that he was designing a fashion collection that was reasonably priced, with many items under $100.

Joan Rivers on the VMA “Fashion Police” special

Rivers piped up and said words to the effect of, “Oh, like QVC.”

That prompted Big Sean to say that his mother was a QVC and Rivers’ fan, and that she had told him to tell Joan that she had bought a load of earrings from the comedian’s fashion jewelry collection.

So even rappers, and there moms, know about and love QVC.

Advice For ‘South Park’ On Its Plans To Fend Off New Jersey Invasion: Fuggedaboutit

It looks like the snide, potty-mouthed denizens of “South Park” are going to take on The Situation and Snooki. Good luck with that, you Colorado pantywaists.

Matt Stone and Trey Parker — the sicko (and now very rich) creators of the animated Comedy Central hit — are taking a stand against New Jersey, according to a press release Thursday from the cable network. The showdown is Oct. 13.

DJ Pauly D, center, and The Situation, far right, lead New Jersey mob against South Park

“New Jersey is rapidly taking over the nation one state at a time and their next stop is ‘South Park’ in an all-new episode of titled, ‘New Jersey,'” the release said.

“Everything east of the Rockies is now part of New Jersey! South Park is in danger of becoming West Jersey within the week,” according to the announcement. “As the Jerseyites spill into Colorado and approach South Park, Randy and the boys stand strong against the onslaught.”

South Park takes a stand against New Jersey's encroachment on the rest of the nation

Try and stop us, Stone and Parker. You both must be having a Rocky Mountain high if you think you can can get the best of the Garden State. Haven’t you ever seen the popular T-shirt, “New Jersey: Only the strong survive.”

One shot from the Jersey “South Park” episode depicts members of the bronzed and vulgar crew of MTV’s “Jersey Shore,” namely DJ Pauly D and The Situation, who inexplicably hasn’t been booted yet from “Dancing With the Stars.” Those two tanned, gelled Shore rats are leading a band of Jerseyites against South Park.

Another still shot has a “South Park” character wielding a “No Jersey” sign.

Perhaps we’ll also see “cast” members from other Jersey-based reality shows, like “Jerseylicious” and “The Real Housewives of New Jersey,” on “South Park.”

Hollywood can’t seem to get enough of Jersey. We understand that tonight’s episode of “Bones” features a visit to the Garden State.

MTVN honcho, and Jersey traitor, Doug Herzog

Not fur nuthin, but the appearance of “Jersey Shore” characters on “South Park” actually shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, since MTV and Comedy Central are both owned by the media giant Viacom.

And here’s a little secret for you: Doug Herzog, former Comedy Central chief and now president of the MTV Networks Entertainment Group (which includes Comedy Central) is from New Jersey. The city of Paterson, we believe. Et tu, Brute?

Comedy Central said there is no one available to talk about the episode, but that a clip of it will soon be posted on the “South Park” website.

Launched in 1997, “South Park,” now in its 14th season, remains the highest-rated series on Comedy Central. The show put the network, and Herzog, on the map.

‘Jerseylicious’ Nets Lousy Ratings, As One Viewer Proclaims ‘We’ve Had Enough of New Jersey’

We are more interested in Gatsby owner Gayle Giacomo, right, than Tracy DiMarco, left.

Well, for awhile there New Jersey, and its loud shoot-from-the-hip residents, seemed to have captured the loving attention of American TV viewers. But the audience has spoken now, and it’s apparently had enough.

The numbers are in for “Jerseylicious,” and they are not good. We knew something was up when Style Network didn’t put out a ratings press release Monday about the show’s premiere Sunday night.

“Jerseylicious,” which chronicles the lives of the owners and stylists at the Gatsby Salon in Green Brook, N.J., had only 320,000 total viewers for its debut. The show posted a 0.42 rating with women in the 18-to-34 demographic.

It pains us to see this, since were like the cast members of the show and were rooting for it.

But it looks like America is sick and tired of seeing fatmouthed, overdressed Jerseyites. Audiences bought into Garden-State shows such as Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” (a fav of ours) and MTV’s “Jersey Shore” (which we detested). But that ship has sailed.

We wish “Jerseylicous” had kicked off focusing on the story Gayle Giacomo and her daughter Christy Pereira, both of Bridgewater, who have re-launched their 32-year-old beauty salon and want to make it a big success. They are both smart, gracious women.

Instead, it seems to us that producer Endemol TV decided to concentrate on the battle between makeup artist Olivia Blois Sharpe, of Montville, who looks just like Snooki of “Jersey Shore,” and hair stylist Tracy DiMarco of East Hanover. At least, that’s what the first episode was abouit. That just makes “Jerseylicious” seem like a lot of other Jersey reality shows.

We know Style is trying to draw in younger women by concentrating on Olivia and Tracy, but we frankly are more interested in pretty Gayle (she in her 50s, our demo).

Anyway, even before the ratings came out, we suspected the show might be in trouble when we read a post on the story we did for NewJerseyNewsroom.com on the “Jerseylicious” premiere party.

“I personally enjoyed ‘Jersey Shore.’, but I think bringing on this show is pushing it!” wrote Nikki Dolce, a hair stylist from Scottsdale (our favorite place in the world). “We’ve had enough of New Jersey!”

‘Jerseylicious’ Gets Big Thumbs Down From New York Times, Which Defends The Garden State

Jerseylicious

The Grey Lady has spoken: The New York Times panned “Jerseylicious” Saturday.

TV critic Neil Genzlinger accused Style Network’s “Jerseylicious” reality show, which debuts Sunday night, of trying to ride on the coattails of MTV’s “Jersey Shore” and Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of New Jersey.”

And that’s the nicest thing he had to say.

He described the show as “witless” and the cast from the Gatsby Salon in Green Brook, N.J., as “vapid.”

Genzlinger also jokingly lambasted two of New Jersey’s most famous inventors, Thomas Edison and David Sarnoff, for their role in bringing electricity and color TV to America.

“They made it possible for their home turf, a perfectly decent state, to be flogged over and over again by lazy television executives working the same tired shtick,” the TV critic wrote, referring to “Jerseylicious” on Style Netweork. “Fellows as visionary as Edison and Sarnoff should have seen this coming and suppressed their innovations in the interest of protecting New Jersey’s reputation.”

And that’s not all he had to say about “Jerseylicious.” Neil, tell us what you really think!

“Virtually everyone here is loud and self-absorbed and not overly bright, qualities that were amusing for about an episode and a half of ‘Jersey Shore’ but now seem as unappetizing as the ’80s look that the Gatsby is inexplicably still peddling,” he wrote.

First Episode of ‘Jerseylicious’ Portrays Jersey Girls As Big Haired, Tan And Leopard Clad: Is That A Bad Thing?

Jerseylicious girl Olivia Blois Sharpe

Sorry we didn’t post Monday, but we’ve had a stomach virus for several days now that has really knocked us out.

But we did take time out last night to screen the first episode of Style Network’s “Jerseylicious,” the reality show we wrote about for NewJerseyNewsroom.com in December.

“Jerseylicious” is part of the new TV trend, which is reality shows flocking to the state to film us “load and proud” characters.

“Jerseylicious,” which debuts March 21 at 10 p.m., we have to sadly say will go a long way toward promoting every stereotype America has about us Jersey girls that you can imagine. It’s not as heavy-handed as “Jersey Shore,” but the lead “character,” Olivia Blois Sharpe, comes off a bit like Snooki on MTV’s “Jersey Shore,” with her long dark hair, tight short skirts, heavy eye makeup and super dark tan.

“I love the Jersey style,” Olivia says in the first “Jerseylicious” episode. “Big Hair. Long nails. Real tan. I swear I’m tanorexic.”

And in another seeming homage to “Jersey Shore,” Olivia is shown dancing up a storm at the 46 Lounge on Route 46 in Totowa, a venue we were always curious about but will now certainly avoid after seeing the clientele.

“If I could make a living off fist-pumping to house music, I’d be in there,” Olivia says. “I’d be in there like swimwear. But it’s really not going to pay my bills.”

That on-air Olivia is quite a different character than the quiet, rather subdued young woman we interviewed at the setting of the show, the Gatsby Salon in Green Brook, N.J. But hell, we all know reality TV isn’t reality, right?

Along the lines of Jersey being a small world, one of the first characters introduced in the premiere episode is Olivia’s best friend Briella, who our sister Karen knows. Blonde Briella is a stylist at the Denville hair salon Fusion, where Karen gets her hair done.

Olivia's nemesis Tracy DiMarco

All reality shows have to have drama, and in “Jerseylicious” its the conflict between makeup artist Olivia and Tracy DiMarco, a stylist who is now with Olivia’s ex-boyfriend. Tracy, one of the show’s players that we didn’t get a chance to interview, makes no bones about her mission, which is to make Olivia’s life miserable.

Tracy has the “Jersey style” we are all supposed to be wearing here in the Garden State, if you believe the reality shows about us. “Leopard jacket, snakeskin shoes, welcome to Jersey,” Tracy says.

The show is about the attempt of Gayle Giacomo and her daughter Christy Pereira to relaunch and revitalize the Gatsby Salon, which they’ve moved to a new location a few doors down from their old space in a strip mall on Route 22. We interviewed Gayle and Christy, and they are class acts.

One “Jerseylicious” player that we didn’t get a chance to interview is stylist Gigi Liscio, who is a sweetheart. But she seems pretty much under the thumb of her boyfriend Frankie. The term “guido” is never used to describe him, but you decide when if that’s an apt description when you see him.

There’s a scene of Frankie and his dad sitting at the dinner table, reminding us of “Saturday Night Fever,” getting hot under the collar and demanding that they get fed by the women in the house. Muy Italian macho.

Our advice to Gigi: Dump him, ASAP.

And finally there’s the sole male cast member, Anthony Lombardi, who owns the Anthony Robert Salon in Verona. He’s seems to be the referee between Olivia and Stacy, and is working at Gatsby while his own place undergoes renovations. He’s downt to earth and charming, the proud dad of a new son.

“Jerseylicious” is having a premiere party the night its first episode airs on Style, March 21. It’s in Hoboken, and we’ll be there, if we can find the appropriate leopard jacket and snakeskin shoes.

Oops, She Did It Again: Singer and QVC Vendor Jessica Simpson’s Flatulence Problem Makes The Cover Of US Weekly

Simpson's gassy moment made the cover of US Weekly

We swear we don’t buy celeb gossip rags, but we do read them at the gym. So while we were on the elliptical machine at 7:15 a.m. this Saturday morning, we couldn’t believe our eyes when we saw a more-information-than-we-want-to-know story on QVC vendor and singer Jessica Simpson.

We couldn’t quite believe what we were reading, so we had to share: Simpson’s flatulence made the cover of the Feb. 8 US Weekly.

The cover promoted the story with the headline “Jessica’s Big Oops!,” and the headline on the story inside the magazine said “Jessica Simpson Makes A Stink.” We wonder if a fellow Medill graduate wrote that gem.

The story says that Simpson, during a business meeting on her denim line in a room with five executives, “let out a very loud fart.”

Credit: Al Pereira/Wire Image

Her mother apparently chastised Simpson in front of everyone, and “the tension was extreme,” a US Weekly mole said.

US Weekly also fills us in on the Simpson flatulence back-story. On the MTV show that made her and then-husband Nick Lachey famous, “Newlyweds,” Simpson told him, “You love my stinky ass.”

That’s a nice Valentine’s Day story for you. It has all the makings of a Hallmark Card.

Will MTV Rename ‘Jersey Shore,’ Since The Second Season Won’t Be in Jersey?

They're coming back this summer, but they won't be in Jersey

We were dreading heading out early this morning, in 9 degree weather, to go to the gym. It doesn’t open until 7 a.m., and it was 6:30, so we decided to check our e-mail.

Lo and behold, at about 1:30 a.m. Eastern Time MTV had issued a press release saying it had greenlit a second season of “Jersey Shore.” That’s a real lid lifter for you. We quickly wrote it up for NewJerseyNewsroom.com.

We were amused to see that the 12 new episodes, which will air this summer, will not only not be shot in Seaside Heights, they won’t even be shot in Jersey. The press release didn’t disclose the new location that will infested by the unlovable and annoying self-proclaimed “guidos” and “guidettes” of the cast.

The ghastly “Jersey Shore” crew, who actually may not be as dumb as they act, had been holding out for more dough, reportedly $10,000 an episode, from MTV. They were negotiating as a group, the tack that the cast of “Friends” used to get big pay bumps. Our guess is that the Jersey group managed to wring some extra dollars out of Viacom.

“Jersey Shore” certainly has been a bit hit for MTV, and for the man who made it possible: MTV president of programming Tony DiSanto. In a prior post, we said we wanted to hunt down the MTV exec who approved “Jersey Shore.” And we questionned whether Midwesterners knew what a “guido” was.

Well, now we know DiSanto is the exec behind the show. And we’re sure most of America knows what a guido is now, thanks to MTV.

“Jersey Shore” may be a breakout show, and a pop culture phenomenon, but we still hate it. And we’d still like to hunt down DiSanto.

Here is his canned quote about the second season renewal:

“Our audience has fallen in love with ‘Jersey Shore’ and its amazing cast who have really grown together as a family. That bond gives the show its heart, and we’re thrilled to reunite these friends to bring fans more of what they love — laughs, love, drama and of course, GTL.”

‘Jersey Shore’ Appearance, Arranged For A Montclair Nightclub’s Grand Opening, Has Lead To Its Grand Demise

The appearance of the Jersey Shore cast at a Montclair nightclub grand opening wasn't exactly a charm

For those who care, the Montclair, N.J., nightclub that caused a near riot in our quiet hometown when it featured an appearance of the cast of “Jersey Shore” has been shut down, according to the The Montclair Times.

It seems the landlord of the venue at 501 Bloomfield Ave., Dick Grabowsky, has terminated the would-be 10-year lease for Lounge 501. A week ago, the night club kicked off its grand opening by having the cast of MTV’s controversial reality show come in for an appearance.

But 1,300 people showed up, the crowd got rowdy and disruptive, fights broke out, and police had to shut down the streets in the area.

The club operator, Timothy Ricks, has loads of financial problems and trouble with a liquor-license transfer.

In any event, Grabowsky told the Montclair Times he’s talking to potential new operators for the space that are “financially capable of bringing a professional and respectable venue to Montclair.”

‘Jersey Shore’ Cast Appearance In Montclair Sparks Mini-Riot: Stay In Seaside, All You Jerks

Jersey Shore govones, stay out of Montclair!

We recently wrote about the town we grew up — namely, Parsippany, N.J. But guess who caused a mini-riot in Montclair, N.J., the leafy, quiet suburb where we live now. Yes, the crew from MTV’s “Jersey Shore.” Or the promise of seeing the crew from “Jersey Shore.”

The slicked back gang of self-proclaimed guidos and guidettes were supposed to made an appearance Friday at a new club in town, 501 Lounge, on Bloomfield Avenue. The venue’s marquee said, “Meet the ‘Jersey Shore’ Cast, Jan. 22.”

Anyway, The Star-Ledger has a story about the brouhaha that broke out when about 2,000 rowdies turned up to say hi to The Situation and Snooki, whose escapades in Seaside Heights, N.J., were chronicled in “Jersey Shore.”

Montclair called out the police and the fire department. Backup game from the Essex County Sheriff’s Department and nearby Glen Ridge. The area between Park Avenue and North Fullerton (the street we live off) was closed down to traffic. Apparently, the fun at the club included several fist fights.

Four people were arrested on charges of disorderly conduct and drunken driving, according to the Ledger. Hell, you get that kind of thing at breakfast on a weekday morning in Seaside Heights.

Our favorite post on the story was this one: “If there was ever a time we needed a couple of thugs from Newark to do a drive-by in Montclair, this would’ve been it. Where are the brothers when you need them?”

A few hours before this ruckus, we were just accoss the street watching “Crazy Heart” at the Clairidge Theater. Jeff Bridges was great, by the way. But by the time the fun started at the 501 Lounge, we were tucked away in bed (although we had trouble sleeping, and were tossing and turning that night).

QVC Names MTV Veteran And 25-Time Emmy Winner Mitch Goldstein General Manager of On-Air — Guys, Get A Better Title!

Mitch Goldstein, QVC's new general manager of on-air

QVC has hired Mitch Goldstein as general manager of on-air, the home shopping network said Tuesday.

In this newly created role, with its awkward title, Goldstein is responsible for integrating QVC’s merchandising strategies with its live programming.

Goldstein brings more than 20 years of concept development and programming leadership experience to QVC, with an extensive focus in production, acquisition, budgeting and management.

“Throughout his career, Goldstein has been presented with 25 Emmy awards and three Telly awards,” according to a line tucked at the very end of the press release. PR People, move that up! Don’t bury the lede.

Prior to joining QVC, he managed his own company, Zachary/Blair Productions, where he specialized in multiplatform programming and the integration of new technologies for a broad spectrum of clients, including Ford Motor Co., Nike, Viacom and McDonald’s.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Mitch to QVC. His industry background and proven track record of experience will play an integral role as we continue to expand upon our current platforms, as well as look for new opportunities for future growth,” said Angie Simmons, QVC’s executive vice president of multichannel platforms, to whom Goldstein reports.

Prior to Zachary/Blair Productions, Goldstein spent six years on staff at MTV Networks, most recently serving as vice president of production development and specials. In this role, he was responsible for overseeing production department event coverage, movie specials, music series, weekend programming, large-scale productions and video and reality-based television shows.

Goldstein also has previous experience working as a producer and director for CBS Sports and NBC Sports, covering the 1992, 1994 and 1996 Olympic Games.