Are 'The Sing-Off' and 'Jersey Shore' The Same Thing?

So asks Adam Sternbergh in New York magazine.

Sternbergh writes: "Two new reality shows debuted recently. On one, The Sing-Off, an a cappella competition, a barbershop quartet of middle-aged moms in spangled blazers sang a medley of Beach Boys songs. On the other, Jersey Shore, eight self-described Guidos and Guidettes descended on a beach house, where a girl named Snooki, who looks a bit like a hobbit Elvira, provided what one blogger called 'the most NSFW subtitle in television history.' (It read, 'F*** my f****** a******, right now.') At first glance, these two shows seem like the antipodal extremes of a polarized culture. Look more closely, though, and you see that they’re essentially the exact same thing."

Read more here.