"Jersey Shore's'' "The Situation" visits Hoboken
Sal-lee Patti, 18, and Alyssa Brousseau, 17, both waited patiently as the clock struck 9 p.m. The two teens from Phillipsburg were the first to arrive at L.A. Sunset tanning salon in Hoboken yesterday in anticipation of a personal appearance by Michael Sorrentino, a star of the MTV series "Jersey Shore" who’s better known by his nickname “The Situation.”"The Situation" was running about an hour late and excitement was growing among the throng of fans.
"Jersey Shore" superfans had arrived at 5 o’clock, but had prime seats inside the salon, just a few feet away from a table where "The Situation" would be signing autographs — the tanning salon’s manager allowed them to wait inside since they had arrived so early.
Patti, who said she started tanning at age 15, took the opportunity to squeeze in a tanning session before Sorrentino's arrival and described the facility as “the nicest tanning bed I’ve ever been in.”
She spoke of "The Situation" in even more glowing terms.
“He’s very hot,” she said. “He has a good body.”
Patti and Brousseau said "Jersey Shore" is their favorite TV show and hoped that MTV will eventually produce the show with a new cast, one that they hope to be a part of.
“If I don’t see him, I’ll probably sit here and cry,” Patti lamented when asked what might happen if Sorrentino didn’t show.
Outside, where there was a heavy security presence, another pair of friends waited in line.
Paige Peguero, 18, and Katelyn O’Connor, 19, both Hobokenites, grasped a "Jersey Shore" T-shirt that "The Situation" would eventually autograph. They verged on speechlessness when asked how they felt about meeting the reality TV star.
“OMG, forget about it,” Peguero said. “I can’t even say any words,” she added between screams and giggles. O’Connor and Peguero both formerly worked at Carlo’s City Hall Bake Shop and have appeared in a few of episodes of "Cake Boss." Despite their experience rubbing elbows with reality TV superstardom, both were powerless to contain their enthusiasm.
A few moments later, a black, stretch limo rolled up carrying "The Situation" and his entourage. Never mind that he was a little more than an hour late, teenage girls screamed and man-children pumped their fists in the air as though their personal savior had arrived when Sorrentino emerged.
Smooth as velvet, "The Situation" strolled into the tanning salon escorted by Ashley DiSanto and Kat Fajardo, two L.A. Sunset employees. Then, fans stepped up to the table to meet "The Situation," beginning with a few VIPs and followed by Patti and Brousseau.
“It was awesome!” Patti beamed, clutching her autographed photo as she walked away.
For a little more than two hours, fans continued filing by the table for a photo op, an autograph and an up-close look at "The Situation’s" trademark sculpted abs, tanned to perfection, of course.
If the crowd at L.A. Sunset was any indication, "The Situation" has surprisingly wide appeal given that his show airs on the young-skewing MTV. Several Hoboken police officers were on hand for a photo op and to hug it out with the Staten Island native. Preppy college-aged guys posed with him, too. But his main audience appeared to be girls of all ages, many of them scantily clad. Girls in attendance ranged in age from approximately 8 years old to 82.
Indeed, 82 year-old Evelyn Sharp of North Bergen said her daughter got her hooked on "Jersey Shore." However, she got a little more than she bargained for when "The Situation" pulled up his shirt and revealed his abs to her.
“I was shy when the abs were out,” Sharp confessed afterward.
Michael Kanik, 20, of Union City, described himself as a “professional high-fiver.” He slipped "The Situation" a business card, high-fived with the TV star and had a picture taken while comparing abs with the perma-tanned MTV personality.
Kanik said he thought "The Situation" was impressed with neither his abs nor his being a professional high-fiver. When asked to critique "The Situation’s" high-five, Kanik said, “It was awful.''
Delia Patente, manager of the Hoboken L.A. Sunset, said the store had a “soft open” that coincided with the St. Patrick’s Day parade back in March, which made the first few days of business slow.
“Business has been good,” of late, she said, noting that the salon has been generating good word of mouth.
Last night’s event was intended to court publicity, she said:
“We wanted something big that would draw a crowd.''v
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