By Sarah Fertsch
Let’s consider the geographic layout of our neck of the woods. We have Philadelphia, home of cheesesteaks and Eagles fans. Then, we have the Jersey suburbs of Philly, like Cherry Hill, Camden and Collingswood. The Pinelands lay between those towns and the Jersey Shore. And we all know the Jersey Shore is more than big hair and partying. How is the Jersey Shore represented in pop culture? Here are a few examples:
Silver Linings Playbook
(Book and Movie)
The story surrounds Pat Peoples, a mentally ill man who falls in love with Tiffany, another person struggling with loss and trauma. After leaving a mental health facility, Pat moves back in with his parents in Collingswood. He and his friends visit Ocean City. The author Matthew Quick describes the Ninth Street Bridge, the Wonderland Ferris Wheel, and spending time on the beach. Pat, as he reintegrates into normal life, celebrates his identity as a South Jersey resident (watching Eagles games, visiting Philadelphia, and eating cheesesteaks).
The Wonder Years
(Heavy Metal Band)
The alternative, heavy metal band has roots in Philadelphia, but the lead singer has fond memories of spending summers in Ocean City. In fact, the band has a song, “I don’t know who I was then,” that recounts an experience the lead singer had at Shore Memorial Hospital in Somers Point. The Wonder Years describe their sound as perfect for “a kid from the suburbs with a whole lot of feelings.”
Boardwalk Empire
(Television Show)
The HBO series is set primarily in Atlantic City, and follows Nucky Johnson, the mayor-gangster who orchestrates various schemes during the Prohibition Era. The show features characters such as the sheriff of Atlantic County and other gangsters from Atlantic City and beyond. The show was nominated for 57 Emmy awards, winning 20. Watch this suspenseful show to learn more about the rich history of Atlantic City and the cultural seed that bloomed into our home today.
Rosalind Cash (Actress)
She was an American singer and actress, and was born in 1938 in Atlantic City. Cash graduated with honors from Atlantic City High School. She performed in The Cosby Show, the Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Golden Girls, L.A. Law, and films such as The Omega Man and Wrong is Right. She received an Emmy Award nomination for her work in Go Tell It On The Mountain. Ms. Cash passed away in 1995.
Grace Kelly (Actress)
The Kelly family owned a beach house in Ocean CIty on 26th and Wesley Avenue. Grace starred in “High Noon,” an Alfred Hitchcock film that won four Academy Awards. She also acted in the following films: “The Bridge to Toko-Ri”, “Rear Window,” “The Country Girl,” and “Rear Fire.” Kelly passed away in 1982, after earning a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Can you think of more? Let us know.
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