Snooki: 'Stop Havin Heart Attacks,' We're Not Coming to Morristown
Production company declined to say whether concerns raised by the community were a factor.
On second thought, nevermind.
With a week to go before the expected start of filming in Morristown of the "Snooki & JWoww" Jersey Shore spin-off series, the town was informed Thursday that there has been a change of plans.
"Today, 495 Productions decided not to film in Morristown and focus on other areas," Mayor Tim Dougherty wrote in a statement released Thursday. "We want to thank the production company for engaging in several calls with my administration and being open to discussing the possibility of certain conditions."
Those conditions, according to the statement, would have included restrictions on locations and hours of filming. Dougherty said the production company had been willing to accept the conditions.
"We’re just still sorting out other locations," said Jordan Nefouse, production manager for 495 Productions. "Due to the proximity of the show, we’re looking into other locations in other areas."
Asked whether or not all of the negative publicity that was spawned from the announcement—including one Morristown resident's petition to stop the Jersey Shore spin-off from filming here—Nefouse said, "I can’t really comment on any of these things because of the integrity of the show."
Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi actually posted a couple days ago a tweet that somehow flew under the radar, noting that plans had changed.
In response to another's tweet about the negative attention to the filming, Polizzi retweeted, "We aren't lol. Ppl can stop havin heart attacks."
"I made it clear there are a lot of residents that didn't want any type of filming of this show," Dougherty said.
The mayor noted, however, he could not "arbitrarily pick who comes to Morristown and I wouldn't do that."
"My whole position was to make sure they adhere to all our codes dealing with traffic, pedestrians, noise, and all of that would be enforced," he said. "They have chosen to go in a different direction."
What the change of plans means, however, is that the town now has time to fully investigate its options for instituting a formal permitting process for production companies seeking to film here.
Dougherty said the administration is considering it and may have something to present at the next Town Council meeting.
Dougherty noting Polizzi is now an East Hanover resident, as well as about eight months pregnant, might still want to consider patronizing some of Morristown's businesses catering to any potential cravings.
"If she feels like having frozen yogurt and wants to drive to Morristown to one of our yogurt places, who am I to say she can't come and enjoy all Morristown has to offer?" Dougherty said.
Do you think negative feedback played a part in the decision not to film in Morristown? Vote in our poll by clicking here.
Daniel J. Collins
11:21 am on Thursday, August 2, 2012
"the integrity of the show"?? I guess the bar for "integrity" has been lowered a bit.
Janet Blanchard
11:32 am on Thursday, August 2, 2012
Now all of you can stop whinning. Now on to the next thing you will find to have a problem with. #overitalready
Steve
12:24 pm on Thursday, August 2, 2012
I help all those negative people are happy now, for taking money away from business owners of Morristown. Way to support your local merchants.
Deric Raymond
1:28 pm on Thursday, August 2, 2012
The bars are doing just fine, thanks.
Anna
1:42 pm on Friday, August 3, 2012
Steve - The business owners aren't losing $ because they aren't filming here. As a resident of Morristown, I will tell you I that would not have stood for waiting in traffic or for stupid security for this show for one minute. Instead of dining in Morristown like I normally do, I would've ended up going to Bernardsville, Summit or elsewhere to AVOID that mess. When your regular customers leave to avoid the influx of ridiculousness, you aren't making money and in the end you risk losing the people that support you all year for a fleeting buck.
Cathy
1:09 pm on Thursday, August 2, 2012
I agree with Steve. Why can't we put the judgement of the show aside and think about what the filming could have done for Morristown? This was a big missed opportunity to bring in revenue and to put Morristown in the spot light. Now they will do it in East Hanover or Whippany.
Nordrom Keni
5:26 pm on Thursday, August 2, 2012
That is not the kind of spotlight most Morristown residents, including myself, wanted. Morristown already seems pretty bustling to me. It doesn't need an infusion of trashy guidos and guidettes. East Hanover can have them. I'm proud of the mayor and the town.
PeterB
1:11 pm on Thursday, August 2, 2012
I can't wait for another stupid petition to go around. Shows the poor leadership this town has. They could of made a boat load of money.
David Steketee
9:06 am on Friday, August 3, 2012
Not without having preexisting statutes on the books to generate revenue from their activities. It's not actually like that episode of the Simpsons where Mayor Quimby creates new fees every time a film company wants to do something. You also can't create laws which target just one person or company.
Dana Scolavino
1:16 pm on Thursday, August 2, 2012
They better not do it in whippany. They will get chased away from here also. That trash should be filmed in the city
David Steketee
9:07 am on Friday, August 3, 2012
How's the view from your horse?
Janet Blanchard
2:12 pm on Thursday, August 2, 2012
Steve and Cathy, I agree. It could have opened up other opportunitites. Oh well, let's see what other business adventures that isn't thier battle morristown folks will make stick thier noses in.
The Mud Lady
5:14 pm on Thursday, August 2, 2012
Jeez, it was like people were trying to prevent the Ku Klux Klan from demonstrating on The Green. People sure know how to whine in this town.
Ryan
9:16 am on Friday, August 3, 2012
We may not agree on Roots v. J&K but we definitely agree on this!
Maureen Denman
7:10 am on Friday, August 3, 2012
Seaside Heights' revenue increased by 77% in June alone as a result of the Jersey Shore presence in their town enabling the town to utilize the surplus cash to help balance their municipal budgets. It might have been nice for Morristown's administration to do the same. It certainly would have been a welcomed opportunity to all the local merchants in Morristown that have stuck it out & stayed in the town over the years. Steve - I'm sorry the town did not give you & the other businesses in town that opportunity!
Rich
7:46 am on Friday, August 3, 2012
Nice to wake up to good news. Well done by everyone who brought attention to this.
PeterB
8:50 am on Friday, August 3, 2012
Your ignorance amazes me!
Anna
1:43 pm on Friday, August 3, 2012
Rich - I agree 100%. Great news for Morristown! Well done.
The Mud Lady
6:59 pm on Friday, August 3, 2012
So scenes for a meaningless, harmless show not being filmed here is "Great News"? I would hate to see what you consider to be bad news.
Go Motown
10:55 am on Friday, August 3, 2012
I wish the residents of Morristown were just as proactive about important issues such as stacking or illegals. That all gets the blind eye. But if someone wants to film a TV show and perhaps generate some revenue as well as some publicity for the town out come the petitions.
ashley
2:38 pm on Friday, August 3, 2012
That was my tweet that Snooki replied to on the 28th saying that they weren't going to film in Morristown.
Mark A
4:15 pm on Friday, August 3, 2012
cool!
ANGELA
8:26 am on Saturday, August 4, 2012
SNOOKIE - U GO GIRL! IGNORE THE STUPID REMARKS RE FILMING IN MORRISTOWN. I LIVED IN WHIPPANY MOST OF MY LIFE AND HAVE MANY FRIENDS IN E. HANOVER AND I THINK U WILL LOVE IT THERE AND I THINK PEOPLE IN EH ARE NOT SO JUDGMENTAL AS THE STUCK UP, JUDGMENTAL MORRISTONIANS. JUST KEEP LAUGHING ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK BECAUSE THEY ARE JEALOUS OF YOU. I THINK IT WOULD BE A TRIP TO LIVE NEXT STORE TO YOU. YOU ARE ADORABLE AND HAVE A GREAT SENSE OF HUMOR......TOO BAD PEOPLE CANNOT LIVE AND LET LIVE.
I HOPE TO RUN INTO YOU SOMEDAY. BEST OF LUCK WITH YOU NEW BABY AND HAVE A HAPPY HEALTHY LIFE WITH GIANNI
David Steketee
8:34 am on Saturday, August 4, 2012
Just an FYI, there is a key on your keyboard to turn off CAPS.
The Mud Lady
10:25 am on Saturday, August 4, 2012
I was also in the "Let them film" camp, but you are doing us no favors with your illiterate post here.
Mary Wright
9:21 am on Saturday, August 4, 2012
I hope they keep that trash show out of Morris County altogether, it doesn't belong here. They might call it "Jersey Shore" but they're not from NJ. Please! People from Morris County don't go to Seaside Heights for a reason, so don't bring it to us.
David Steketee
9:26 am on Saturday, August 4, 2012
How does the world look when you see it through your nose?
The Mud Lady
10:28 am on Saturday, August 4, 2012
I haven't been to Seaside in ages, but how the heck do you know that people from Morris County don't go there? Did you take some sort of census to get this information?
Mary Wright
11:36 am on Saturday, August 4, 2012
Ok! Your right I don't know if all of Morris County stays clear of Seaside Heights, but I do know they should.. I know a lot of people that will not go to Seaside Heights because of its high crime.
Seaside Heights, NJ City-data.com crime index compared to nearest cities:
(Note: Higher means more crime)
Seaside Heights: 672.6
Seaside Park: 219.1
Lavallette: 156.8
Ocean Gate: 88.8
Island Heights: 42.5
Pine Beach: 69.3
Beachwood: 153.0
South Toms River: 178.5
Mantoloking: 345.5
Violent crime index in 2010
Seaside Heights: 617.9
U.S. Average: 222.7
People say Newark is a really bad place. That's sad, because it has lower crime rates Seaside Heights.
Newark, NJ City-data.com crime index compared to nearest cities:
(Note: Higher means more crime)
Newark: 544.1
Irvington: 759.5
East Newark: 127.4
Harrison: 169.5
Orange: 546.4
Elizabeth: 551.3
South Orange: 234.3
East Orange: 366.7
Kearny: 191.0
Violent crime index in 2010
Newark: 579.7
U.S. Average: 222.7
Morristown, NJ City-data.com crime index compared to nearest cities:
(Note: Higher means more crime)
Morristown: 184.2
Morris Plains: 81.3
Madison: 51.6
Chatham: 41.8
Bernardsville: 27.7
Florham Park: 26.0
Mountain Lakes: 80.4
Mendham: 26.1
Rockaway: 65.5
Violent crime index in 2010
Morristown: 179.0
U.S. Average: 222.7
And David my nose has nothing to do with it, but the safety of my family does..
The Mud Lady
4:01 pm on Saturday, August 4, 2012
This superfluous amount of statistics literally has nothing to do with having two people who aren't even from Seaside filming a few scenes in Morristown. It would be like me trying to prove the same point and giving you the Olympic medal count.
"And David my nose has nothing to do with it, but the safety of my family does.."
This is the most overly-dramatic thing I've heard all month. You'd have to be irrational to think that Snooki coming to town for a few days would threaten you or your family's safety.
Harry
2:48 am on Sunday, August 5, 2012
I feel like the grammer police. It's "could have" not "could of " . And I barely passed english.
Mark A
1:09 pm on Tuesday, August 7, 2012
explains why you cannot spell grammar
Cj
11:16 am on Sunday, August 5, 2012
I feel so sorry for this kid about to be born. Shut the show down would be the best thing that could happen
Kira
9:10 am on Monday, August 6, 2012
Nancy duggen, they spelled it correctly. Pregnant. So did you misread or are you saying "pregnent" is the correct spelling? That worries me.....
Doctor MO
10:40 am on Sunday, August 12, 2012
It already takes me 10mns to get out of town in the mornings...
Caroline
6:10 pm on Friday, August 31, 2012
I was at a restaurant in Morristown a few years ago when they filmed part of the Real Housewives. Because of the production assistants, lights, camera, and waiter staff standing around star struck, people ended up leaving the restaurant. After we waited an hour for our food, we left and had coffee and dessert elsewhere. This isn't what I want for my town.
In related news, Jersey Shore was just cancelled for low ratings. Any economic boost too the town couldn't have been that spectacular if the show can't even support the mediocre ratings required by cable networks. I'm sure Seaside gets a boost in the economy every June since that's the start of shire season and the end of school. But that's just logic talking....
Doug
3:15 am on Friday, December 21, 2012
I've seen the Jersey Shore filming in Seaside and it was never in the way of anyone. I have also had the chance to meet some of the characters too and they are nice people. As a resident of Morristown, I would've loved to seen them here.