In examining New Jersey’s worst, do we forget the best?

    In case you’ve forgotten, the same place that brought us the Jersey Shore also gave us Bruce Springsteen and Thomas Edison.And the actual Jersey Shore.Writer Jen Miller wants to remind us the place we love to hate is also a place we love, in a way.
    In a feature for Salon.com, Miller makes the case for her state: “New Jersey is simply a cultural breeding ground. We’re this way by default, since the suburbs of two major cities reside within our boundaries and there are a lot of people here.”For every example of a tanned, accented, made-up Jersey resident we see on TV, Miller sites the names of actors, bands and innovators who hail from the Garden State, as well. We go to the Shore, listen to the music and watch the Jersey-based reality shows that seem to be taking over cable channels. It’s like when your friend from the suburbs comes to Center City for dinner and feels the need to remind you about why she hates Philadelphia. Gee, thanks.Could it be we need New Jersey more than we’d like to admit?

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