I've been thinking the past few days about what it means to be a "Jersey Girl." Very few other states have entire stereotypes based around their female population--I mean, you never hear about "Vermont Girls" or "Alaska Girls" or "Arizona Girls." "Jersey Girls" has been the title of at least two movies (did you know there was one made in 1992 as well as the 2004 one?) and several songs (well, at least one song, sung by both Tom Waits and Bruce Springsteen).

Aside from saying that Jersey Girls were one of the Eight Wonders of the Jersey Shore, here's something I read in the Asbury Park Press's 2008 Summer Guide:

"They tend to have these traits in common: resiliency, independence, a hair-trigger temper, strong family bonds, issues with their mothers, really nice hair, pride in their state, a lengthy list of gripes about New Jersey, a bunch of guy friends, a closet full of cute shoes, at least one hooded sweatshirt, ticket stubs from more than one Springsteen concert, a Costco membership card, a love of the Shore, a couple of points on their driver's licenses (which were totally unfair, by the way), an unbelievably high tolerance for sports on TV and--and this is important--the ability to swear like a stevedore, if absolutely necessary."

-Shannon Mullen

And here's the definition taken from the Urban Dictionary, excerpted from the Newark Star-Ledger:

“She's humble, but ambitious. She's independent, but family-oriented. She likes pizza, beer and lots of mascara, but don't think for a second that she's not sophisticated.

"She's the Jersey Girl, and she's one of the Garden State's most enduring icons- a readily identifiable personality, as much a part of America's cultural landscape as that other great Jerseyan, Frank Sinatra.

"So who is a Jersey Girl? There's a chance you're one- but residency isn't all it takes. The Girl has a specific character, both in pop culture and in the hearts and minds of Jerseyans.

"First there are the surface qualities: A love of an unpretentious good time, and a certain sense of style. Jersey Girls are about attitude. They're about eating pizza, drinking beer, having great hair- and enjoying it all.

"She's a girl who enjoys the mall, might wear more makeup than the Ivy League would approve of, and gives some thought to her hair. She's got a mouth on her. She says what she means. And she's got a nice, cheerful laugh. She's spunky and witty, and she handles competition very well. She's got that confidence- everyone from New Jersey has that confidence.

"A Jersey Girl is crunchy on the outside, and soft in the center. A Jersey Girl has the tenacity and drive of a New Yorker, but with the beauty of warmth and humility that being from Jersey is all about. Don't mistake her toughness as a lack of refinement. Don't misjudge her sometimes “brash” manners as a lack of 'classiness.' At the center of the crunchy sweet exterior, she is tuned in and knows how and what she's working.

"A Jersey Girl doesn't have to have a high-powered career, but whatever work she does, she gives it her all- and she takes care of her family at the same time. The overall makeup, if you will, of a true Jersey Girl: hard-working, family-oriented, spirited, one of a kind. And if you're lucky, she's your wife.

"Bottom line, all of them are sexy as hell.”

Am I a Jersey Girl? No, I don't think so. But I don't think it's ever come as a shock to anyone that I'm from Jersey.



Date: June 2007
Where/What: Girl by volleyball nets, Ocean Twp., NJ
Shutter: 1/5
Aperture: f 3.5
ISO: 100

Listening to: And Your Bird Can Sing (Beatles)
Thankful for: growing up 2 miles from the shore. not that I ever used the beach as such, but I'm grateful that I always had the option.