New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R)
said the vastly popular “Jersey Shore” television show on MTV is dragging the
state’s image through the mud and doesn’t accurately reflect its many virtues.

“[Jersey Shore is] negative for New Jersey,” Christie told Jake
Tapper on ABC’s This Week. “It takes a bunch of New Yorkers, who are — most of
the people on “Jersey Shore” are New Yorkers — takes a bunch of New Yorkers,
[and it] drops them at the Jersey shore and tries to make America feel like
this is New Jersey.”

Christie is fond of pointing to Bruce Springsteen as a good
representative of a New Jersey icon. The state also gained popularity recently
with the mafia-themed HBO show, “The Sopranos,” which mainly takes place in New
Jersey and contains an ample amount of execution-style murders.

But that didn’t stop Christie from putting in a plug for his
state.

“[If people] want to know what New Jersey really is, I
welcome them to come to New Jersey any time,” Christie said. “The Jersey shore
is a beautiful place, and it’s a place that everybody should come on vacation
this summer. We’ve got another six weeks or so of summer left. Come to New
Jersey.”