DC ExtraTime: The Kedo Guido Takes Las Vegas

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

Ten years ago this summer, MTV was faced with its first summer without the show that guided them through their first period of 21st century renewal in Total Request Live, which signed off one last time from its Times Square studio in late 2008. But there was a week in early December of 2009 that would shape the channel's next decade, one whose roots were planted that summer by Amber Portwood, Catelynn Lowell and Maci Bookout when they appeared on 16 & Pregnant, and whose progress through the early stages of parenthood were documented on spinoff series Teen Mom.

   A few days before they and original girl Farrah Abraham extended those 15 minutes of fame with a show that has now lasted ten years, another group would help set the path that would help to reinvent MTV during an age where YouTube, Netflix and social media would compete with the attention of the short attention spanned millennial audience. Jersey Shore debuted on December 3, 2009 and from the start the show made a big impact... first for negative reasons before the show even debuted in placing the state of New Jersey and the Italian American population in a bad light. It was further amplified when a then-uncensored clip of a man punching a female castmate at the bar gave it unwelcome publicity during those first weeks in the midst of the holidays.

   But eventually, things would come around thanks to any kind of publicity... and fans and viewers alike would ultimately embrace Snooki, Mike The Situation, J-Woww and the rest of the group during the show's original six-season run, numerous spinoffs and the whole group getting together for the Family Vacation revival last year. Everything from famous one-liners and catch phrases to the romance of Ronnie & Sammi and the group's unique dynamic would become cultural hallmarks, as did the time share house and Danny's Shore Store on the Seaside Heights Boardwalk that became the epicenter of attention of the public every summer by the Atlantic. Their success inspired many Shore spinoff series in Britain, Europe, Latin America and here at home with Floribama Shore.

While #SamRon, Snooki & J-Woww, and the Sitch's abs were the focus of those first two seasons, someone who flew under the radar early on was Vinny Guadagnino, who takes pride in being a proud mama's boy being raised on Staten Island from a traditional Italian-American family. His mom, Paola, was born in the town of Sicily on their family farm, and immigrated to America at age 13. When he gave birth to her, he almost died upon delivery and had to spend a few weeks in hospital before it became safe for him to come home to eventually becoming a middle child with two sisters.
   Vinny has always been that one who the girls always love to bring home to mom, but having a near 4.0 GPA college, who loves to write stories and has a political science major & an internship for a NY State assemblyman under his belt, he also has the smarts that would also be welcome to parents. And had the show not been a success, you would've likely seen him in the hallways of law school... his LSAT test took place hours before his national TV debut.

   As we've seen both in those first two seasons and then in this reboot, Vinny sure has a long history with Angelina... and there was that time long ago when he was spotted in bed with Snooki. We all know that he is the master of the fist-pump, and he also got to invite celebs to his house for his own talk show in the company of his family. And of course, there's the famous bromance with DJ Pauly D. that's brought them to so many places together the past decade, including their latest chapter on A Double Shot at Love with Pauly and Vinny, undoubtedly the most hilarious and lighthearted of all the romantic reality shows that have been on TV this year.

   Both those who know & have followed Vinny all this time know about his family's famous Sunday dinners, for which it became a weekly tradition for his adopted second family. Last year, who can forget Paola & uncle Nino flying all the way down to Miami with their food for a big dinner with the group towards the end of that first Vacation, followed by another one on Thanksgiving. Both mama Guadagnino and her son even had their own cooking show on The Cooking Channel.

   But also in the nutrition department, Vinny has become the most prominent celebrity to endorse the keto diet: a plan that embraces low-carb, moderate protein and high fat. His own keto diet Instagram @KetoGuido has over 700,000 followers, and has seen him shave off 50 lbs., earning Kourtney Kardashian and Halle Barry's approval. And it was just this summer that he dropped his own keto cookbook in bookstores to bring his newest passion into the home kitchens of families everywhere.

While he has been part of our Thursdays the past year - both with Pauly and with the rest of his cast, Vinny has spent time out in Las Vegas, not just spending plenty of time with his bromance partner in crime, but also for a bigger gig that's enabled him to add more to his resume and take away that "boy next door" image for something more revealing. Last year during Final Reckoning, we showcased the male topless dancing troupe The Chippendales, when Ex On The Beach UK turned U.S. Challenger Joss Mooney joined them on stage one night and followed in the footsteps of his fellow #Jogan bromance partner, Rogan O'Connor - himself a stripper touring with the Dreamboys around Britain.
   This past Thursday's episode - which coincidentally coincided with the celebrated release of Mike The Situation after his 8-month-long prison sentence and starting his new married life with wife Lauren Sorrentino - brought most of the group back to where the second installment of the Vacation began: Las Vegas. There, Vinny was appointed by the Chippendales to serve as a guest host for one month at its flagship location at the Rio Hotel & Casino, located across I-15 from the Strip. As we've seen both this and last week, he sprained his ankle during rehearsals and had to spend some time riding in a cart around the hotels and Vegas... and we should see more of it during the coming episodes. And as we know now, he returned to Sin City for another residency at that show in June & July.
   Earlier this summer, one of those who was on a Las Vegas-based season of The Real World and loved the city so much that she actually decided to move out there permanently, several times Challenger and MTV staple Kailah Casillas, got to attend one of Vinny's Chippendales shows... and perhaps we can place our bets on her popping up on a coming Jerzday episode again just as she & her man Mikey P. did when they were at Ronnie's baby shower to begin season 2 - who's good friends with the JS crew. Below, a photo of them and the rest of the squad after their performance, plus Vinny talking to Entertainment Tonight about his gig.

Courtesy: Chippendales Las Vegas

On an additional note, earlier this year Kailah got to launch her own web show, Kicking It with Kailah, on YouTube and the HB Radio platform. A few of those she's gotten to star with on MTV have joined her in the studio as did the showrunner of the season that got her initiated in reality TV and many more, and all the webcasts are up now on HB Radio, as well as Kailah's YouTube hub.

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