Who Is Worth More: 'Jersey Shore' or 'The Hills'?

By Steven Avalos Posted Jan 25th 2010 02:22PM

When the 'Jersey Shore' cast refused to sign on for a second season, which included a $10,000 signing bonus and $5,000 per episode, MTV made a new offer of $10,000 an episode. But according to TMZ, the cast isn't budging and now the network is threatening to replace 'Jersey' favs like Snooki and The Situation if they don't accept MTV's deal by Monday evening. (To put it into perspective, Brody Jenner makes almost the same as the 'Jersey' stars, just for small cameos on 'The Hills.') So why can't MTV throw a guido a break? After the jump, see 'Jersey Shore' and 'Hills' salaries.

Salary disputes for reality television are nothing new, especially at MTV. In Fall 2008 (at the height of 'The Hills' popularity), rumblings of salary demands began to circulate on various blogs, with PopCrunch reporting that Lauren Conrad was raking in $75,000 an episode ($1.4 million per year) and Heidi Montag was making $65K per episode ($1.25 million annually). The full roundup:

Lauren Conrad: $75,000 per episode ($1.4 million per year)
Heidi Montag: $65,000 per episode ($1.25 million per year)
Spencer Pratt: $65,000 per episode ($1.25 million per year)
Audrina Patridge: $35,000 per episode ($665,000 annually)
Whitney Port: $20,000 per episode ($380,000 per season)
Brody Jenner: $10,000 per episode ($190,000 a year)
Lauren "Lo" Bosworth: $10,000 per episode ($190,00 for The Hills Season 4)
Stephanie Pratt: $8,000 per episode ($152,00 for Season 4)

The lowest earner was Spencer Pratt's little sister, Stephanie, who was said to be earning almost $10,000 an episode, which is about on par with what Snooki and the gang are being offered. So is it fair to be paying a key-character like The Situation the same amount as Pratt? We definitely disagree -- at the very least he should be making a few thousand per ab. We may be in a recession but the controversial 'Jersey Shore' has been a bona fide hit for the network.

Tags: jersey shore, JerseyShore, the hills, TheHills

Comments

(60)

Tuesday 26 January

By me

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Jersey Shore is like watching a bad car wreck..... but why is it that none of from JERSEY???? Rhode Island, Poughkepsie, NY and CT, to name a few,.... are represented.... NOT JERSEY. People are now jumping on the "bash Jersey" bandwagon thinking that these rejects are supposed to be the typical Jersey girl or guy? Back in the late 80's and early 90's maybe.... but seriously.... as a JERSEY girl born and raised.... my "bump" and my "claws" left the scene long ago.

By rockhound34x

Both shows suck. All they do is glorify a bunch of wanna-be idiots who would be working at Wal-Mart if not for these cushy jobs. When I see a bunch of bad acting and wasted air time, it annoys me that they even get paid what they do. Reality check guys...just like all reality based shows, you will all end up in the has been file soon enough. You will develope a death rattle soon as you plunge into obscurity. Kate Gosselin, case in point.

By Lomax McGee

ugh.

By Thoroughmans

They don't need a raise. Just fire their butts and get new people. Drama will still happen and people will still get emotionally involved regardless of who the people are.

By LISA

I watch the show regularly but honestly they are not that interesting. I really feel like LC, replace them every season w/a new cast. I'm sure there are lots of interesting guidos out there, in fact I'm sure of it. The heads on these people are getting too big just like snookies gut.

By tammy

those figures are wrong and purposely low to make the article more interesting.Lo is on the hills all the time and would never be paid what you are saying. She is in almost every episode and Brody gets 40,000 everytime he is on. Audrina gets way more than 35,000 an episode and Kristen who is the star you did not mention is paid 90,000 an episode. I think the hills stars attract way more press and attention and are long lasting. The Jersey shore is good but will never have that kind of staying power. The hills stars get way more than the Jersey shore kids and they should. I know these figures are low though. You did get Laurens correct however at 75,000 per episode.

By regina

Replace them with jersey born people !!!!

By KarynInToga

Hey Dave, If watching reality T V is that bad, Then how bad is reading articles about it and getting all fired up. I'd say worse.

Wednesday 27 January

By Dave

Yea, spending 3 minutes of my time is much worse than wasting an hour per episode taking in useless content and falsely believing that what I'm seeing is real. What a joke. It is no wonder this country has the problems it has.

By Bernie Dippolito

From the muscle head's latest criminal act, to all the girls acting like (and being) whores, this is not a show to be perpetrating on our already low moral youth. Abusive drinking, getting laid by anybody , and sucker punching innocents , should be save for fiction and not a current event example of how our young Americans act.

By aerofanz

These types of shows make me fear for the future of our country. I don't know how our culture came to think these kinds of shows and these kinds of losers could or should be considered entertainment. Anything they're paid over minimum wage is too much and they should consider themselves lucky.

By Beach-Baby1

If they do not want that amount of money for a summer party...I say hire different people. I am SURE MTV can find other people who would LOVE that amount of money in today's economy! And have a summer at the shore! Let that cast find REAL jobs!

By RL

The dumbest thing is paying them any money at all...

By teeball

east coast white trash,take away the money and it's just another trailer trash half hour...

By Lori

Frist, Ronnie's pointy hairdo has got to go! They are making more money then any of them would make in a lifetime. They are milking for every cent because they know how popular they are! Don't raise them and you would see how fast they would grab the money!

By Tony

I am ashamed to adim i wasted a hour of my life watching this realality TV gone wrong. Pay raise? they should pay me to watch this doo doo

By jacki

First off Jersey shore is some fake people that are money hungry and are a bunch of fake Italians because no Italian acts like that

By Andre

Best Idea: Cancel the show....and save a life, maybe they'll stop killing themselves in the tanning beds!

By Guest

Snooki looks like a man dressed in drag.

By melis

the jersey shore show has went to their heads and now they thank they are movie stars demanding more money. ha ha both shows are stupid. jersey shore is a group of people who like to party, and the hills is a bunch of rich snobs that think they are better than every one...gosh give us some piece and cancel both shows. none of the cast of either show deserve any more money.....and everyone can be replaced!!!!gosh there is enough reality shows on, seems like everyone has their show if they want it.

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