Jersey Shore's Snooki and The Situation Make Economics 101 Easy!

Did you know Jersey Shore is educational programming? True story. Yes, if there's one thing the young lads and ladies of MTV's most popular series enjoy -- aside, of course, from tanning beds, jäger bombs, Juicy Couture sweatsuits, hot tub parties and hair gel, that is -- it's teaching. Take, for instance, their appearance Tuesday morning at the New York Stock Exchange, where they rang the opening bell (and drew so many gawkers that the facility ran out of guest passes). Clearly, the visit was intended not merely as one more stop in a shameless and seemingly never-ending odyssey of self-promotion, but as a clever way to tutor their fans in the basics of economics, from the perils of asset bubbles to the benefits of collective bargaining.

Don't quite see it? Let us explain.