Time to Take Out a Hit on This TV Disaster

I’m going to request some latitude on content for today’s missive, as I’m going to focus on popular culture, instead of highlighting critical accounting-centric issues that are impacting practitioners.

But since it involves tax, or rather tax evasion, I could make the lukewarm argument that it has an accounting connection in some aspect.

No, this involves two of arguably my least favorite people on the planet, one Teresa Guidice and her simian-like husband, Guiseppe “Joe” Guidice, stars of the equally offensive “Real Housewives of New Jersey” reality series, which in my opinion rivals “Jersey Shore” in terms of vacuous viewing.

As an Italian-American I won’t drone on endlessly about how the distasteful stereotype that this garbage programming reflects on our tribe, but I can assure you my family does not regularly employ phrases like “Yo” and “fuggedabbouit,”  nor do we flip over tables in fits of anger as does the tempestuous Teresa.

So let be borrow a phrase from another ethnic group – schadenfreude – which loosely defined is deriving pleasure from the misfortunes of others.

Last week, New Jersey prosecutors slapped the duo with a 39-count indictment charging them with fraud and tax evasion, a conspiracy to defraud lenders, illegally obtaining mortgages as well as hiding assets and income during a bankruptcy case.

In addition, Joe Guidice was charged with failure to file tax returns for tax years 2004 through 2008, during which time he allegedly earned nearly $1 million.

Which begs the question of how on earth could a lunkhead like this, who looks like he could lift a ton but not spell it and is incapable of stringing together four consecutive words without cursing, earn upwards of $200K a year?

But nevertheless I’m not ashamed to say I’m smiling.

Now celebrity tax foibles are nothing new – seemingly each week, another celebrity is charged with failure to pay taxes (don’t any of them have competent accountants?) and the list is a long one including Nicolas Cage, Willie Nelson, Lionel Ritchie, Wesley Snipes, Pamela Anderson, Burt Reynolds, and no surprise here, Lindsay Lohan.

But back to the Garden State couple.

All told, the Guidices can face up to 36 years in prison if convicted on all charges. In addition we learned that Joe is not a U.S. citizen and can be deported. So let me get this straight, non-U.S. citizens, some with college degrees are being shipped out and this dolt is allowed to stay?

I say 36 years may a bit too harsh. I recommend solitary confinement for at least 6 months with a television airing a continuous roll of RHONJ episodes.

Either way, hopefully this will ring the death knell for a series that should not have lasted past one season let alone 5.

I didn’t think it was possible, but by comparison, this couple even makes Snooki look good.