TRLiens

Yes, as a high-brow college student, I scoff at MTV. The reasons for its demise are endless--"Tough Enough" instead of videos, Simon Rex a porn star, it's practically the Britney network, the list goes on.

Well, that's during the school year. This summer, I received a piece of news that warped my too-cool convictions--the MTV Beach House was at the Jersey Shore. I began to dream of a lime-colored beach house and Carson Daly in swim trunks. I wanted to look into the TRL lens and shout, "I'm Meghan from New Jersey and I'm requesting 'Overprotected!!!' Wooooo!!!" as friends looked on with envy.

With new fervor for the pre-teen music network, we braved Garden State Parkway gridlock to Seaside Heights, the bastion of seedy South Jersey boardwalks. Spotting the house's neon awning, we took to the beach, hoping for a shoreside approach. Within 100 yards of the stage, we were stopped by a harried intern with the name Barry on his lanyard.

"You can't come in here, sorry," the little suck-up said.

We begged, sweet-talked, debated, but Barry held firm. We could see the audience for TRL assembling, and Carson on the house's balcony. We stooped to telling Barry about a terminally ill aunt dreaming to see us on TV, that this was our shot at television stardom. We even pulled out flirtatious wiles. To no avail.

A few days later, we talked to our friend Cragin.

"I called the MTV studio and got TRL tickets!" she said. "Who wants to come?"

Alas, if we'd only known it were that simple.