It’s been 15 years since the premiere of MTV’s Jersey Shore. At the time, the show stirred up mixed feelings: It irritated locals, offended media members, and even bothered the state’s highest elected official. It was also a bona fide sensation. Even after everyone’s anger and fake tans have faded away, there’s still a lot to learn from the battle between Jersey Shore and the state of New Jersey.

In this narrative feature, Alan Siegel takes a closer look at a pop culture war that, in some ways, is still raging today. Featuring exclusive interviews with Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi and former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, Alan investigates what exactly Jersey Shore taught us about representation in the media, regional identity, and what it means to be a “guido.”