Welcome to 50 Years of Jaws

 How many times this week did you hear that it was the 50th anniversary of Jaws?

Well, I’m here to mention it again. 

I’m a fan of the first Jaws movie. I haven’t seen any of the sequels except for Jaws 3D (though not in 3D) - and I actually kind of like that one. I have ridden “Jaws the Ride” at Universal Studios Osaka - this was a really cool experience ride that I only partially understood  since the “guide” only spoke Japanese. I think we rode it about three times. I also got a hat, which I still wear.

I did not like the Jurassic Park ride.

Jaws is not my favorite movie, but it is one that I can stream on a hot summer day and pretend I’m at the beach. Not that I want sharks to show up at my favorite beach, but one of the incidents Jaws is based on happened near my favorite beach town in New Jersey.

Side note: my favorite movie is a different Steven Spielberg movie that also features practical effect monsters.

Jaws changed the way people went to the movies. The term “blockbuster” (may the store rest in corporate afterlife) was coined because people liked up around the block to purchase tickets. Soon after, any “big” movie with a large audience was branded a blockbuster and advertised as such (gotta maximize those profits).

It also changed the way people viewed sharks.

Prior to the 1900s (the century not the decade), most people didn’t interact with sharks unless they were fishermen or caught in a shipwreck. 

However, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, seaside vacations became popular with the upper classes. Cape May became one of the first beach resort towns that New Yorkers flocked to. It was in 1916 when a series of shark attacks took place off the coast of Ocean City, New Jersey (this is explicitly referenced in the film). It caused a panic, like in the movie, but the casualties were spread out all along the south New Jersey coast.

More than half century later and there were far more people frolicking in the water. Peter Benchley came to regret his 1974 novel of the same name as the movie because of the increased fear of sharks. This fear may have led to more people killing sharks and causing their populations to decrease. Yes, shark attacks continue to increase, but that’s because humans are encroaching more and more into their territory, not because they like the taste of human. 

Consequently, Benchley became a shark conservationist and dedicated much of his later life to educating people about sharks. Apparently, there’s now even a shark named after him colloquially known as the ninja lanternshark (Etmopterus benchleyi), which was confirmed in 2015.

I consider Jaws to be an adventure horror movie - a very rare mashup in my opinion. Like many films by Spielberg, there’s a sense of wonderment and exploration that blankets the film through the horror of the shark attacks. Even John Williams score volleys between suspenseful and creepy (the shark’s theme) to whimsical and thrilling (Chief Brody’s ending theme while shooting at the shark). 

It’s also rated PG instead of PG13 (mostly because PG13 wouldn’t come around until Spielberg’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in 1984). 

Jurassic Park (also directed by Spielberg) has a similar adventure horror mix as Jaws, as does The Mummy (1999) and The Mummy Returns (though those two aren’t Spielberg’s). The scary parts are still there, but I feel like I’m on an adventure when I watch them.

And 50 years later, Jaws still holds up. The practical effects are great, the characters believable and relatable, and the shark is still scary. 

Fun fact: the shark’s name became Bruce on set after Spielberg’s lawyer. 

There were multiple versions of the shark, none of which worked quite right nor looked very good, which is why you don’t see much of the shark. This caused creative use of the camera and shots taken, adding to the film aging well. I saw a version of Bruce at Universal Japan as a kid (that same trip mentioned above). 

I’m also not afraid of sharks and never really was. My biggest fear in the ocean as a kid was seaweed. My grandfather told me seaweed was mermaid hair and that really freaked me out. I didn’t go in the water for three years. Drove my parents nuts.

I recently won a copy of “Robert Shaw: An Actor’s Life on the Set of Jaws and Beyond” from GoodReads. I haven’t read it yet, but I’m looking forward to cracking it open on a sunny day at the Jersey Shore. Maybe I’ll even pick up a copy of the original “Jaws” book too.

Happy 50th birthday Jaws. May Jurassic Park age as well as you. 

Until next week.

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Welcome to the Jersey Shore Habitat

When people think of the beach, they may have some misconceptions about America’s Armpit: New Jersey. The MTV show of the 2000s and 2010s featured a bunch of people from Staten Island (which is in New York by the way) being as stereotypical as possible. This was “The Jersey Shore” for many.

But growing, I spent time in South Jersey, north of Cape May and the Wildwoods (there are a few), on a 7-mile island (conveniently called 7-Mile Island). The beaches on this island were smaller, well guarded, and fairly shallow. It was perfect for families wanting a safe area for their kids to enjoy - and it still is.

From my (limited) experience, New Jersey takes care of the beaches. Each town provides seasonal tags the produce enough revenue for lifeguards and cleaning crews. Their sand dunes are well protected and high, preventing damages from storms. Even after super storm Sandy in 2012, the beaches were ready for the 2013 season.

Picture of Ocean City, NJ.

But the Jersey Shore isn’t just an excellent place for people, it’s also a fantastic habitat for plants and animals. Laughing Gulls are a dime a dozen - stalking people foolish enough to bring food to the beach - however, the rarer Red Knots can also be spotted on their migration from Mexico to Canada, stuffing themselves on horseshoe crab eggs to complete the journey. 7-Mile Island has two bird sanctuaries, along with a protected area at the southern tip of the island, and a Wetlands Institute that educates visitors on local marine wildlife.

Cacti can be seen in the sand dunes, while sea grass and kelp will wash up during a bad storm. There are rocks for an octopus to hide and barnacles to stick to. The brackish water of the back bays that separate the many barrier islands from the mainland are good spawning area for sharks and fish. Plenty of filter feeders like clams and muscles hang out in those waters too.

Even bunnies and rabbits call the islands home. They have very few predators on the islands (apart from people’s pet dogs which are supposed to be on leashes).

Off the coast of New Jersey, the state has started building artificial reefs for animals, fishermen, and divers. They sink boats and other materials (even a whole subway car in some reports) to build the reefs. It’s part of an effort to keep the ocean habitat diverse and healthy.

Though I didn’t see them this year, a family of dolphins tend to hang out at the southern tip of 7-Mile Island. They’re far enough away that people can’t really get to them, but ever year someone tries to swim out to them. The lifeguards blow their whistles and, if the people are really stupid, bring out a life boat to rescue the morons. Not only is the surf strong going out to sea once you can’t touch the bottom, the dolphins also aren’t very friendly and will bludgeon anything that gets to near.

However if you see the dolphins, you can rest assure that sharks in the area have scattered. 

Yes, sharks are off the Jersey coast (like in ever ocean), however the shallower waters only provide easy access for sand sharks and dogfish to come close. Earlier this year (2023), a surfer was bitten by a shark, but they was fine.

Remember, the ocean isn’t just your playground. It’s an ecosystem and habitat that provides food and shelter to a lot of plants and animals. Migratory birds enjoy the layover before flying north to Canada. Turtles and horseshoe crabs feel safe enough to lay their eggs. You can go dolphin and whale watching. You might even spot a bunny or two.

100 years ago, hardly anyone lived on 7-Mile Island. Now there’s summer houses from North to Southern tip. It’s only three blocks wide from East to West. And rising seas could swallow it whole.

Welcome to the real Jersey Shore.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, comment, and/or share it. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y’all like hearing from me.

Until next week.