Here's 'The Situation': Mike Sorrentino Talks About Possibly Leaving 'Jersey Shore'

Oct. 11, 2010— -- Other reality TV shows may have high-speed cook-offs or intense fashion letdowns, but there's only one where all a participant has to do is flash his washboard abs to get a ratings boost.

Known to millions of fans as "The Situation" on the explosive MTV reality show, "Jersey Shore," 28-year-old Mike Sorrentino boasts that his popular nickname based on his chiseled stomach was his own creation.

"When I first told people the name "Situation" ... they were like, 'That's the best thing I've ever heard,'" he said.

"The Situation" is the alpha male on the show that profiles eight housemates living under one roof as they spend their summers going out to clubs, getting into brawls and jumping into bed together.

Sorrentino's theory for why the show is so popular is its "combination of a number of characters," and said his talents expand beyond his six-pack.

"I work very hard on my body, and I'm not just known for my six-pack or my body," he said. "I also believe that I have pretty good camera presence. ... Those one-liners, those are not practiced. They just come out naturally."

Those one-liners from the show have become pop-culture catchphrases, from calling unattractive women "grenades" to going through "The Situation's" morning routine while living in the "Jersey Shore" house, which he dubbed "GTL."

"Gym, Tan, Laundry: G-T-L," he said. "It's ironically hilarious and makes sense, at the same time."

But are Mike Sorrentino and "The Situation" the same person, or is it just a character Sorrentino portrays? He concedes it's mostly the latter.

"It is a part of my personality, but not the full circle," Sorrentino explained. "That character that you see is 'The Situation.' It's not Michael Sorrentino. You're seeing 'The Situation,' almost like Clark Kent and Superman."