Interview with Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi

Snooki and her friend, Ryder, pose during an interview.

On Jan. 30, Snooki of MTV's "Jersey Shore" fame held a book signing in the Greensboro Barnes & Noble to meet with fans and autograph copies of her fiction novel A Shore Thing. Since 2009, fans have fallen in love with the tiny, poof-wearing New Yorker as she has partied, fellowshipped and fist-pumped in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. I got an exclusive interview with a very reserved Snooki as we talked about Greensboro, her New York Times bestselling book and future endeavors... in a round-a-bout sort of way.


YES! Weekly: So, that was chilled? (Referring to the Barnes & Noble crowd.)

Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi: Yeah… That girl crying though made me upset. She was hyperventilating!

Y!W: You were at Cookout last night, weren’t you?

NP: Huh? What’s that?

Y!W: The food place.

NP: Oh, yeah.

Y!W: What’d you think? That’s some of the best NC has to offer.

NP: It was good. The cheese fries were amazing! But I woke up this morning and my stomach was like “ugh!” [Laughs.]

Y!W: No bueno! The cheese fries will do it to you. 

NP: How’d you know we went there?

Y!W: I was there! I was pulling into the drive-thru…

NP: Do you think you can sell these pictures?

Y!W: Maybe so. I guess we’ll see.

NP: Where should I pose? You want to go back out there?

Y!W: We can. I mean, I know it’s going to be crazy-hectic.

(Leave stock room to take photographs. While Polizzi is posing, the camera stalls.)

NP: I can’t hold this [pose] forever. [Laughs.]

Y!W: Yeah, sorry. This is an old camera. (Frantically snapping photos.)

(Return to stock room to sign books.)

Y!W: How was Greensboro?

NP: Actually I really thought I was walking into a hicksville, but the club last night was sick.

Ryder: Really fun. (Ryder is seated directly beside Polizzi.)

Y!W: It got pretty crazy?

NP: So much fun… And the DJ was even good!

Y!W: New York Times bestseller list…

NP: Twice and I’m moving up in numbers.

Y!W: The book just came out on the fourth, right?

NP: Yeah.

Y!W: How are you being received back home? Lots of love?

NP: Um, it’s mixed. I mean, I’m definitely trying to do a book signing in the Poughkeepsie-Newburgh [NY] area and I know some people, like, really, really hate me and some really, really like me. So we’ll see how that goes.

Y!W: When do you plan on going back?

NP: I’m there when I go home; I still live in my mom’s house. I’m definitely interested in the turn-out and how my home signing will be. I think Poughkeepsie people get mad because they say, ‘Oh, she’s not from Poughkeepsie.’ Well, obviously, I said Poughkeepsie because [Polizzi’s hometown] is so small and people will find my house. I don’t want people bugging my mom.

Y!W: That’s very considerate. How long have you and Ryder known each other?

NP: Only like three years. Right when we met each other, we were just like in love.

Y!W: That’s beautiful.

NP: She hated me at first and she was giving me the evil eye. I was like, ‘What is wrong with this girl?’

Y!W: How did you [and Ryder] meet?

NP: We went to go see Deadmau5 and then like an hour later we were . . .

R: I went with my boyfriend and her and we all just hung out and had a good time.

Y!W: Y’all went to see Deadmau5? I bet that was crazy.

R: It was awesome.

NP: That was a fun night.

Y!W: What’s next after this wild ‘Jersey Shore’ ride?

NP: Hopefully I start my own ride with just myself, you know? When ‘Jersey Shore’ is over, I want to do my own thing. Maybe get my own show.

Y!W: More books?

NP: Hell yeah! The way this one turned out? Of course.

Y!W: I saw on one of the last episodes that you were helping an old couple with some erotic things on the boardwalk.

NP: Yeah, that was weird wasn’t it?

Y!W: Just a tad.

NP: When I saw it, I was like ‘Really?’

Y!W: Do you think you have a future in sex therapy?

NP: I think I definitely know how to get the spark going… I can’t believe I just said that.

Y!W: What can folks expect from the next season?

NP: Um, we haven’t started yet.

Y!W: Do you mind if I get a picture of you two holding the newspaper? [Hands off newspaper.]

NP: [Sniffs paper.] This smells weird. It doesn’t smell like newspaper. It smells prettier than a newspaper.

Man with Polizzi’s entourage: That’s your new hook: ‘We got the best smelling paper in town!’

R: It smells like air freshener.

NP: Did you spray it?

Y!W: No. I mean, I might have gotten some cologne on it. [Sniffs.] Wait, I know what it is! I always spray cherry air freshener in my car. That’s what it is.

NP: Oh.

Y!W: Yeah, sorry.

NP: I thought your newspaper was cool.

Y!W: You thought so? Because it smelled like cherry? [Laughs.]


Special thanks to Neon Entertainment and MTV for granting this interview.