The Situation to Joy: So what, who cares?

"I'm doing very well for myself and I hope she is too," said MTV's "Jersey Shore" breakout star Mike (The Situation) Sorrentino. "As per watching my show or her show: If you don't like somebody's show, change the channel and shut your mouth."

Take that, Joy Behar!

The Situation blew into the metro for a Saturday appearance at Bootleggers that drew a crowd of more than 2,000 -- some of whom requested that the gym rat remove his shirt to showcase those banging abs. See it, hear it at startribune.com/video.

I had a few minutes with the loquacious Situation while he dined at Seven sushi. He's not anywhere near as insufferable as he seems on the reality TV show, which is all about rampant knuckleheadism. Deepak Nath, owner of Envy and a partner at Bootleggers, said: "He gets what makes him appealing. He doesn't take himself too seriously. He actually was a really nice guy. You meet a lot of celebrities who are pompous, stand-offish, high-maintenance. He was none of those things. He just wanted to come in and have a good time. He's enjoying the ride and he knows that's what it is, which is nice, refreshing."

There is nothing refreshing about The Situation to Behar, who has been ripping the "Jersey Shore" cast day and night, starting in the mornings on ABC's "The View" and then at night on her eponymous HLN show. She thinks the "Jersey Shore" cast conveys a poor image of Italian-Americans. I adore Behar, but I can't feel her pain -- not as long a Flava Flav lands Sprint commercials and Big House bound-Lil' Wayne raps, smiles and procreates. Eee-yick.

Behar doesn't think the "Jersey Shore" cast members will have long careers, as she's advised them to: Save your money. The Situation said he's saving and watching the "unbelievable" amount of money rolling his way; he has a strategy for staying out there now that he's pretty much conquered reality TV.

"I'll move on to the possibility of acting, my own clothing company and cologne, just to solidify The Situation brand, which is the phenomenon it is today," he said, with kind of a wink in his voice.

Mike might have meant to say know (everybody's mouth gets ahead of his or her mind sometimes), but he said "knew." This grammatical error's really going to break the heart of Behar, a former English teacher, who has said The Situation is the Mensa member of the cast.

In line for The Bachelor? Last week, a TV show was promoting the possibility of The Situation being in line to play "The Bachelor" for ABC.

No, said The Situation's brother Marc Sorrentino, who claimed he's the one under consideration. Marc accompanied Mike to Minneapolis for the Bootleggers gig.

Marc told me he has filed all the necessary paperwork with "The Bachelor" producers.

"I wouldn't mind being the next Bachelor. We'll see if they come calling. If it's the right girl" Marc said he might be looking for a wife. Suurrree ... that's what all the guys who go on that show say.

'Almanac' dragged Kevyn out

Former FM107.1 show host Kevyn Burger dressed in drag for a reunion appearance with her radio sidekick Sheletta Brundidge.

They did a skit at a Pantages event marking the 25th anniversary of Twin Cities Public TV's "Almanac."

Brundidge said my tall pal, Jan Ingrid Smaby, was there. "She looked good," said Brundidge. Smaby reportedly doffed the wig she has been wearing since cancer treatment took her hair, and she brought down the house.

There was some of that going around. "Kevyn was in drag because she was Eric Eskola and I was Cathy Wurzer [Eskola's wife and co-anchor]. I had on a blond wig. Kevyn had on a wig and a complete man's suit." And, of course, a scarf. Eskola is never seen without a scarf.