BRANTFORD, Ont. (CUP) — Did you think that reality TV couldn't get any trashier than MTV's The Jersey Shore? Well, think again.

Our favourite guidos and guidettes have some stiff competition to face as Canada shows off their own brand of party animals in Lake Shore, trying to prove that "there's more to growing up in Canada than hockey and maple syrup."

The show is based out of Toronto, and follows a group of eight people from eight different cultures as they explore Toronto's club life, pushing the boundaries and generally being dramatic in front of a camera and an audience of voyeurs, hungry for drama.

But those concerned for the fate of Canadian television need not worry just yet. While the cast is secured, the show is still in negotiations with television networks and has yet to land a deal. So far, all the hype has been through a webseries posted online. According to the website, the series is said to be filmed in spring 2011 in a yet to be secured house on Lake Shore Boulevard in downtown Toronto.

These eight 20-somethings were chosen from thousands of applicants, an attempt to show how much of a melting pot Canada has become. These characters ravage the downtown Toronto area in search of sexy, fun times, and spend almost as much time bitching each other out and causing drama as they do downing tequila shots and hooking up.

So why the emphasis on the race of the characters, you may ask? It seems that the producers of Lake Shore really want you to see just how much Toronto has become a central hub for cultural differences, and how what used to be minorities now make up the main population of the area. More than half of Toronto's population are those who are not native of Canada, while another 22 per cent are second- generation immigrants with at least one parent born outside of Canada.

There have been claims from viewers that Lake Shore is using racism to capitalize on ratings, and one particular viewer stated that Lake Shore has "tarnished the reputation of Canadians."

"Do you understand that in popular culture, Lake Shore has literally taken a shit on Canada? At least we look decent compared to the rest of the world, we were known to be such a liberal people, but now we're seen as anti-Semitic, racist and all we want to do is be loud," a viewer known as Persia says.

What is shown on Lake Shore is simply a chewed-up and spat-out copy of The Jersey Shore, minus the fake tans and clever witticisms like "GTL" and "grenades" that have made the show many a young adult's guilty pleasure.

These characters are ignorant, and seem to only care about one thing, being sexy, getting laid and getting drunk. What kind of example does this give to the people watching this show? Sure, not all of us are gullible enough to believe what is happening in front of us, but there are still those who use these characters as examples of what they wish they could be, the kind of lifestyle they want. Lake Shore is pushing the boundaries as far as it possibly can because those who produce it know exactly what they are up against; pointless ignorance and self-obsession.

In order to one-up The Jersey Shore, they need to spin their show a little differently, bring something new to the table, something that will make people watch and give them ratings no matter the cost. It's too bad they had to use the race card in order to make that happen. One thing's for sure — Lake Shore may become many a voyeur's guiltier pleasure.