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There has been a hubbub after it was disclosed that Rutgers University paid “Jersey Shore” celebrity Nicole Polizzi, aka Snooki, $32,000 to speak at an event last week, which was $2,000 more than it offered Nobel-winning novelist Toni Morrison last May to speak at the university’s commencement ceremony.

However, Fox News Channel’s Greg Gutfeld doesn’t view Snooki as a bad choice, based on who they have had or could have had speaking. On his early Saturday morning show “Red Eye” on the Fox News Channel, Gutfeld explained the controversy.

“So Nicole Polizzi, the pint-sized pasta-pooper known as Snooki will be paid $32,000 by Rutgers University to speak at New Jersey’s largest college, and yes, they have colleges,” Gutfeld said. “The inverse candy corn was booked by a student-run group, using money from the mandatory student activity fee. Now, some might find this outrageous – ‘How dare you pay that sum of cash to a pumpkin full of sherbet when you could get someone like — Toni Morrison.’”

According to the “Red Eye” host, Snooki was a far better choice than the usual parade of left-leaning media types. His rationale: Snooki identifies with that audience more than those public personalities.

“I disagree. I believe the Snook is an inspired choice – once you consider the pabulum students have endured in the past – like Paul Krugman, a miserable wretch possessing the humor of sheet rock,” he said. “Or that mad-tingler Chris Matthews. Then there’s Alec Baldwin, Christiane Amanpour, ‘Face the Nation’ moderator Bob Schieffer, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission chair Mary Schapiro, and Rachel Maddow. My fave: Gustavo Esteva – who once spoke at the University of Vermont. He’s a self-described Marxist, which means he really spoke truth to power that day. I bet the air was filled with spirited debate. Anyway, I’d much rather hear Snooki’s laundry tips and tanning tricks than how Rachel Maddow got her gig – my guess: Be yourself.”

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And though she has had her share of bumps along the way, Gutfeld commended Polizzi for the way she has handled her celebrity.

“And out of all the names I rattled off, Snooki truly is an American tale of rags to riches,” Gutfeld said. “She had no idea her life would take this turn, and she seems to absorb the fame and its accompanying silliness with a certain level of charm that you just don’t see in self-satisfied smirkers like Maddow. And I like Snooki’s philosophy: ‘Study hard, but party harder.’ Although I hate people who use ‘party’ as a verb, I’ll give her a pass because we both wear the same bra size and if you disagree with me, you are a racist homophobe.”