Friday, January 23, 2009

The Real World Gets Quasi Real

I know I am three episodes late on talking about this of THE REAL WORLD, which took place over the summer in Brooklyn. Some thoughts...

-How lovely to see MTV not just reaching into their sack of smoking hot drunks straight out of central casting. For the first time in a long time, we have a cast of diverse and somewhat subsitive characters. That being said...

-Watching the cast members' get-to-know-you antics was a sorry, sad reminder of how old I am. I witnessed them have forced conversations about sexuality and relationship statuses within MOMENTS of knowing each other and thought about how no mature adults ever do that. FLASHING LIGHTS! Such an observation makes me one of those mature adults. For the first year ever, I AM EVEN TOO OLD TO APPLY TO BE ON THE REAL WORLD! I remember watching the very first seasons of THE REAL WORLD, where cultural references went over my head, and I wondered if I would ever be like these grown-ups one day. But now, nothing can bring back the hour of splendor in the grass, of glory in the flower.*

-I would like to highlight cast member Ryan. I like to refer to him as Catch 22, because either liking or hating this guy makes you a douche. You want to give him props. He was in the military and served in Iraq and is also a fairly talented musician. AWESOME. But then he does things like go on a gay witch hunt, trying to out all of his housemates as possible. I think he even implied the hot tub might be gay. NOT AWESOME. In the end I will like him for his hilarious pranks and faces, and criticize him for bringing along untalented friends who suggest that he play songs about tampons in what could be otherwise legitimate business meetings.

-I was pumped to see what bars would be lucky enough to land the sweet deal of being the housemates' local haunts. So far, they seem to have made return trips to Pete Wentz's east village douch factory Angels and Kings. But I squealed with glee** this week when they ventured into MY neighborhood and went to Matchless.

What's your favorite season of THE REAL WORLD. Mine is Boston. Below, please find a video montage set to some rockingly appropriate late 90s music that someone made to honor the Boston castmates. I really never got the mentality of people that took fandom to the level where they would do something like this, but I guess I shouldn't complain, as it has given me something to share with you all.





*Do I get bonus points for incorperating Wordsworth into a reality television blog?
**I probably didn't squeal with glee

7 comments:

Pat Sandora said...

Boston was definitely a particularly awesome season. My favorite was definitely New Orleans though. I think they just had a pretty awesome and ridiculous cast of characters.

I wrote a post about the Real World's loss of relevancy about a year ago, probably because I'm too mature to believe it anymore. http://ablogaboutthings.com/2007/09/is-real-world-still-relevant.html

P

Alanna said...

Vaj: WHORE! WHORE!
Montana: Vaj, can I just explai--
Vaj: WHORE!

Vivian said...

I tried watching that video but the combo of slow moving photos and the musical track was too much for my patience.

pc said...

I liked what I like to call the "adult real world triumvirate" of the first three seasons, NY-LA-SF. I mean, those people were dealing with real issues - abortion?! AIDS?! Becoming a dancer/rapper/vj/countrysinger/poet *before* just being on MTV actually seemed to guarantee that possibility? Also those people were actually like real people - cops, artists, musicians, med school students, aspiring Southerners - in a way that everyone post-Hawaii (and maybe post-Miami) never seemed to be.

Then again, I'm probably just getting older too! Those damn kids.

I always wanted them to do a Real World on a farm in the middle of Missouri. I mean, how hard is it, REALLY, to get along with 6 people when you're in an amazing city with lots of escapes, distractions, and booze? But what about being in a farmhouse in the middle of the heartland?! That's good drama.

Jeanette said...

Pat, you is the clean snow and I is the dirty snow. TIME OUT! TIME THE FUCK OUT!


Misa, it IS interested, isn't it?

Vivian, why are you so reluctant to kiss the rain?

Squires, Alanna and I have in our heads the all star real world cast, which is scheduled to take place in Glasgow.

Pat Sandora said...

Jeanette- TO THIS DAY I will occasionally do the Melissa "TIME THE FUCK OUT" motion w/ a chair when it is applicable.

Granted, the instances are few and far between, but I still find it relevant.

J.J. said...

i love this current Real World. although why do the hottest people get the least screen time? this is MTV, for chrissakes. off with your shirts.