Real World

[scarlet]

I remember the Hawaii season and binge-drinker Ruthie, but I guess my clearest memories are from the season 3 in SF with Pedro and crazy Puck and uber-Republican Rachel. I was so sad when Pedro died a few months after the season aired.

[Babycakes]

I never saw the Pedro season of RW, but know he had a HUGE impact on people. I was reading the replies to the David interview, and they mentioned other seasons and alums, and it's totally mind warping realizing how much television, and the world has changed since then. I'd forgotten how taboo interracial and LGBT relationships were back in the mid to late 90s. Reality tv people were their authentic (for the most part) selves, and people were being introduced to all sorts of people they'd never seen back then. Now everybody comes ready made with a game plan on how to get the most air-time, and they are dead set on becoming famous/infamous.

[eclair]

Jul 29, 2019 23:03:32 GMT -4 Babycakes said:

That's so weird. I was literally thinking about the Hawaii season last night. I remember Tec, and Ruthie(?) the one that kept binge drinking and had to go to rehab. Needy Amaya(?) who fell for the casting guy that got put on the show, and how she chased after him and looked like a complete fool. Then I remembered maybe the season after that in San Francisco maybe? And 2 roommates got arrested in one night 5 minutes apart. I stopped after that season I think. I gave up on the Challenge around the same time. I am clueless as to who is still appearing on those, and why they don't have real jobs at this point. Shouldn't they be too old for those activities? And where are they mining contestants from? MTV doesn't even play reruns of RR or RW, so why would the people presumably watching the challenges be invested in them?

(my bolding above) I checked, and some how the challenges roll on. I think there are a bunch of professional challengers in their 40s, which is mind boggling.

[Mutagen]

I was ADDICTED to the first three seasons of RW back in the day. I liked the fourth but kind of checked out after that. Pedro was definitely the high water mark of the entire franchise. I took for granted back then how revolutionary it was that he married his husband on national television.

And, Puck is definitely in the reality show villains hall of fame for sure. Man did I hate that guy!

[tanyak]

That's a great interview. I totally remember David sitting in the car screaming. lol I'm glad he's gone on to have a successful career. I wish there had been a picture.

I was all in on Real World. When it started in 1992, I was a high school junior. I stuck with it all the way through Key West in 2006. I mostly skipped Denver and Australia, then came back for five more seasons. I thought that the Brooklyn season in 2009 was pretty good, but far the best of the post-Seattle/Hawaii years. I remember I watched the first episode of the return to Las Vegas and I was done. It was clear that every single person in the cast was a famewhore, and I wasn't there for it. I did hang on to the challenges until about three or four years ago.

Good point about the challenges. Who are the contestants? MTV appears to have given up on RW. The latest season, Atlanta, is airing on Facebook. And before that, it looks like MTV only aired three or so seasons over the past four years.

[CAgirl]

I loved the first seasons of Real World! I think I made it till Key West and didn't finish that season. I always remember Pedro, of course, Tammy getting an abortion in LA, the slap of Seattle, London guy getting his tongue bitten off, and I think it was Chicago when 9/11 happened. It was the first time they allowed a cast to watch tv.
I wish they'd show the old seasons again. I'd totally watch. And also the first seasons of Road Rules. I never missed that show either.

[scarlet]

Jan 28, 2005 14:59:05 GMT -4 CAgirl said:

I think it was Chicago when 9/11 happened. It was the first time they allowed a cast to watch tv.

Yes, that's the season. Didn't they come in and tell them what happened and then recorded them watching it unfold on tv? It was pretty heavy, I remember that.

I looked up the chronological order and watched the first 12 (12!) seasons diligently. Las Vegas was my last one. And, yeah, I'd watch old eps, too, CAgirl.

[celerydunk]

I heard David's voice in my head for that entire interview. I watched until Las Vegas and then kinda aged out of real world and more into Big Brother.

[Deleted]

I watched and loved the first four, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and London.
I remember the Irish Guy Dom in the LA series and it blew my mind seeing Jacinda at Harry and Meghan’s wedding she married to Harvey from Suits I believe!

I dipped in and out of the next few I think the last one I ever gave a peak at was Hawaii

[tanyak]

Jul 31, 2019 13:47:13 GMT -4 CAgirl said:

and I think it was Chicago when 9/11 happened. It was the first time they allowed a cast to watch tv.

Because my brain is full of useless knowledge lol, I think the houses started out having one TV. Then they took it away after Season 4 (London) because the producers determined one of the guys watched it too much during that season.

And that was the start of the things that began to make Real World feel not-so Real World. The group job, the stipulation that you couldn't live in the city where they were filming, that you had to sleep at the house every night, limited access to media, especially once cell phones came into play. The first few casts handled it pretty pretty because, again, they were mostly decent people. But all of those rules, plus fame whores, plus hot tubs = draaaaama!