Is The Real World Really Real Anymore?

It was one of the first reality based shows – even before we knew what reality television was. The Real World New York started in 1992, an idea dreamed up by Jon Murray and Mary-Ellis Bunim. The famous opening line “This is the true story of seven strangers, picked to live in a house and have their lives taped” in now known by most people, whether they watch the show or not. In its 16th season, the Real World has brought together strangers in large cities in both the United States and overseas (Paris and London). But is it still real anymore? I don’t think it is. Unfortunately, the people between the ages of 18 and 24 who apply to live in the Real World house have grown up on watching The Real World on television. It seems that now, they act more like how they “think” roommates should act, rather than being real. Most seasons have the token situations: gay character, the arrest, the in-house hookup. This season in Austin is no different. The last episode had a drunk Johanna arrested for stealing a rose from a homeless man. It seems as if the roommates have no common sense. Either that or they just choose not to use it anymore. The first three or four seasons really did bring many things to light. It was a different time in the early 90’s when gays and AIDS were both feared. We watched as the first gay roommate, encountered difficulties with both the roommates and personal relationships. It gave watchers an eye-opening view of what it was like to be gay in America and perhaps began breaking down barriers. The next season, in Los Angeles, brought us what might have been the first (and unfortunately last) really mature roommate. Irene was a deputy marshall for LAMD, serious about both her career and her life. She left the show because she got married and was replaced by Beth A., a young lesbian who also taught us a lot. Season three, set in San Francisco, was perhaps the most memorable of all seasons. It had one of the most obnoxious roommates, Puck, as well as one of the most beloved, Pedro. Pedro was a young, twenty two year old Cuban who was diagnosed with AIDS. Pedro knew he didn’t have much time left, but spent it living to the fullest, marrying his partner during one episode and crusading to make others aware of AIDS, its victims and prevention. Even people who didn’t know anyone personally who had AIDS felt they knew someone in Pedro. It also brought us the first Real World wedding. Although not a couple while in the house, Judd and Pam became closer after the series ended and eventually wed. The fourth season was set in London. In what could only be seen as boring after the drama and excitement of San Francisco, the London season rarely remembered by even the most die-hard Real World fans. That brings us to the fifth season, set in Miami. It may have marked the beginning of the end for the Real World. Roommates were often viewed as over-the-top in both their relationships and day to day lives. They were the first season saddled with a mission – to make a business out of the money given them. Despite the fact that one roommate, Joe, had just graduated as a business student at Fordham University, the roommates could not put together a business venture. And there was the infamous shower scene involving Melissa, Mike and a local waitress. From the fifth season on, the show continued downhill. Roommates became more obsessed with drinking, partying and sexual escapades more than anything else. Oh sure, Seattle briefly dealt with anger management when Stephen slapped Irene for calling him gay. But when what may be the defining event of our generation, September 11th, happened while Real World was filming in Chicago, it was mentioned in one episode then was glossed over. Hawaii brought us the in-house hookup that has now almost expected from every episode. And while there are memorable Real World roommates that have had more than their fifteen minutes of fame, the show has become just a shell of its former self. Once groundbreaking, it is now just the regurgitation of what roommates think the public wants. I think we deserve more.