Defamer
It's hard to pinpoint the exact moment at which The Real World lost its cultural relevance, but if you were to press us for an answer, we'd have to say it was when the greedy producers at MTV killed their golden goose by launching Real World: Philadelphia less than six weeks after the finale of Real World: San Diego aired. In retrospect, the grand successes of the last truly great RW season were a unfortunate harbinger of things to come for the series as a whole; while the arrests of Brad and Robin made for undeniably great television, it also established a dangerous precedent for the series by making the act of running afoul of the law something for future housemates to aspire to. But we digress — we could talk about this for hours, but we won't. Our point was mainly to say that we haven't watched the Real World in years, and while The Reunion Special / Roast that aired last night had its moments, there was a moment that occured just minutes into the show that, for us, symbolized the de-evolution of the series from a (dare we say) noble social experiment into something that more closely resembles a frat party for community college dropouts.
It's hard to pinpoint the exact moment at which The Real World lost its cultural relevance, but if you were to press us for an answer, we'd have to say it was when the greedy producers at MTV killed their golden goose by launching Real World: Philadelphia less than six weeks after the finale of Real World: San Diego aired. In retrospect, the grand successes of the last truly great RW season were a unfortunate harbinger of things to come for the series as a whole; while the arrests of Brad and Robin made for undeniably great television, it also established a dangerous precedent for the series by making the act of running afoul of the law something for future housemates to aspire to. But we digress — we could talk about this for hours, but we won't. Our point was mainly to say that we haven't watched the Real World in years, and while The moment in question comes when King Of The Friars, Jeffrey Ross, launched into one of his trademark "roast" bits and started putting the screws to Real World punching bag Puck. In what can only be described as a overly macho and HGH-fueled show of support, a few fully lubricated meatheads who we didn't even recognize (save for CT) unexpectedly bumrushed Ross and tossed the unsuspecting comedian into the pool below for his transgressions against the King Of The Snot Rocket. From the look on Ross' face, this moment was clearly unscripted.
For us, this moment represented everything that has gone wrong with the show in the last three or so years. While the composition of the cast has always included a few instigator types, the battles used to be fought on the psychological level, not the physical. The popularity and watchability of the loveable lunkhead Brad led the RW casting directors to fill future casts with aspiring Abercrombie & Fitch catalog models, all of whom also doubled as alcoholics-in-training. Much like pouring water on the back of Gizmo, a bunch of wannabe Brads were spawned after that San Diego season, and Jeffrey Ross felt their wrath last night.
- Real World Awards Bash [MTV.com]
Comments
Jeff Ross once sat on my couch for a few hours. That was when I knew my living room furniture had jumped the shark.
I've never watched the Real World, or MTV for that matter, but even I know that the Real World jumped the shark when they kicked out Puck.
I think you're being way too kind to RW. Maybe this is because I'm now an old dude, but the show took the express train to shitsville around the Miami season. The whole start-a-business thing, obviously meant to give structure and add drama to the proceedings, was just so damned boring.
Seriously? This show is still on? MTV as a whole jumped the shark long ago.
when did puck turn from skater/young roustabout into gary busey? that does not bode well for any of them.
In the last three or so years? You're young.
Yeah... that Puck is clearly an old fucker now put the fear of God in me too.
@Benny: His hair looks grey. Finally, I've found compelling evidence (apart from my bitchy mother) that it's time to settle down and have some kids.
@Dickdogfood: There were certainly a handful of boring seasons (Boston, Paris, Chicago), but some legendary characters emerged in-between Miami and San Diego. Think The Miz, think Coral, think the entire Vegas cast ... and if you never saw RW:SD, you truly missed out. Bajooka Joe!
next year's pool should include starved sharks. toss a couple real world/road rules/challenge/gauntlet/whatever punks in there.
they're gonna need a bigger pool.
From that video still, I thought this post would be about the New Kids on the Block.
It kind of makes me sad that none of them take their lives seriously after being on the show. What happened? The people they used to chose were actually doing things, and now they just talk about drama and are on the RW challenges.
Who knew this crap was still on? MTV stopped being worthy of my cable package at least a decade ago. Is that where those dumb sluts from The Hills get their ideas of how to priss through an episode?
Too funny...Puck thinks he has "People" How cute. This is what happens when Douchebags Unite. That should be the title of their next reality series. they could have thousands of spin offs. Douchebags Gone Wild for example.
@Mark Graham: I think there is actually a mathematical formula. If X = Your age and Y = the RW cast's average age, and X < Y, the show is great. However, Y is pretty much a constant, while X increases. And that's where you run into problems.
@Conbon: Didn't Matthew McConaughey have a line in a movie that pretty much sums that equation up?
Wow...the Real Worlders got together and made something happen! Usually to only "pull" these guys have is getting the counter boy to toss in a couple of extra ketchups.
It's like a collection of the worst meatheads from every Lamda Chi frat house in America.
A bigger bunch of morons have never taken their faux importance more seriously. Ever.
The last time I watched RW was when I saw the slap heard around the world (Seattle). I guess I got out while the getting was good.
The Real World mafia protects their own.
I think the show officially turned to crap when they stopped forcing them to get their own jobs. Everyone acted like they had won the lottery with their big tacky houses and their crazy jobs handed over on a platter (that they could barely keep!).
Still, Vegas was amusingly tacky. And that season where the Limes disease girl smacked the closeted guy. And one with that sanctimonious savior guy who was trying to save Ruthie.
There's too many damn alumni to keep up with. That crowd is packed full of people kinda, sorta, familiar. I thought I saw Amel Larrieux, the second and fifth Hunter on DOOL, Al Green, a ton of folks to keep up with. The show truly declined with Real World: Las Vegas, it's been downhill since then.
The RW started going downhill when they stopped casting people who were trying to make something out of themselves and instead went for jobless adolescents on summer vacation. The above clip of their circle jerk reminded me of that.
Yikes! I watched the first two seasons, and then PBS had this show called "The Farmer's Wife" and it was about a midwest farmer and his wife, trying to save their farm from foreclosure; she had to go into town and get a job on top of her farm chores...and I had this epiphany - - Now THAT is the REAL WORLD!
Today, "The Real World" is instrumental in parenting my teenagers. I use it to illustrate idiocy, and to point out the UN-Real Worldliness of it all.
The weirdest thing is these castmembers keep returning for these gauntlet/competition series'...same bitching, same conflicts, same drama. For some reason, they never move on into the real, real world.
Puck used to live in my apartment building years ago. Total douche bag. I hate wannabes who go by only one name....Oh shit, wait a minute...
RW has gone downhill (imho) since the Las Vegas cast. That was the first cast where it was all about pretty people and sex not about different opinions and backgrounds.
I miss the RW of yore. I yearned to be on it someday. Now I couldn't bring myself to audition.
With today's lax social mores, the kids on Real World should be having wild drunken orgies... instead they just scream at each other like children.
I applaud those who didn't turn out for this event, they apparently have futures they need to protect.
i watched this shitfest hoping they would feature some of the older Real Worlders. the highlights for me were 1) Stephen from Seattle was there with his partner to whom he is engaged. 2) Jason from Boston is still hot from what I could tell from the 5 sec. they showed him. 3) the taped messages from the ones who are married and now living seemingly normal lives were cute (Sean/Rachel and Judd/Pam). 4) the tribute to Pedro was actually classy and sweet. the rest of it you've summed up in the clip above.
@spectatertot: Whoa, Stephen finally came out? Didn't he slap Lyme Disease Irene because she accused him of being gay?
And don't they do a Pedro tribute every time they have a reunion? It's sweet and all, but Jesus, I get it. Let the kid rest in peace.
I stopped watching after the Boston cast seemed to have an epidemic of chronic fatigue. And I attained the age of majority.
Though cartoonist dude from SF will still someday be my boyfriend, when he's had enough of med school chick.
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