The Reality of the Real World

The Reality of The Real World

            When it comes to reality television, how much of what we are seeing is actually real? With reality TV shows dominating most channels these days this seems to be a rising question amongst viewers. People become invested in these reality shows and refuse to believe that there is the likely chance that what they are seeing is not in fact real at all. This is exactly what producers want is to create a reality for the rest of us to base our lives off of. Take MTV’s The Real World for example, have you ever noticed how every season is exactly the same, just with new people and a different location. While the people themselves may be different every season, their character is still the same. There are certain stereotypes that the people casted onto The Real World must live up to, otherwise they do not fit the part. “Technically, these people were completely different every year, but they were also exactly the same. And pretty soon it became clear that the producers of The Real World weren’t sampling the youth of America – they were unintentionally creating it. By now, everyone I know is one of seven defined strangers, inevitably hoping to represent a predefined demographic and always failing horribly,” (Klosterman 28). There is no The Real World without the angry black man, confused bisexual, naïve Southern belle, gay guy, alcohol/drug addict or the crazy bitch. The people that are cast on the show are chosen because of an obvious diversity which is then played out by only airing the extreme side of their personality on the show. We have come to expect these characters based on the stereotypes that are represented in every season of The Real World and without them the show would not exist. What has resulted from this are one-dimensional identities, such as gay, black, virgin, or alcoholic, which then for viewers becomes a way to identify the people that they know in their own lives; “you know the people I’m talking about,” (Klosterman 30). People are constantly modeling their personalities around those that we see on TV, and in turn we always find ourselves comparing these people to those on The Real World. “I kept meeting new people who were like old Real World characters. I’ve met at least six Pucks in the past five years. This doesn’t mean they necessarily talk about snot or eat peanut butter with their hands; what it means is they play The Puck Role. In any given situation, they will provide The Puck Perspective, and they will force those around them to Confront The Puck Paradigm,” (Klosterman 29). With the creation of these one- dimensional identities, that leaves little room for those of us that may not fit one of the expected stereotypes. This may then force us to take on one of the roles, even though we may tell ourselves that we will “never be that person,” because let’s face it, we don’t really have any other choice. As Klosterman puts it, “When I say ‘you know these people,’ it’s because the personalities on The Real World have become the only available personalities for everyone who’s (a) alive and (b) under the age of twenty nine,” (Klosterman 30). The Real World makes it seem acceptable, almost desirable, to be able to identify yourself by just one personality trait. Maybe this is because it makes it easier for people to just have to worry about playing the role of one identity, rather than multiple.  People will then begin to remember you by this one identifier, making it necessary for you to live up to the expectations that come with that stereotype at all times. Someone may say, “Oh yea that’s that one crazy party girl who is always wasted downtown,” and others would know exactly who they are talking about based one just that one party girl stereotype. These stereotypes portrayed through every Real World cast are subject to ideology; “A way of representing the social world, which serves particular group interests usually at the expense of other groups,” (TV Criticism September 17). These one- dimensional identities shown on The Real World have become a way to associate that one character with an entire group of people, and lead us to believe that everyone in that particular group of people is just like the one person from the show that is supposedly representing that group.

            So what happens to these one- dimensional characters after The Real World? There so- called fame eventually wears off and they are left in the actual real world as nobodies who everyone else is basing their lives around. Well, there is one thing that these ex- reality stars have to live up to, and that is if they are asked to be on one of the Real World/Road Rules Challenge shows on MTV. While I’m embarrassed to admit it, I found myself watching the season finale of Rivals Challenge II last night, and I couldn’t help but wonder why in the hell were these shows still on TV and how was it possible that the same exact people were still on there. Haven’t these people found anything else to do with their lives? Apparently not. CT, Wes, and Paula were amongst the final winners this season, imagine that! These people were on the show back when it was actually somewhat popular, and let me remind you that I was in junior high at that time. Poor CT though, even with his good looks, they couldn’t even help him win a challenge in the past TEN years that he has been on the show until now. It’s about time CT, good thing he didn’t give up. These one-dimensional identities may be to blame; “It appears that the highest residual success one can achieve from a Real World stint is that of being asked to compete in a Real World/Road Rules challenge. All these people are forever doomed to the one- dimensional qualities that made them famous nobodies. The idea that they could do anything else seems impossible,” (Klosterman 40). 

Klosterman, Chuck. Sex Drugs and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto. New York:

            Scribner , 2003. 26-40. Print.