As a treasury of adventurous 20-somethings, it is no surprise that a crew of Real World associates would appear at Ohio University. MTV needs to find more recruits to perpetuate what has become -in what will be the 18th reincarnation of the show -a cultural mainstay.
If anything is a testament to its mainstream draw -other than the clamoring fans who wish to become part of their prime-time obsession -it was the instant hilarity of Dave Chapelle's Mad Real World skit, which depicted several black roommates constantly in disagreement with one white roommate.
The humor touches on the undeniable fallacy of creating any show and calling it reality. Game shows can maintain their respective slices of dignity, however small it might be, by taking mostly regular folks and pitting them against each other in pursuit of something a la The Price is Right. A show such as the Real World
however, falls short of even its own descriptions.
Unless the producer, David Wallach, is grappling with some metaphysical quandary, reality is not a loosely defined term. Seven people given free reign in a mansion of debauchery is as close to real as a Salvador Dali painting. For as much as the floating clocks intrigue us, they resemble only our imagination.
The powers behind television enjoy predictability as much as they like profits, especially when the two seem so closely intertwined. Every enthusiast knows that each season will feature at least one black house member, one gay roommate and a seemingly sundry assortment of other backgrounds.
Yet the differences are usually somewhere between superficial and non-existent. At a time when pop culture is so constantly pervasive, it is ridiculous to point to the distinctions between the East Coast and Los Angeles as interesting or important. The simple lack of an overweight person precludes a substantial portion of the McDonald's loving citizenry in this country. That specific group has been rejected simply to maintain the dream-like aesthetic. What tries to pass for a snapshot of diversity is actually closer to a clique at a prep school.
The real deficiency of the series is the lifestyle these people lead. The abridged version of the plot -if it can even be called that -reads like an out-of-town parent's worst nightmare.
During a period when CNN, MSNBC and FOX News are hemorrhaging information about Katrina relief, the war in Iraq and the confirmation hearings for John Roberts, reality is interesting enough. Nevertheless, America remains a nation star-struck and self-obsessed, in which fame is no longer a side product of achievement, but the goal itself.
Reality television is not solely to blame. Guilt lies with the tabloids and shows like Entertainment Tonight or Cribs -media that create dissatisfaction with the regular, the daily, and urge viewers to strive towards celebrity.
The entertainment value of witnessing people consume alcohol and basically self-destruct is negligible. This past Friday, a couch was set ablaze and the resulting backlash from the mayor and alumni was immense. The point here is that those actions deemed inappropriate or illegal in everyday life would be applauded as water cooler fodder if aired on national television ... and there is something deeply wrong with that.
-Justin Thompson is a sophomore journalism major and Post copy editor. Send him an e-mail at jt315004@ohiou.edu. 17
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Justin Thompson
