May 05, 2004

"Deus Ex Drunkina": The Real World at 14

You may have noticed that, with the singular exception of "The Apprentice," I don't blog a whole lot about reality TV. I've never watched an episode of any edition of "The Bachelor" or "The Bachelorette"; I haven't seen "Survivor" since the second season, "Fear Factor" disgusts me, and haven't been able to make myself care about any of the other one-shot shows.

However, one reality show I simply can't stop watching is the first one: "The Real World." Now in season 14 and set in San Diego, "The Real World" may not be at its all-time peak, but it's still, for me at least, impossible not to watch.

My all-time favorite "Real World" season was "Back to New York," which was filmed and aired the year I moved to Manhattan, and featured seven multi-faceted characters, including Midwestern wannabe wrestler Mike, and top-heavy militant Coral, who was Omarosa before Omarosa was (ironically, Mike and Coral's original racial feud has evolved fascinatingly over the years, as depicted on the various "Real World"/"Road Rules" Challenge series). The Chicago season, featuring the legendary Cara Nussbaum/Kahn, aired the following year.

Perhaps coinciding with the recent illness and eventual passing of co-creator Mary Ellis Bunim, "Real World" has undergone a couple of fundamental changes in the last couple of seasons: First, the casting agents have neglected to include likable or compelling cast members, instead opting to fill each cast with loathsome camera hogs. And secondly, all storylines and character development have been replaced by one thing- drinking.

Take the current "San Diego" cast, for example. We've got Jacquese, the nerdish black guy, and Jamie, the cute, quiet Asian girl. Both are, by all accounts on the show, honorable, respectable individuals- which means that neither has gotten more than 15 seconds of screen time in any episode thus far in the season.

The male cast is rounded out with drunken frat idiot Brad, and, uh, other drunken frat idiot Randy, while the other women are "innocent" Southern girl Cameran- who nonetheless mentions her vibrator at least once per episode- and Robin, a Coyote Ugly-working party girl who has been arrested twice already for her role in bar fights; Robin also, it must be noted, possesses comical, cartoon-like breast implants.

And then there's Frankie. As often, I refer back to my days as a camp counselor all those years ago. On the day before camp, the staff would always be shown the health files for each camper, including a list of every disorder a kid could possibly have- you know, ADD, ADHD, LD, OCD, bedwetting, you name it. And there was always one kid, every year, who had EVERYTHING checked off.

Frankie, it should go without saying, is that kid. Her dysfunctions, at least the ones we know about, include: cystic fibrosis (though she smokes), a self-mutilation habit, a phobia of big boats (which makes her job, on a boat, just a hoot), and perhaps worst of all, a predilection for getting drunk, making out with her male roommates, and then tearfully confessing to her boyfriend in a 10-hour phone conversation, even though she doesn't remember exactly what happened.

Is it right to laugh at Frankie? No, probably not, and it's safe to say her dysfunctions are way over the line of what's acceptable for reality TV to depict as comedy. This question has often been raised by Josh Wolk, who writes the “Real World Watch” column on Entertainment Weekly's website. Which is, I should add, a brilliant read, even if you don’t watch the show. To wit:

Brad and Frankie were screaming about how she was clearly just fueling the fires (how crazy is Frankie? She made me take Brad's side!), and then suddenly, in flew Robin, the deus ex drunkina. Fluttering her hand on her heart, she burst into tears as she ran to Cameran's bed, apologized, embraced her, and pronounced, ''We're just two dumb b----es who love each other.'' (Well, I'll give her the first five words, anyway.) Then she hopped under the covers, fully dressed, and went to sleep. This was a performance that Jennifer Jason Leigh would consider too mannered.

Yes, drunkenness, fights, and senseless drama: we sure have come a long way since the days of Eric Nies.

Posted by Stephen Silver at May 5, 2004 10:22 PM
Comments

Oh, it's VERY possible not to watch the Real World. I do so every day.

Posted by: Jeremy Wahlman at May 6, 2004 12:18 AM

and next year it will be set in philly. oh joy!

Posted by: LilB at May 6, 2004 01:17 PM

I'm with you on the Real World. I started watching in Season II L.A. and have not missed a season since. (Dominic, Surfer John, the Rapist, the Beths and John Brennan)

Nothing better than nursing a hangover on a Sunday and watching a RW marathon.

Posted by: J. Lichty at May 6, 2004 05:46 PM
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