I was watching TV the other day (shocking, I know) and was attempting to watch the latest season of MTV's The Real World, which is set in Sydney, Australia. I watched for probably the first 15 minutes or so, but then I just had to change the channel. I was just totally uninterested in what was going on with the people in the house. Why didn't I care about it? The show still had most of the elements that every season of the show has- a cool city, amazing house, slightly ignorant young people and a lot of sexual tension. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into it. Something was missing.
To my understanding, the whole point of The Real World was to open the eyes of naive young people and force them to interact with people from other races and walks of life, and hopefully learn something. It seems as if the show (now in its 19th season- wow!) has gone away from the diversity edge and went towards the shock and sex that makes other reality shows popular. The very first season, appropriately set in NYC, was groundbreaking. It had people from all walks of life, and in the most stereotypical form possible. The rapper girl, the country bumpkin, the rocker, the gay man, the gym stud, the "angry black man" and that other girl. Even though I was really young, I still remember the screaming match between Julie and Kevin outside of their apartment. It seemed really relevant to the times and how the world was getting smaller. I was shocked at what I was watching on TV and learning about other people and cultures. Now, not so much.
The latest season offers no diversity whatsoever... at least in my opinion. The cast is composed of traditional "seven strangers picked to live in a house" but take a look at them. Do any of them look that unique to you? I mean, that one guy is wearing a cowboy hat! What a freak! Everyone else tends to look the same. The two blonde girls are almost indistinguishable on the show and everyone else is pretty boring, too. The girl is the blue dress, Parisa, is the most unique in the house because she is a Muslim, but she's probably the most assimilated girl MTV could have chosen. No offense, P.So this is my question- Why don't I care about The Real World anymore? Is it because I am too old? I'm almost 25, which isn't old if you ask me, but maybe I'm just not shocked by this type of TV anymore. Or is it because the world is a more diverse place now having people of different races and lifestyles in a home isn't as controversial as it was 10 years ago?
Discuss.