Last week I posed this question: “Does anyone still watch The Real World?” I’m lazy and unmotivated, so I left it up to the readers to decide if I should review season 21. Well, the results are in. Where the hell is my drumroll? Oh well. Thirty-five people voted and five others commented. It came down to the fourth quarter; the nays — trailing 21-19 — needed a last second field goal to come out on top. They shanked it wide right. Victory goes to the yeas!
Sorry to all you haters out there, but I will be reviewing Real World: Brooklyn. Are those boos I hear? If it makes you feel any better I am going to do my best to vilify the show when appropriate. Anyone who has seen the series is well aware there are plenty of targets to shotgun blast.
Now that the formalities are out of the way, after the jump I’ll introduce this year’s eight strangers picked to live in a house, work together, have their lives taped, to find out what happens when….
It’s obvious the producers are getting desperate when it comes to casting. This season’s group looks like they walked out of a David Lynch film. Here we go:
Scott the male model – His claim to fame is winning “best abs” at some ridiculously vain contest with other alpha-males. I once won “boy most likely to flunk out of law school.” I’m still not sure if that’s a compliment or not.
Sarah the bi-sexual therapist – Covered in tattoos, Sarah seems like a sweet girl. Her new beau happens to be her first since she used to dig chicks. She reminds me of a brunette Reese Witherspoon from the movie Election.
Ryan the Iraq War vet - Ryan writes songs, plays guitar and assumes every guy in the house is gay. He also likes to pull pranks.
Katelynn the transgendered - She used to be a “he.” Only recently did she become a woman. I’m sure she’ll be a catalyst for debate within the house.
Baya the wannabe dancer - Cute and single, she looks like a party girl. A showmance between her and Ryan seems inevitable.
JD the gay dolphin trainer - JD immediately identified with Katelynn. He comes from an abusive family but hasn’t let that stop him from living his life his way.
Devyn the beauty queen - She’s from Kansas and has big boobs. What’s not to like?
Chet the Mormon virgin – Chet doesn’t drink but he is one helluva designated driver. My suspicion is that he and Katelynn will be the focal points this season.
Here’s a quick recap of the first two installments: Baya turned down enrollment at a dance academy; Ryan kissed a drag queen at a gay club; Katelynn came out to JD, Sarah and Baya; JD uses magnum-sized condoms; Chet’s very blond family came for a visit; Scott and Devyn did nothing; JD and Chet engaged in the first household squabble which had something to do with insulting immigrants.
If I changed the names I could be talking about any of the previous 20 seasons of The Real World. The beauty of the show is it requires minimum brain activity to watch. It is the definition of a guilty pleasure. Now, it’s time for those of you who voted thumbs-up to tell me what you think of the season so far. Who do you like? Who annoys you? Who is the leading candidate to leave the show early? I’ll be back next week with another scintillating review of Real World: Brooklyn. Until then….
Clacked by Scott Tunstall 
on Jan 15, 2009 @ 17:00 EST5EDT
I didn’t even know there was a poll. I think I just saw The Real World in the title and automatically scrolled past it.
The argument about making fun of immigrants for not speaking english perfectly really didn’t go how I thought it was going to. I have to admit I was pretty surprised to see Chet “Sheltered Mormon White Boy” yell at J.D. over J.D. being rude to immigrants, but it did make him go up many points in my estimation.
Correction – Devyn is from Kansas City, MISSOURI. Just because she is from Kansas City does not automatically mean she lives in Kansas :)
I think after reading some interviews with this cast, I’m going to give the show another chance. I quit watching a few years ago when the competition shows (Real World vs Road Rules) got so popular and out of hand. I have no desire to sit and watch a bunch of uninteresting kids sleep with each other. I’m glad to see that the kids this season look like they actually may have some (even if just a little!) morals and values and might actually be able to act like adults.
I also have a feeling that Chet is more than “metro” as he sang in his song with Ryan on the first episode. I think he’ll end up like Julie from the New Orleans cast (have you seen her lately on the challenges?!) and end up at least kissing one of the other boys.
And Ryan will be the first to break up with his girlfriend. It was him that brought the picture right?
And what ever happened to Road Rules anyway???
My mistake – Devyn is from Missouri. All those mid-west states confuse me.
Chet is definitely an interesting fellow. I think he’ll be tempted by many things this season.
Road Rules became difficult to shoot and never really had the following of The Real World.
I very much enjoyed the premiere of Real World: Brooklyn. Although many now ridicule the series the original premise still stands. Seventeen years ago the cast may not have been living on a pier, but you can already see how the experiment is affecting the roommates.
-Ryan at this point seems to the one with the most to gain. He comes from a small town, is a veteran soldier, and has not been exposed to the diversities an area like Brooklyn has to offer.
-Chet seems to be conflicted with who he is. While it is unfair to assume he is a gay man when he has stated he is straight, he said Scott was cute in the duet and when Ryan said he knew he was gay, Chet responded “No, because that is a sin.” He also enjoys wearing eyeliner and is the most flamboyant and stylish conservative I’ve ever seen.
-Scott and Devyn look like they will be featured in the upcoming episode. To account for the extra roommate it appears they will rotate a few of the cast in each episode.
-Baya reminds me a lot of Brynn from Real World: Vegas. Aspiring dancer, big dreams, not much else to be said.
-Katelynn will definitely be the source of tension and drama throughout the show. Ryan seems to have an issue with living with a transgender. It is possible he will eventually accept Katelynn’s life choices, but as of now he is not showing the maturity to handle the subject.
-JD and Sarah are both the nurturing ones in the house. The both of them are probably going to be Katelynn’s support system. Sarah was once a lesbian, but is now in her first relationship with a man. JD is a gay man with some Dad issues. Becomes racist against his own people when intoxicated.
Anyway Scott, not sure if the reviews will continue to be brief and saying it is like every other season which is unfair. That’s like saying The Amazing Race or Survivor is just doing some challenges and winning money in the end. It’s the little nuances that make the show and why people watch. If you would rather not review the show, I am more than happy too.