The Real World and Road Rules Blog

Favorite Moment: Dan and Melissa's Fight on the Real World Miami

2012-05-26T07:42:00.002-07:00

Here's a blast from the past, The Real World: Miami. In 1996, Cynthia, Dan, Flora, Joe, Melissa, Mike, and Sarah lived in a million-dollar mansion on the Florida coast.

"Was it fucking yours to open up, you stupid bitch?!"

One of the stand-out moments from the season was Dan and Melissa's fight on the stairs. After Melissa had irritated the housemates by going through other people's things, Dan confronted Melissa. Apparently, Melissa had found projection slides in an envelope. The envelope was unmarked, but they were two slides from the Birdcage, the Robin Williams/Nathan Lane movie. Supposedly, they were hundred-dollar slides from Dan's job.

Dan found the slides conspicuously lying around, outside the envelope. He waited the entire day for Melissa to come home, stewing in his juices, ready to confront her. What resulted was one of the shortest, yet most epic Real World fights.

In 2007, Jezebel covered the fight. The fight erupted into a grotesque confrontation, with both Melissa and Dan lobbing horrible insults toward the other in less than two minutes. Jezebel has the full video, complete with uncensored language and commentary from Dan, Flora, and Nathan (Seattle).

Plenty has changed since Miami aired 16 years ago. The Miami house actually had a television, which producers found created hours of footage with the roommates sitting on the couch. Melissa was also a Miami native. Producers would later avoid casting locals in the cities they would film. Melissa would often escape the house to find refuge with family and friends, and moved out before the season wrapped.

However, even with the sensationalized nature of recent seasons, this fight stands out as one of the best Real World fights in the 20-year history of the series.

MTVs longest running program, the Real World, turns 20 today

2012-05-21T10:39:00.000-07:00

Twenty years ago tonight, MTV debuted The Real World: New York.

The first cast of the Real World.

On May 21, 1992, The Real World: New York was broadcasted into homes and a generation stayed tuned in. The series, a pioneer in the reality television genre, brought contemporary issues to light in the eyes of seven twenty-somethings. The series has aired twenty-six seasons, is currently filming in St. Thomas, and has been renewed into 2013.

Since its debut, The Real World has been responsible for setting off a national conversation about young people and the issues they face today. The series brought serious discussions to the national stage. For example, a fight between Julie and Kevin in New York culminated in a discussion about race relations in the United States. Tami allowed cameras to document her abortion in Los Angeles, setting off a discussion between roommates. Most notably, after HIV-AIDS activist Pedro joined the San Francisco cast, the series gained widespread notoriety for its attention to the global issue.

The Real World is MTV's longest running program. In 1995, the network brought the first spin-off to life, Road Rules. Road Rules came to light after Jon, Tami, and David drove cross-country in a RV during the first two episodes of the Los Angeles season. The two shows experienced a rivalry that would ultimately culminate in the Challenge spin-off in 1998. Road Rules ran for fourteen seasons and the Challenge has started pre-production on its 23rd season.

Critics argue that the series has de-evolved from an honest documentary to a drunken revelry. During the Hawaii season in 1998, out of control Ruthie was sent to a 30-day program for alcohol abuse. The Las Vegas season in 2002 brought constant partying, debauchery, and pregnancy scares. The first Las Vegas season marked a turning point for the series, when the series began to become known for its party atmosphere.

Nonetheless, the series still tackled sensitive issues. In 2004, Frankie, a castmember with cystic fibrosis joined the cast, passing away three years later. In 2009, Katelynn, the show's first transgendered roommate, battled misperceptions and insecurities in Brooklyn. And for the first time, Dustin of the show's second Las Vegas season, a castmember was forced to deal with the consequences of a troubled past that resurfaced during the show.

Congratulations to Bunim-Murray Productions for twenty years!

The Real World: St Thomas premieres June 27

2012-05-09T08:06:00.000-07:00

MTV has set a premiere date for the next season of The Real World.

The Real World: St. Thomas cast

St. Thomas will premiere on June 27 at 10PM/9PM central. The cast includes (from L to R) Trey, Swift, LaToya, Marie, Robb, Laura, and Brandon.

Where Are They Now? Road Rules South Pacific's Dave

2012-04-23T05:37:00.004-07:00

Every so often there's news about previous castmembers who have had some success with the entertainment industry, either as an actor or entertainer.

Road Rules' South Pacific Dave

Dave (South Pacific) hasn't been seen on an MTV show since he and Cara (South Pacific) were both o on the Gauntlet. The two were dating on that show, and went on to win the final Challenge. Since the show, the two went their separate ways, with Cara eventually posing for Playboy and having a child. Dave has been making a name for himself as an actor. He has steadily found work since his appearance on Road Rules in 2003.

He has had roles in Nip/Tuck, Veronica Mars, Grey's Anatomy, and The Ghost Whisperer. This Fall, Dave actually starred in his own NBC show called Grimm. The show follows his character, Nick Burkhardt, and his battles against the mythological characters of fairytales. The catch is that Nick is actually a police officer in Portland. Grimm airs on Fridays on NBC and has been renewed into its second season.

New York's Kevin will not be running for Congress in newly created district

2012-04-18T11:44:00.000-07:00

Besides Sean (Boston), another castmember has thrown their hat into the political circus. Kevin (New York) ran for Congress in Brooklyn.

Kevin now and then.

Kevin (New York) challenged Ed Towns as recently as two years ago. Ed Towns recently made the news when he announced that he would retire at the end of his 15th term. Kevin will not be running for office, but he did comment on the situation.

I think it’s a great day for Brooklyn and New York City politics,I think it’s a great day for Brooklyn and New York City politics... It definitely represents, finally, a shifting. And we are proud of where we come from, because even though we are proud of where we come from, we see the world a little bit differently than the older guard of black leadership." Kevin is still an active part of the Brooklyn community.

The Real World: San Diego House is hosting a Cinco de Mayo Party

2012-04-18T08:31:00.000-07:00

Long after the San Diego castmates moved out of the house, you can get in on a piece of Real World history by partying in the La Jolla house.

The interior of the Real World: San Diego house.

A company called Green with Envy events is hosting a party, in part to benefit the United States Youth Advocate Foundation. For $99, you can party it up in San Diego for Cinco de Mayo. The event is catered, has entertainment, and you can even purchase VIP tickets. The $99 price tag includes access to an open bar, so the event is a pretty good deal. Check out the link here.

Sean is up for reelection in Congress this November and faces stiff competition

2012-04-17T05:00:00.000-07:00

The Real World Boston's Sean is facing a tough challenge this November as his congressional seat is up for re-election.

Sean from his appearance on the Real World: Boston

Sean won the seat in 2010, which was held by longtime congressman Dave Obey, a Democrat. Sean, a Republican, won the seat in his home district in Wisconsin. Sean had been living in Wisconsin, working as the Ashland District Attorney. That being said, his seat, which was held by a Democrat for many years, is looking to be one of the most contested races this November.

Pat Krietlow, a former news anchor, is running for the seat. Polls conducted as early as last year show that Sean faces an uphill battle to keep his seat. Sean is married to Rachel (San Francisco) and they have six children together.

Real World Los Angeles' Tami appears on the cover of EGL Magazine

2012-04-16T13:42:00.000-07:00

Tami (Los Angeles) has not been part of press and media for the Real World for quite some time. However, she is now part of the cast of the VH1 reality show Basketball Wives.

Tami from her Real World days.

Basketball Wives is a reality show that follows current and former wives of NBA players. Tami is divorced from former NBA player Kenny Anderson. In EGL's April issue, Tami appears on the cover and talks about reality television, her decision to open up about sexual assault on the show, and her divorce.

You can check out the spread here. Basketball Wives is currently airing its fourth season with episodes every Monday. The series has been confirmed for a fifth season.

Real World Brooklyn's Scott participates in an anti-bullying forum

2012-04-16T09:24:00.002-07:00

Scott (Brooklyn) continues to do work with organizations that educate schoolchildren about the dangers and hazards of bullying.

Real World Brooklyn's Scott

In the most recent seasons, editing does not really reflect too much on the castmembers past experiences. Most of the episode is devoted to events unfolding in the house, with castmembers using past experiences to explain motivations. Nonetheless, we did hear about Scott's (Brooklyn) childhood, being bullied as a child.

Scott was a guest speaker at the Salisbury Anti-Bullying Jamboree, which was intended as a forum to educate children about bullying. Currently, Scott is a successful fitness instructor, and has his own business Scott Herman Fitness. He offers consultations, meal plans, workout plans, and even posts YouTube videos of his workouts online.

Wikipedia reveals castmembers who have won the most and least money on Challenges

2012-04-13T14:00:00.000-07:00

A fan has gone through the Wikipedia pages of past Challenges and has ran a tally of how much money each castmember has earned on the Challenges.

Competitors face off for cash in the Challenge

If anything, the list is incredibly interesting, albeit incomplete. These totals only reflect the amount of money won from final missions. Often times, castmembers were given individual prizes and appearance fees. In fact, in the past few years, castmembers have commented on the fact that they are beginning to get paid more than they have in the past for appearing on the Challenge.

Nonetheless, in terms of prize money, here's the top 10:

1. Johnny (Key West): 8 Challenges/4 wins ($266,543)
2. Darrell (Campus Crawl): 6 Challenges/4 wins ($240,555)
3. Kenny (Fresh Meat): 8 Challenges/3 wins ($236,293)
4. Wes (Austin): 6 Challenges/1 win ($185,000)
5. Landon (Philadelphia): 4 Challenges/3 wins ($184,166)
6. Jodi (Extreme): 3 Challenges/2 wins ($176,666)
7. Derrick (Extreme): 9 Challenges/3 wins ($176,293)
8. Ev (Fresh Meat): 7 Challenges/3 wins ($167,000)
9. Evan (Fresh Meat): 6 Challenges/2 wins ($151,293)
10. Rachel (Campus Crawl): 7 Challenges/2 wins ($135,555)

The Challenger with the most amount of money is Johnny (Key West). However, Landon (Philadelphia) has made the most amount of money per challenge. The most unsuccessful Challengers of all time are tied for a four-way finish:

1. Danny (Austin): 5 Challenges/0 wins -- Last Challenge: Fresh Meat II
1. Eric (Fresh Meat): 5 Challenges/0 wins -- Last Challenge: Cutthroat
1. Ryan (Fresh Meat): 5 Challenges/0 wins -- Last Challenge: Fresh Meat II
1. Tyrie (Denver): 5 Challenges/0 wins -- Last Challenge: Battle of the Exes

San Diego's Ashley threw the first pitch at yesterday's Lexington Legends Game

2012-04-13T09:00:00.002-07:00

Since the season wrapped late last year, Ashley (San Diego) moved back to Connecticut to live with family.

Real World: San Diego's Ashley

Ashley threw the ceremonial first pitch at Whitaker Bank Ballpark in Lexington, KY. Last night's game marked the first home game for the Legends. The Lexington Legends are the minor league affiliate of Houston Astros. The Legends played the minor league team for the Chicago White Sox.

Last anyone heard, Ashley and Zach (San Diego) were still dating. You can follow Ashley on Twitter at @AshleyMarieMTV.

Names of the Real World St. Thomas cast revealed

2012-04-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

Although the Real World: St. Thomas cast is currently in production, details are slowly coming out about the cast.

The Real World: St. Thomas cast

From left to right, we have LaToya, Trey, Robb, Marie, Unknown, Brandon, and Kate. The identities of six of the seven castmembers have been revealed and here's some pretty basic information about the six castmembers.

LaToya Jackson, 22
From: St. Petersberg, VA

Trey Weatherholtz, 23
From: Dundalk, MD

Robb Schriber, 21
From: Bensalem, PA

Marie Roda, 23
From: Staten Island, NY

Brandon Kane, 24
From: Boston, MA

Kate, Age unknown
From: Location unknown

This year, there are two self-proclaimed models on the cast (LaToya and Trey), a college basketball player (Robb), a self-proclaimed "party girl" (Marie), and a former addict (Brandon). Exact details about two of the castmembers have yet to be revealed, but we broke news about Kate yesterday.

Alex contributes to MTVs Voices series, discussing what confidence means to her

2012-04-12T14:00:00.001-07:00

Alex (San Diego) has been keeping busy, working as an official correspondent for MTV's Voices series.

The Real World: San Diego's Alex Govere

The Voices series is an online collection intended to represent the voice of a generation. Alex contributes regularly with video blogs on a number of different topics. This week, she talks about confidence. But in the past, Alex has talked about topics such as sex, activism, and bullying. You can follow Alex on Twitter @alexgovere and she writes for her own personal blog, The High Fiver.

The Real World: St. Thomas -- Third female castmember is Kate?

2012-04-12T08:25:00.000-07:00

A couple days ago, a number of pictures crept online from the Real World: St. Thomas cast, MTV's latest and 27th season of The Real World.

The Real World: St. Thomas' Trey & Kate

So far, the Internet has confirmed a number of castmembers including Brandon, LaToya, Marie, Robb, and Trey. This left one female and male castmember unidentified. Apparently, a fan ran into the cast in a bar in St. Thomas and has identified the last female castmember as Kate. Kate is the redhead that appears in the photo above with Trey.

Otherwise, the fan was smart enough to snap two photos of the cast, including a close-up of Trey and a line-up of four castmembers. Check out the photos below.

The Real World: St. Thomas' Trey

Marie, Trey, Brandon, and unidentified male castmember

Stay tuned, more information should come out soon.

San Diego's Zach is back playing professional football with the Saginaw Sting

2012-04-12T05:03:00.000-07:00

One of the castmembers from the most recent San Diego season has rejoined his old football team, the Saginaw Sting.

Real World San Diego's Zach

Zach is a wide receiver for the professional indoor football team. The team consistently does well and is currently the second place team in the league. In an interview with a local newspaper, Zach briefly spoke about his Real World experience. "It was just a fun experience, I try to stay level-headed. It was an experience that not everyone gets to have, and I got to enjoy it. I got a little more notoriety but that's about it."

This is a little different than the perspective shared on the Reunion, where Zach and Ashley (San Diego) separated themselves from the rest of the cast. Nonetheless, when asked about potentially returning to MTV for a Challenge, Zach leaves the door open. We may be seeing Zach on tv screens soon enough.

Mike opens a new business, Greenest Genius, helping schools

2012-04-11T14:00:00.002-07:00

Mike (Las Vegas) opened the doors to his new business on Tuesday, Greenest Genius.

Real World's Mike

Mike just opened GreenestGenius.com, a website that buys your old electronics, and then refurbishes them for use in schools. They refurbish old computers, iPads, and iPhones to schools that needs them the most. They also support schools with financial donations. Take a second and check out Mike's latest venture.

Season 28 of the Real World is in full casting mode, even though the series has yet to be renewed

2012-04-11T10:09:00.001-07:00

Bunim-Murray is embarking on a nationwide tour this month, looking for the next group of seven strangers.

The last cast of the Real World.

Bunim-Murray is currently making the rounds, looking for the next group of seven strangers. Production is touring a number of large cities, hitting nightclubs and bars, interviewing people for a new cast. This is extremely peculiar, given that MTV has only greenlighted the St. Thomas season. Nonetheless, casting has drawn crowds in several different cities.

Bunim-Murray has a casting webpage online, where hopefuls can fill out an application. A few lucky potentials are contacted via email, given VIP appointment times, and are asked to appear at the casting call. You can also show up at the casting call without an appointment and try your luck there. The casting call usually consists of a short group interview where everyone is asked to talk about themselves in a small group of hopefuls. Unfortunately, this turns into a free-for-all whoring competition, where people throw out random stories they think make them interesting.

If you think you have an interesting story, casting calls are being held in Missoula, MT, Riverside, CA, Tuscaloosa, AL, Columbia, MO, Columbia, SC, San Francisco, CA, Buffalo, NY, Philadelphia, PA, State College, PA, Norfolk, VA, Providence, RI, Tempe, AZ, New York, NY, Oklahoma City, OK, Las Cruces, NM, Seattle WA, Las Vegas, NV, and Columbus, OH. If The Real World isn't renewed, you may have a shot at the next Fresh Meat.

Real World creator Jon Murray on his production company turning 25

2012-04-11T05:00:00.001-07:00

The creator of The Real World, Road Rules, and Challenge series recently gave an interview with the Hollywood Reporter.

Jon Murray & the Denver cast in the background

Jon Murray, creator of the Real World, Road Rules, and Challenge, is also responsible for a number of different reality shows. Bunim-Murray is at the helm of the wildly successful Kardashians series, the Bad Girls Club, and are now producing Project Runway. Murray sat down with the Hollywood Reporter to discuss his production company turning 25 and the changing nature of reality television.

In the interview, he discusses his most proudest moment, when Pedro (San Francisco) impacted the nation by sharing his story with the world. Upon Pedro's death, former president Bill Clinton complimented Murray for his work on the series. Murray also opens up with other series including Keeping Up With the Kardashians, the Simple Life, and explains why The Real World wouldn't be picked up as a series today.

Cast photos of the Real World: St. Thomas slowly appear online

2012-04-10T17:04:00.002-07:00

Through various sightings at nightclubs, the cast of MTVs Real World: St. Thomas has slowly been revealed.

We've seen most of these castmembers while they've been out on the town, partying it up in local clubs. Filming in St. Thomas ends in May. But, we've seen photos of each of the seven strangers appear online. There are three females, four males. More on each castmember in an upcoming post!

The Real World St. Thomas house is on it's own island

2012-04-10T12:27:00.000-07:00

The new season of MTV's The Real World will feature a first: the cast will live on their own island.

Hassell Island, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands

According to Real World Houses, the 27th season of the series will have its own 15-acre island, with three houses, totaling 15,000 square feet of space. The main house overlooks Saint Thomas Harbor and was listed for sale last year. Some pictures of the house pre-renovation are already up online.

Apparently, you can see the house brilliantly lit up at night. The cast gets to the mainland by using speedboats and have been frequently seen in local bars at night.

Hulu Plus Offers Full Episodes of Real World and Road Rules

2012-04-10T05:15:00.000-07:00

Hulu Plus, a web-streaming service, is currently offering full seasons of The Real World and Road Rules for a monthly fee.

Road Rules: USA Tour II

Hulu offers old school seasons including the first two seasons of Road Rules and the first four seasons of The Real World. So, if you're late to the game, you can catch up with Mark (USA Tour 1), who first appeared on the series in 1994. Amazon actually offers recent episodes of The Real World and The Challenge and their catalog is recent, but much more substantial than Hulu. From time to time, old clips will appear on YouTube and other file sharing services, but are usually taken off.

Road Rules: Where Are They Now? Darrell

2012-04-09T17:18:00.000-07:00

Darrell (Campus Crawl) originally appeared on the series in 2001. He's been a frequent Challenge winner, but has not been seen since 2010's Fresh Meat II where he was sent home in the first elimination.

Campus Crawl's Darrell Taylor

Darrell recently sat down with Derrick (Extreme) to talk about the Challenge finale and updated viewers on his whereabouts. He gives some great commentary on Derrick's challenge podcast. Although he hasn't been on a Challenge in the past two years, he's up for another go, especially if the next installment is a Duel. Darrell has a two-year old daughter and has a second child on the way.

The Real World: St. Thomas cast has four guys, three girls

2012-04-09T12:49:00.000-07:00

According to blogs and sightings, this season of The Real World: St. Thomas will have four girls and three guys.

St. Thomas Daily News writes about the cast arrival.

There have been enough castmember sightings to know that there are three females and four males on this season's cast. A local photographer spotted two males and two females on the beach in March.

Battle of the Exes originally had a 'Final Four' instead of a 'Final Three' finale

2012-04-09T05:39:00.002-07:00

In the original rules of the Battle of the Exes, castmembers were told that there would be four teams in the final.

Sarah and Vinny in Battle of the Exes

However, early on in the Challenge, two teams were sent home early despite scheduled eliminations. Sarah (Brooklyn) and Vinny (Fresh Meat II) were sent home for Vinny's bad behavior. In the second episode, Vinny took off Mandi's (Fresh Meat II) top when the cast was at a club. Later on, Heather (Las Vegas) and Dustin (Las Vegas) were also sent home because Dustin had busted open his knee.

After the two teams were sent home, producers changed the rules from a Final Four to a Final Three. Originally, an alliance of Johnny (Key West)/Camilla (Spring Break), CT (Paris)/Diem (Fresh Meat), Mark (USA Tour I)/Robin (San Diego) and Dunbar (Sydney)/Paula (Key West) were gunning for those four top spots. The rule change quickly dissipated the alliance, breaking the bonds between the foursome, eventually leading to some friction that we saw unfold on-screen.

First clear pictures of the Real World: St. Thomas cast

2012-04-07T12:18:00.000-07:00

Early last month, a local St. Thomas photographer caught great pictures of The Real World: St. Thomas cast.

Unidentified male castmember #1

Candace Hall is a local photographer on the island. She graciously posted pictures of the cast playing on the beach with her son. Take a look at her Facebook page to see the complete album. And without further ado, here are more pictures of the cast.

Unidentified female castmember #1 & unidentified male castmember #2

Unidentified female castmember #1 & male castmember #1

Unidentified male castmember #1 and unidentified female castmember #2