“Real World X: New York”
Tonight at 10 p.m. on MTV
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IT hardly seems worth noting anymore that MTV’s “Real World” has little to do with reality.
That tiny shortcoming has done nothing to dim the enthusiasm of the show’s fans, who are undoubtedly on pins and needles waiting for tonight’s premiere of “Real World X.”
What’s so unreal about this new edition of the “Real World” in New York? New Yorkers will see immediately.
Young people aged 18-22 are simply not permitted to move to New York to live in a fancy, renovated West Village townhouse without any means of financial support (i.e., a job).
In reality, newcomers of that age must accept the first low-paying, entry-level job that comes their way, and then settle for living with several others in a basement studio in Chinatown.
On “Real World,” of course, what the seven strangers do for a living is of no importance to the show’s fans. They’re more interested in who’s kissing, who’s fighting and, to a lesser extent, who’s gay.
The cushy decor – which seems to grow more sumptuous every year on “Real World” – is also a star of the show, as fans enjoy relishing the surroundings as much as the “Real World” participants when they walk into their new home for the first time.
That’s what happens at the outset of tonight’s premiere of “Real World,” which was filmed at 632 Hudson Street, between Jane and Horatio.
The seven fit various stereotypes familiar to long-time “Real World” followers.
They are: Mike, 19, from Parma, Ohio, the small-town boy who’s never met any black people; Coral, 21, an outspoken African-American woman from San Francisco who clashes with Mike; Kevin, 22, of Austin, Texas, a cancer survivor who can’t stop talking about what a great guy he is; Lori, 21, from Boston, who can’t stop talking about her crush on Kevin; Nicole, 22, from Atlanta, who’s not featured all that much in Episode 1; Malik, 21, of Berkeley, Calif., who wears his hair in a huge Afro and comes across as the nicest person in the group; and Rachel, 18, of Orland Park, Ill., the show’s requisite virgin.
Every “Real World’s” gotta have one, doesn’t it?
So far, none of the participants appears to be gay, but give the show a chance. That revelation is sure to come – though I’ll be darned if I can guess at this point who it will be.
Does “Real World X” (for Year 10 of the series) satisfy a fan’s lust for soap opera? Hard to say.
Just about the only thing that passes for soap opera so far is Lori’s crush on Kevin and I’m not holding my breath waiting to see if they “hook up,” as Lori puts it.
I much more enjoyed the racial clash that erupted between Mike and Coral. And although they appeared to settle their differences, I don’t think they’re done.
For me, the star of “Real World X” was the city, which looks just great in this show.
I just hope the self-absorbed participants can stop talking about themselves long enough to go out and enjoy it.