Real World XX

This is how old I am: when the Real World first started on MTV I was not allowed to watch it. This was the one with Julie and Eric and Norman. I guess I watched enough episodes to learn their names before my dad pulled the plug.

I argued, “But it’s called the REAL WORLD! You can’t hide me from the real world!”

Through the years I’ve caught some Real World’s: L.A., San Fran, Seattle, Hawaii, Paris, New Orleans, Chicago, Austin (and lived there during the taping!)
And missed some: Miami, London, Boston, Sydney (was there one in Sydney?)

But last night I saw that Real World XX was in Hollywood and they were replaying the first episode.

Frank said, “Didn’t they already have one in L.A?”

I said, “Yeah, the one with John, the country singer. He’s the one that says, ‘True Story!’” (and then I sang it just like him). “But it’s been so long,” I told Frank, “I think it’s okay for them to go back there.”

So we started watching: they had the typical crew—the pretty boy, the girl with a boyfriend who probably won’t have a boyfriend by the end of the season, the angry black man, the country girl who’s never seen a black person and says inappropriate things, the stripper…I’m sure there’s a gay guy but I haven’t figured it out yet. One girl (the one with the boyfriend) said she was going to turn 21 that weekend.

Then Frank said something seriously scary: “You know, when the first L.A. one was on, these kids weren’t even born yet.”

OMG.

Okay, so a quick check of Wikipedia told me that season aired in 1993 so they were born…but they were only like five.

About halfway through I said, “I can’t watch this anymore. It makes me feel icky.”

Sixteen years later I’m now hiding from the Real World by choice. Should make my dad proud.