PROJECT ABSTRACT

MTV's reality telivision show, The Real World, has captivated telivision audiences for over a decade.  The show follows the lives of seven strangers who are forced for six months to work and live together.  The show casts individuals from all different locations, races, ethnicities, sexual orientations and socio-economic backgrounds thus creating what can be considered a microcosm of a diverse twenty-first century society.  Some may argue that the show is scripted due to similarities in the extreme drama created by cast members season after season while others claim that the cameras and editing distort the actual reality of the show making it similar to any situational comedy on television.

Tentative Thesis:  Although the footage aired on MTV's The Real World is edited and distorted to create a presentable with a story line, each season nevertheless serves as a microcosm of American life because it presents an accurate representation of the typical issues existing between young people of different genders, races, and backgrounds today. 

PROJECT CONTEXT

Unlike many relaity shows, The real world has been able to withstand the test of time captivating audiences through twelve seasons.  Each season is unique in its own respect, bringing together a new mixture of strangers from different backgrounds.  I am curious how the show has proven successful, encapsulating a large audience for such a long period of time.  Is it the "real life" aspect of the show, showing how a diverse group of individuals live and work together much like that of modern society?  Is it the drama caused by personal differences among cast members due to different pasts?   Or on the contrary, have the creators of the show succesfully created a formula to create drama much like that seen on a sit-com or soap opera but using editing of video and real life charachters with no acting experience?

PROJECT GOALS

My main goal in this study is to show how the multiple casts of The Real World have been able to act as a represention of twenty-first century society.  Through analyzation of specific episodes and texts, I will be able to show how many social issues on the show mirror those in every day society.  Each member of the cast in each season represents a different social group.  For example, the current cast in Key West includes a gay, a hispanic, a bolemic, two frat boys, an african american, and a person of Ukrainian decent.   Here, the microcosmic society consists of people with different sexual orientation, age, ethnicity, race, gender, and personal problems.  With so many differences among cast members, drama unfolds naturally.  I would also like to show how members of the audience relate to the cast on a personal level because many are able to relate to the real situations on the show.

TEXTS TO BE ANALYZED

The Real World X: Back to New York, and The Real World Las Vegas: Confessions From Sin City - These books gives an in depth analysis of charachters and in depth summary of the series.  The book gives detailed background information on charachters as well as events after the conclusion.

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DVD's from seasons one-eleven will be reviewed.  Specific quotes and summary of situations will be used to support my argument that The Real World serves as a microcosm of society in the twenty-first century.

WORKING BIBLIOGRAPHY

Barker, Chris. Cultural Studies: Theory and Practice, 2^nd Ed. London: SAGE Publications Ltd, 2003.

Pollett, Allison.  MTV's Real World Chicago.  New York: Simon & Schuster Inc., 2002.

Squires, K.M.  MTV's Real World Las Vegas: Confessions From Sin City.  New York: Simon & Schuster Inc., 2002.

• http://www.mtv.com/onair/realworld/ - This is the official Real World website which gives up to date information on all cast members from past to present as well as detailed information on the show.

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Real_World#References - This website gives information regarding the history of the show, requirements for cast members, as well as information on re-occuring themes from season to season.