Clash of the Titans? Maybe more like Beatles vs. Wham!

Part of what I attempt to do here is identify trends in the Real World so as to find out what makes a good season and what makes a waste of my time. I assume that is the same thing the producers and casting directors try to do. But with a wealth of knowledge at their disposal, why are they so hit or miss? I think they hit it out of the park with this season, but they have bombed recently with Brooklyn, DC, Hollywood, and Cancun, in my opinion. Before that, the producers were on a hot streak with Key West, Philadelphia, and Denver. Now, I don't know if these producers and casting directors stay around for extended periods of time, but let's assume for the sake of argument that some of them have been around from San Diego up until now.

What this disparity shows is that there really is only so much in their control. Aside from location, getting cooperation from the city, and picking people who are attractive, it really is all up to the cast members to make the season. Casting directors can get a good general idea of what kind of person someone is, but you have to remember, these people are auditioning. They are going to show you the best parts of their personality and hide the boring/annoying aspects. Seriously, how else could you explain some of these people getting on the show (Erica anyone?).

I figured that the best way to decipher all the nuances of a good season is to do a comparison of two seasons that were the most different in terms of enjoyment. Again, these are my personal choices were best and worst. But still, I'm betting there are some glaring differences between the seasons that can show what the formula should be for drunken shenanigans and tomfoolery.

My favorite season was San Diego and my least favorite has to be DC. Let's start there. Now, incidentally, this works out because there were a lot of similarities between the two seasons. If you rewatch all the old seasons, you notice that there are a lot of similarities between all the seasons. And i'm not even including the similarities in types of VD on the shows ( I think the same hot tub company is used and this hot tub company can kill all STD's except gonorrhea). All the people who go on the Real World share at least these basic characteristics. They are all exhibitionists, have IQ's no greater than 115, are in their early 20's, and bored with their lives. Throw in alcohol and there will generally be some common issues and activities in every house.

Let's first look at the similarities between the seasons. I think one of the most glaring differences is actually how the two casts handled the similarities (ok that was confusing. A lucid writer I am not):

The Big Moment: Every time MTV previews the new season, they make sure to highlight the one moment of the show that is supposed to get everyone talking the next day; the Big Moment. Most of the time the actual moment is way overblown and a big letdown. Sometimes there really isn't any big moment at all.

The Big Moment in San Diego was actually a few moments, specifically three arrests. That is the stuff legends are made of. These actual arrests were complimented terrifically by the other house mates choosing not to overreact to it and treat the situations humorously. They organized "Free Bad" protests and marched on San Diego (ok they didn't, but they should have. It would've been the icing on the cake).

The Big Moment in DC was Ty pushing Andrew over a small balcony. Now, this was a big deal. Andrew almost got really hurt. But here's the problem. The only likeable person on that cast was Andrew, and he didn't want to make anything out of the incident. However, all his whiny, annoying roommates did. The whole meeting after seemed over the top and boring. What should have been a big moment on the show just left me feeling angrier at the cast rather than entertained and involved in the actual incident. Yes, Ty shoving Andrew over the ledge was a very bad thing to do. But the context surrounding it suggests it was drunken antics taken too far rather than a malicious act by Ty.

The Roommate who Leaves Now, unless the roommate gets kicked out, the roommate who leaves is never a sympathetic character. They are almost always whiny and just a drag on the season. But the good thing about the San Diego season was that the rest of the cast got along and had a great time despite her. In addition, the rest of the cast was very likeable. So we were able to pick sides on who to support. Frankie, the Hot Topic girl, or the rest of the cast, who drank, hooked up, and got arrested. Easy choice.

For DC, the cast mate who left was Erika, the worst cast member ever. She complained constantly, was lazy about pursuing her singing, rubbed everyone else the wrong way, had a boyfriend back home, and constantly drew attention to herself in a negative way. This was much like Frankie. But the main difference is that the rest of the cast was just as boring and irritating. When Erika left, I wondered why she couldn't take half the cast with her.

Those were the two main similarities between the show, but they left completely different tastes in my mouth because of the casts. This is the underlining X-factor. The cast. It seems so obvious, yet it is actually masked by all the fluff surrounding it. When I say fluff, I mean the manufactured dramas. And this is where we begin delving into the differences.

One of the major differences was the cast-assigned job. For San Diego, they had to work on a boat. They all hated that job, and were able to bond over it. It's the same thing that happened during the 1980 Winter Olympics with the US hockey team. The players united over their hatred of their coach. It brought them together and they wound up winning the goal. San Diego cast bonded over their hatred of the boat job and Frankie, and they had an awesome season, winning the coveted Most Arrests and Vomiting in One Season medal.

In DC, they all pursued their own things. There was no common bond present, and many of them only got their jobs because of being on the show. The viewer tends to dislike it when people get hooked up without earning it. Many are desperate to get that internship with a sports team, or get to co-host a tv show. These guys luck into it, and then half ass the job. Maybe we can't pinpoint a specific thing and say "do this and the season will be good." But we can point to this "follow your individual dream" plot line and say this doesn't work. It had a lot to do with Hollywood being a crappy season and it also played a big part in making DC suck. Get rid of it, I say.

The Rotten Apple. This is very tough. There always is a chance there is one cast member who immediately wants to go home or just completely rubs the rest of the cast the wrong way. Ideally, you want the latter. Someone who is brash, obnoxious, wild, and an asshole. Think Puck or Ryan from this season. We still remember Puck even today, even though many people despised him both in the house and on tv. But they are interesting week in and week out. Then there is the homesick, boyfriend at home types. Now, this is very important. It is ok to have one of those people. It could actually be a good thing since it united the rest of the cast and also provides for season long drama. But what happens when you have 3 or 4 characters you hate. Well, then you have DC. Erika was despicably annoying. But Ty was a psychopath who constantly bordered on hitting a girl. Unfortunately, that girl was Emily. She also just got on my nerves. Let's then add Josh, a sleazebag who cheated on his girlfriend, then dumped her in one of the coldest ways possible. And he can't sing for shit. That's half the cast. Sure, Andrew was awesome, but the rest were just there. Nothing bad, but nothing good either.

Compare that to San Diego. Frankie was the unlikeable one, but at the same time, she was seriously sick. I actually sympathized with her through a lot of the show (Unfortunately, Frankie passed away a few years later from her disease). The rest of the cast was great, though. Brad was a meat head with a heart of gold who got drunk, got arrested, and hooked up, all while keeping a smile on his face. Cameron was straight up hot, and also up for a good time. She would go on to place 1st in the Greatest Female Real Worlder rankings. Robin got arrested, hooked up with another cast member, and was a blast. She would place in the top 10 and go on to a successful career on the Challenge. Randy was a DJ who was just a good guy without a lot of drama. Jacquese was the funniest guy on the show. And Jamie was the moral compass of the show.

So what have we learned from all this? Probably nothing we didn't already know. The bottom line is a good cast with a lot of chemistry makes for a great season. And a bad cast with no chemistry does not. Duh. But there clearly are some lessons to be learned. One sourpuss is ok, more is disaster. Also, warm scenic locations seem to be more conducive to a good time than colder, more populated cities. The cast job should be one everyone participates in, and there should not be these "follow your own path" jobs. Finally, there has to be Big Moments, but the key factor is how the cast reacts to these moments.

I see a whole lot of the San Diego season in this current incarnation of the Real World. That's why I'm so pumped for every episode. This can be one of the great ones, as there definitely seems to be some chemistry here. Add a Puck 2.0 character in Ryan and we are in for some great television. I want to talk more about San Diego later on, but for now, this will have to do. So let me know what your favorite season was, and if it holds up to my litmus test. The great thing about the Real World is that it can appeal to different people, but it is the common elements that make it appeal to us all.