Being on "The Real World" Makes You an Expert in...What?
Jeff Davis | Vent Section Manager
Aaron Talbott | Photographer
2/22/02
My only prayer is that these two characters had something incredibly cathartic
and mind-blowing to say. The first time I watched “The Real World” was also
the last time. I think there’s something about TV that makes me want to vomit
that keeps me from watching it. Of course, any time I flip past eMpTyV I want
to cry at the lack of creativity. That channel has more logos than a high
school prom queen’s pair of jeans. Apparently, Nathan Blackburn from Seattle
and Syrus from Boston were here for a Black History Month event. How does
being on “The Real World” even apply here?
These two guys could very well have a lot of worthwhile things to say about
black history. I simply don’t understand why being on “The Real World” is
something that should yank in the crowds. Ah, there it is! Familiar
faces. You’ve seen these people on TV. That makes them something really
special. I see Marc Lamarre from WSLS weather report-fame and Jennifer Waddell
from the local Fox affiliate in the Food Court in Roanoke all the time. No one
pays them a bit of attention. Well, a lot of young guys pay Jennifer plenty of
attention, but still.
I think it was around September 1999 that an IRS agent won the first $1 million
on ABC’s pedestal for pedantic people, “Who Wants to be a Millionaire.” After
that, he was all over the networks like a bad case of acne. He even got to
say “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night.” Forget that “Saturday Night
Live” is filmed on a competitor’s network. It got ratings nonetheless! This
schmuck was on TV for an hour (minus commercials for the Capital One card and
the latest installment of Toyota’s Boredom Mobile, a.k.a. Camry) so let’s
shuffle his butt around everywhere and squeeze him until he’s dry and can’t cut
one more single Wal-Mart Grand Opening ribbon.
The one time I watched “The Real World” I was intrigued by the set-up but
dismayed at how much I ended up despising nearly all of the people on the
show. I don’t know what season I watched. So many of my friends, devoted
fans, can’t tell the difference anymore. It seems consistently to be people
who are above-human-levels of attractive, perfect hair, perfect teeth, perfect
everything, and they have easily loathsome personalities. It’s so weird that
college students would watch a TV show that contains so much of what made high
school so miserable for so many. In such an unrealistic setting, I have to
again wonder...how does this make Syrus and Nathan experts in Black History?
I thought the eMpTyV website might hold
some sort of clue as to what makes these guys experts in Black History and
moreover, why they need to go to colleges around the nation talking about this
stuff. I’m sure you know the rest. At least Syrus is black...he can relate to
his experiences as a black man now. I’d listen to what he had to say even if
he wasn’t from Season 6 of “The Real World.” So why does it matter that these
guys were on this show? What does it have to do with Black History? This is
the correlation I’m looking for here, boys and girls.
I’m not seeing it. I hope for the sake of decency someone does.
Name: Jeff Year: Senior Major: English Comments:
First of all, Dr. Hill, you're the only member of the administration who uses these feedback forms, at least, that's what I've seen so far. It means a lot to Whim that you're responding to these articles. It means even more that you're in the department that is dealing with all the budget cuts that Gilmore so graciously left us with...like gum on our shoes. Best wishes with that. Now onto the previous poster...people voted for Ludacris and what I heard from the horse's mouth was that barely 1,000 people voted. I'm disheartened that yet another rap performer is coming here after I voted for Live this year and someone else last year. BAP does a lot of work with CAB and they aren't trying to change things to fit their needs. I don't think BAP is biased, either. I don't think they'd succeed as much as they have if they were biased. The students are responsible for Ludacris, and a few at that. On the other hand, the only promotion done for this voting was a "big box" in the Heth Information Center and an ad in the Tartan. That simply isn't enough. Anyway, I just don't want you to think BAP is responsible for everything low quality that ends up at campus. You'd think grown adults would know how to act like grown adults. Thanks for reading.
Comments:
Why do we call it CAB/BAP? I mean what does Black Activities Board have anything to do with "Campus" Activities board? I thought CAB was supposed to do things for the "whole campus" rather than to be dictated by another organization that is biased. Now we know why Ludicris and all this Real World crap is coming here.
Name:David Year: '61 Major: Administration Comments:
These folks added nothing to the University environment. They damaged the University apartment where they stayed. There was evidence of drug use in the apartment and furniture was stolen from the apartment. Why were they here in the first place and what did they do for students. I agree with the previous writer. There are better ways to spend student money. Did someone check out the program prior to bringing them to the campus?
Name: PHOTO PHREAK Comments:
The 3 people from real world were making fun and talking bad about the others on stage, the other people on realworld, and most of all the students. It had no mention of diversity except when someone from CAP/BAP tried to ask a question relating diversity, and then the speakers awnsered it quickly and went on to another one. I also would like to know how much thespeakers got paid to say "we are going ot BT's afterwards." The continuously repeated over and over as if the amount of times the remind the audience they would get some type of monetary donation. The GLBSU also cannot have a speaker from the real world come now b/c it would be to much like what they had to say (I don't think Danny from the Real world talking about homophobia would be anything like the distastful humor of these 3 speakers. And if you didn't go, let me tell you what else they promoted.......Alcohol (which I am sure this university does not want to be associated with), sex, and sexual assualt (one of the speakers put his hand on a girls but during the show in front of everyone, maybe even Dr. Covington if he decided to stay and see it). Please from now on, just make sure the speakers actually speak on what they should, and try to make them a bit qualified also (being on TV didn't make Neil Armstrong land on the moon so why should being on Real World make these 3 speakers experts in the field of diversity)!!!! Well thats all I have to say. (sorry about the bad spelling and stuff, this box is not big enough to read over it all and I am not going to scroll up for everyline, thats just annoying, haha, bye bye!!!
Name: April Comments:
4 of the people from the latest real world are coming to speak at our school...i heard these girls getting all excited and freaking out about it last night...it made me laugh...i don't get it..ah well
My only prayer is that these two characters had something incredibly cathartic
and mind-blowing to say. The first time I watched “The Real World” was also
the last time. I think there’s something about TV that makes me want to vomit
that keeps me from watching it. Of course, any time I flip past eMpTyV I want
to cry at the lack of creativity. That channel has more logos than a high
school prom queen’s pair of jeans. Apparently, Nathan Blackburn from Seattle
and Syrus from Boston were here for a Black History Month event. How does
being on “The Real World” even apply here?
These two guys could very well have a lot of worthwhile things to say about
black history. I simply don’t understand why being on “The Real World” is
something that should yank in the crowds. Ah, there it is! Familiar
faces. You’ve seen these people on TV. That makes them something really
special. I see Marc Lamarre from WSLS weather report-fame and Jennifer Waddell
from the local Fox affiliate in the Food Court in Roanoke all the time. No one
pays them a bit of attention. Well, a lot of young guys pay Jennifer plenty of
attention, but still.
The one time I watched “The Real World” I was intrigued by the set-up but
dismayed at how much I ended up despising nearly all of the people on the
show. I don’t know what season I watched. So many of my friends, devoted
fans, can’t tell the difference anymore. It seems consistently to be people
who are above-human-levels of attractive, perfect hair, perfect teeth, perfect
everything, and they have easily loathsome personalities. It’s so weird that
college students would watch a TV show that contains so much of what made high
school so miserable for so many. In such an unrealistic setting, I have to
again wonder...how does this make Syrus and Nathan experts in Black History? 
I thought the