The Real World: Chicago
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| The Real World: Chicago | |
|---|---|
| Format | Reality show |
| Created by | Jonathan Murray Mary-Ellis Bunim |
| Starring | Kyle Brandt Tonya Cooley Aneesa Ferreira Cara Kahn Keri Evans Chris Beckman Theo Gantt III |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | MTV |
| Original run | Winter 2001 – Summer 2002 |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | The Real World: Back to New York |
| Followed by | The Real World: Las Vegas |
The Real World: Chicago is the eleventh season of MTV's popular reality television series The Real World, which focuses on seven diverse strangers living together for several months in a different city each season, as cameras follow their lives and interpersonal relationships. The Chicago season debuted in 2002, with its cast living in a converted bookstore/coffeehouse in the Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood. This season received heavy criticism from locals who protested the show during filming. The protesters felt that exposure from the show would lead to gentrification in their neighborhood.[citation needed]
The season, which featured themes centered on issues such as romance, illness, recovery from alcoholism, and the events and aftermath of the September 11th attacks, enjoyed some of the highest ratings in the history of the show.[citation needed] This was the first and to date the only season of The Real World to be filmed in the Midwestern United States.
Contents |
[edit] Assignment
Every season of The Real World since the fifth has included the assignment of a season-long group job or task to the housemates. The Chicago roommates were assigned to three different jobs at the Chicago Park District. Some were lifeguards at the Lake Michigan beaches while others worked with inner-city children on a park mural. The cast then worked on "Chicagoween" and had to come up with a story to act out for the children at Chicago's Halloween celebration.
[edit] Cast
| Cast Member | Age | Hometown | Stats | RW/RR Challenges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keri Evans | 22 | New Orleans, Louisiana | An outgoing and charismatic young woman. Much of Keri's storylines over the season involve her tumultuous relationship with fellow cast member Kyle, whose indecision over his attraction to Keri and his on-off relationship with girlfriend Nicole, who is in New York, eventually drives a wedge between the two. Keri becomes homesick at one point, and claims not to like the men of Chicago. She remains in the house, though, and does end up flirting with guys at a local bar with Cara as she gets over Kyle. Keri shares a room with Kyle and Chris. | None |
| Kyle Brandt | 23 | Lincolnshire, Illinois | (b. January 24, 1978)He had just graduated from Princeton University. Although he first was on track for a football career, he got involved in theater. Kyle dreams of acting and being in the spotlight. His "will they or won't they" relationship with Keri takes up most of his screen time in the Chicago season, though their romance inevitably does not work out. After the events of the September 11 attacks, he realized how important his ex-girlfriend Nicole, who was in New York at the time, still is to him. After the show, he starred as Phillip on Days of our Lives on NBC. | None |
| Aneesa Ferreira | 20 | Narberth, Pennsylvania | (b. September 11, 1981)She comes from an interracial relationship - her mother is Jewish-American, and her father is West Indian. Aneesa is a very liberal lesbian who does not mind walking around nude, or even showering with a male roommate, much to the dislike of small-town girl Tonya. She has a quick temper but also is very funny and caring. Throughout the season, Aneesa clashes frequently with Tonya and argues with her mother by phone frequently, mainly because of her mother's lack of acceptance of her sexual orientation. She enters a brief relationship with a woman named Veronica, but Veronica's history with her ex gets in the way of getting close to Aneesa. Aneesa then finds romance with Danielle, who, while often overbearing and bossy, allowed Aneesa happiness during her months in Chicago. In the house, Aneesa shares a room with Theo. | Battle of the Sexes, Battle of the Sexes 2, The Gauntlet 2, The Duel, The Inferno III |
| Tonya Cooley | 21 | Walla Walla, Washington | (b. January 7, 1980) Tonya has been very sheltered. Tonya was a foster child, going from home to home from a young age until she moved out on her own at age 17. She is very taken aback by Aneesa's openness about nudity and is often offended by it; she also appears homophobic when Chris comes out to the other roommates, telling the camera, "I think the gay lifestyle is full of drugs and a lot of sin!" But as the season progreses she appears to open her mind up and discard her past prejudices. She also claims to be afraid of Theo and men in general. Tonya suffers from kidney problems from medical problems that were never addressed when she was younger. She experiences problems with her condition while in Chicago and is admitted to the hospital several times. Tonya is very attached to her boyfriend Justin back home, and spends much of her time in the house talking on the phone with him. The other roommates accused her of being a drama queen. Tonya shares a room with Cara. | Battle of the Sexes, The Gauntlet, Battle of the Sexes 2, The Inferno II, Fresh Meat, The Inferno III |
| Chris Beckman | 24 | Brockton, Massachusetts | (b. June 12, 1977) Chris is an artist and is openly gay. He has struggled in the past with alcoholism but takes up a job as a bartender during the show, much to the bewilderment of Kyle, who wonders what this does to Chris's recovery. Chris maintains his body by working out a lot, but some of the roommates see his exercise to be on the obsessive side - and maybe compensating for something else. While in Chicago, Chris enters a relationship with a man named Kurt, with whom he seems compatible. However, Chris ends the romance because he wants to focus on his recovery instead of a serious relationship. Chris's relationships with men do make the other male roommates a bit uncomfortable. Chris also does modeling during the season, and asks Kyle to join him. Chris shares a room with Kyle and Keri. | None |
| Cara Kahn | 22 | Boston, Massachusetts | (b. September 7, 1979) Cara is a Jewish-American woman from the suburbs of Boston. Cara has spent most of her life in relationships with men, and has abruptly ended her last serious relationship with Jared, whom she proclaimed to be her great love, to be independent for virtually the first time in her life while in Chicago. However, she does manage to attach herself to men nonetheless as the season highlights her trysts with various men, including a rock star and a visiting ex-boyfriend. The Chicago season was the highest rated up until that point, and many people believe it was because of the sex -- including Cara's sex life, which has been compared to a one-woman Sex and the City. Cara is independent and strong, although an episode discussing her weight and antidepressants shows another side of her. Cara shares a room with Tonya. She graduated from Washington University in Saint Louis. | None |
| Theo Gantt III | 19 | Riverside, California | (b. September 2, 1982) Theo is a devout pastor's son from California who socializes with women a lot. He is attracted to Aneesa upon first arriving in Chicago, but she is not attracted to men, and they form a brother-sister bond instead. Theo clashes frequently with Tonya, but is always quick to apologize. Theo is seen as a lovable naive party boy who has a good heart. Although he disapproves of Aneesa's and Chris's sexual orientation, he is still good friends with both of them. Theo shares a room with Aneesa. | Battle of the Sexes, The Gauntlet |
[edit] Season highlights
- The cast is shown as they learn of the September 11th attacks, however the series was criticized for staging this, as the cast was actually at Wrigley Field for a photo shoot when they learned of the event.[1]
- This was the first season of The Real World to feature two openly gay castmembers- Chris and Aneesa.
- During a car ride, 6 of the 7 roommates performed a song about Tonya's mental instability, battle against kidney stones, and unhealthy relationship with Justin.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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