Where pop culture and reality collide

It all began in 1992 in an apartment in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan. Seven diverse… It all began in 1992 in an apartment in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan. Seven diverse strangers met, and millions of viewers tuned in to watch their lives unfold dramatically across a five-month span.

This instance, proving that a “reality” program could garner a nationwide audience created its share of unforgettable moments – and the following seasons would give rise to countless others.

The San Francisco season in 1994 brought mass-media attention to the issue of AIDS, as cast member Pedro Zamora struggled with the disease and became a renowned activist on the topic. In later seasons, the infamous slap that Steven gave to Irene in Seattle echoed painfully through television sets nationwide, and the sex-fueled debauchery that seized Las Vegas enthralled viewers.

Producers of MTV’s hit reality TV show, “The Real World,” held an open casting call at Pittsburgh’s Boomerang’s Bar and Grille yesterday between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. in search of potential castmates for the show’s 18th season. Eager students and residents of Pittsburgh between the ages of 18 and 24 gathered outside in inclement weather and formed a line that wound its way to the entrance of Eddie’s.

Potential cast members wore anxious expressions and conversed excitedly with one another, sharing anecdotes and expressing their desire to be one of the seven individuals on MTV’s next season of its longest running show.

Among the crowd of animated personalities was Amy McGinnis, a Cal. U. freshman with eccentrically dyed hair. Nichelle Vance, a sophomore also attending Cal. U., sported unconventional makeup and stood with friends, anxiously filling out forms.

When asked why she felt she would make a worthy cast member, McGinnis replied, “I won’t lie. I think I’m pretty stereotypical. I’m really stereotypical looking and my hair is wild.”

Vance answered, “I am crazy and outgoing. My personality is pretty spontaneous, and as my friends like to say, I cause drama.”

So what makes these two young women different from other female hopefuls?

“I hate girls. Girls are really petty. Oh, I really like computers and a lot of girls don’t-and, I like a lot of food,” McGinnis said. Vance commented, “Well, I don’t do normal things that girls do. I’m pretty high maintenance, but I’m a prude.”

So, perhaps “that kid” sitting next to you in class will be the next jock, artist, activist or redneck to star in the show that examines “what happens when people stop being polite and start getting REAL.” Tens of thousands of applicants during open casting calls will be evaluated, but only seven fortunate individuals will be chosen to have their lives documented, viewed and ingrained within American pop culture.