The Real World: Austin
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The Real World: Austin was the sixteenth 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 Austin edition of the show premiered on June 21, 2005, and featured the cast living in a converted warehouse in downtown Austin, Texas right next to the locally famous, pink Railyard Condos. This was the first of two consecutive seasons to be filmed in the south, and the third season of The Real World to be filmed in the south, after The Real World: Miami and The Real World: New Orleans.
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[edit] Assignment
Every season of the The Real World, beginning with its fifth season, has included the assignment of a season-long group job or task to the housemates. The Austin housemates' job was making documentaries about the South by Southwest Festival, a yearly music festival held in Austin.
[edit] Cast
- Danny Jamieson
- Johanna Botta
- Lacey Buehler
- Melinda Stolp
- Nehemiah Clark
- Rachel Moyal
- Wes Bergmann
Danny Jamieson is a 22-year-old carpenter from Billerica, Massachusetts who "bangs nails" with his father, as he has been doing since he was 14. He has aspirations to be a lawyer, but fears that if he stays in Billerica for too long, he will be doomed to "banging nails" there forever. His mother suffered from cancer prior to the season's taping, and had not been in his life much. She died during filming of the show, causing him to leave the house for two episodes. Upon learning of his mother's death, the song "Acoustic Song" by the band Endway plays in the background, Endway being one of Danny's favorite bands. Following this season Melinda and Danny moved in together, and they are engaged to be married. They are NOT expecting a child.
Nehemiah Clark is a 19-year-old student from Rancho Cucamonga, California, who has struggled with his mother's drug abuse problems since his early childhood. Currently in college, Nehemiah is involved in film and broadcasting. Nehemiah is also a liberal and often questions the Bush Administration's motivations for, and handling of the Iraq War. This causes inevitable conflict between him and his conservative roommate Rachel--who served as a medic in the war.
Melinda Stolp is a 21-year-old originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, moving to Germantown, Wisconsin. Despite having a boyfriend and a promise ring, she quickly finds love with housemate Danny. She is willing to act wildly, even making out with a female roommate and walking around in her underwear. Prior to this season she has moved to Billerica with Danny and they are currently engaged.
Lacey Buehler is a 24-year-old hairdresser from Tallahassee, Florida. Her "hippie" parents ran away and had her and her sister, but were told that they and their babies would go to hell. They "moved to the other end of the spectrum" and became Christian right-wing Republicans. As a child, Lacey says that she and her sister were not allowed to watch TV and were only allowed to listen to Civil War ballads and hymns. She "turned out well" and is described as someone who is "easy to talk to" but admits to enjoying gossip. She is also the virgin of the group. Her boyfriend Ryan is a paraplegic due to a car accident, but he still managed to make several trips to Austin to visit her during filming.
Rachel Moyal is a 21-year-old from Valencia, California. She joined the army as a medic because she couldn't find the money for college. After returning from a year in Iraq, she "looks down on guys not in the military." During the filming of the show, Rachel sought help for what she considered to be Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Wes Bergmann is a 19-year-old student at Arizona State University originally from Leawood, Kansas. He "has never really experienced living with an African-American," and wants to start his own business when he leaves college. Recently, Wes has been attacked for the way he treats women (most notably girlfriend Johanna, and partner Casey) on the newest Real World/Road Rules Challenge.
Johanna Botta is a 22-year-old from Riverside, California who describes herself as "spicy." She was born in Lima, Peru and moved to the United States when she was 11. She attended the University of California, Riverside for her undergraduate education and deferred her admission to Columbia University's Master's Program to be on The Real World.
[edit] Season highlights
- Danny and Melinda began a romantic relationship, though Melinda began the season with a long-term boyfriend at home. Danny proposed to Melinda in a pre-taped bit shown on the Austin Reunion Show, and the two moved in together in Boston. After competing in the latest Real World/Road Rules Challenge (Fresh Meat), the two are still together and touring.
- Lacey's gossip habit was another central topic. She was often seen talking on the phone with her boyfriend, narrating to him the action she could see on the closed circuit television.
- Nehemiah's behavior toward Rachel also caused problems in the house. Nehemiah dismissed her war service because Rachel served as a medic, which infuriated Rachel. These problems culminated on the final night when Wes, Nehemiah, and Rachel got into a heated brawl. However, it was revealed in the show's reunion special that Nehemiah and Rachel had put aside their problems -- and were now united in their dislike for Danny. (They said they felt Danny had let the fame of the show go to his head.)
- Danny also engaged in Nehemiah and Rachel's political arguments and frequently defended the importance of the Iraq War, which he justified as a response to 9/11.
- As in past seasons, roommates' consumption of alcohol was the driving force behind many episodes. Nehemiah and Johanna were both arrested for breaking the law while drunk. Wes once slapped Rachel while in a drunken stupor, which caused great uproar among the girls in the house.
- Johanna's arrest was a result of a stolen rose. She stole a rose from a homeless man and landed in jail. Danny and Wes referred to it as "grand theft carnation."
- Nehemiah and Wes maintained a "groupie drawer" where they kept a pile of all the phone numbers they received from girls. The two would, in times of boredom, randomly call girls from the groupie drawer.
- During the season's group trip, the cast traveled to Costa Rica.
[edit] Sources
- The Real World: Austin
- The Real World Austin Casting Special: 7 New Stars in the Lone Star State
[edit] External links
| Seasons of The Real World | |
|---|---|
| New York | Los Angeles | San Francisco | London | Miami | Boston | Seattle | Hawaii | New Orleans | Back to New York | Chicago | Las Vegas | Paris | San Diego | Philadelphia | Austin | Key West | Denver |
