The Real World

Can you live with multiple strangers in one house? MTV was about music, but its best non-music series was The Real World. The Real World was one of the best reality TV series since its 1992 debut. While I never religiously followed The Real World, I will make an effort to introduce this immensely popular series to my audience here on "John's Blog Space."

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The Real World

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It is time for identifying this post and offering a first look at such a series. So let's go...


^ from: (Entertainment Weekly) - What happens when people stop being polite and start getting real? Welcome to The Real World!

The Real World challenged multiple strangers to live in one house and interact with others. This show debuted in 1992. These strangers have personalities and thoughts different from each other. So you may not know who you will be encountering and who you will actually find yourself aligning yourself with. The Real World has happened in a number of cities around the United States as well as outside of the United States. Cities such as Los Angeles, New Orleans, Denver, and Sydney have played host to seasons of The Real World.

The idea of bringing together total strangers to live among themselves in one big house is a risky deal on first glance. Sure enough, things will not go very well. We all still have to come together as one and try to coexist. Doing so, however, is not easy; and no one ever said it was going to be easy to bring together different people to try to coexist with one another. What can it be like to come across someone you may not know too well? Situations vary. For example, you may be someone who believe in Christian values, but someone you know may be Jewish or Baptist. You may be heterosexual, but someone you come across may be openly gay or even bisexual. The goal on The Real World is not to agree with others' views, but it is more about trying to live with different people with different views.

It is not uncommon to see alliances as well as rivalries spur from people on The Real World. This is all a part of life and how all of us connect with each other.

Video Preview.

Here is a look at the very first Real World, as part of when The Real World celebrated its 25th Anniversary in 2017. This video also gives you an idea of what this show was like:


^ First 10 Minutes of the First Ever 'Real World' Episode | MTV

As you can see, anything can happen as these individuals interact with each other when everyone is under one roof.

Final Thoughts.

While I have never followed The Real World in any capacity, I do think this is one of the originals and trail blazers in reality TV. Sure, there was lots of drama and stuff from certain individuals, but The Real World was (for lack of a better term) real. I don't know if I would survive being around people who may be incredibly different to me. I mean... could I be exposed? Could I possibly expose somebody else? What alliances could I set or destroy? It really is interesting what you can do putting together several strangers into one house in what is seemingly one of the ultimate social experiments.

For More Information...

Apparently when I was researching this topic, I learned The Real World still lives on- only now on Facebook Watch as opposed to MTV. So if you want to know more about today's "The Real World," visit this on Facebook: Real World on Facebook.





I hope you enjoyed this blog post. Don't forget to Subscribe/Follow if you love my work and want to see more of it. I apologize for not keeping this blog updated with fresh new content. This post is the first in a long time for JBS. Anyhow...

What do you think about The Real World? Would you survive in such a setting?

Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.

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Total Request Live (or TRL)

Remember when MTV used to be about music? Total Request Live, or TRL for short, was one of the few remaining shows about music. This show originating from about 1998 had on some of the hottest songs to date in a Top 10 format. The ten most requested music videos are played in each installment of this weekday show. Rather than start-to-finish replays of videos, most of them are usually just small samplings lasting for maybe two or three minutes. These brief plays even include fans giving dedications to others. For the most part, the show mostly featured High Schoolers and teenyboppers in Times Square.

In addition to music, Total Request Live even featured various famous persons from the entertainment world including recording artists and music groups. This further added to the star power that made TRL so liked among music fans and entertainment types in general. Many of the episodes of TRL were hosted by Carson Daly. The only other host I could remember before doing any researching this topic was Vanessa Minnillo.

TRL was discontinued in 2008. So this program lasted for about ten years while being one of the last few actual links to music from this music channel. Today's MTV is now mostly reality TV and re-runs of old shows and certain old movies. But in case anyone needed a reminder that MTV used to be about the music, TRL is a great reminder and one of the more successful music programs in the channel's history.


I've already set the mood mostly for this blog post. Now for some media. Enjoy...


^ from: joshnason.wordpress.com - Total Request Live (or TRL) was perhaps the last true link to music on MTV.


I chose this video to offer you what the atmosphere was like when TRL was on the air with enthusiastic fans. It is also fitting I mention this was in a different time of music culture. So what you are actually about to see are different flavors of TRL. Take a look at these videos. All material is provided for educational purposes.


^ "Destiny's Child TRL The Writing's On The Wall Album"


^ "N Sync - Tearin Up My Heart [TRL 1998]"


^ Britney Spears - TRL USA 2003 Part 1

These were about as good of vidoes as I could find. I wish I could find some better material, but this was the best I could find for you all. Now you have an idea about MTV's TRL.



Because part of me wants to do more topics on MTV programs, I decided to open actually two labels. Here they are:

About the Label: "MTV"

Blog posts under this label are about various programs on Music Television (or MTV). This includes past and present material featured on this channel.

About the Label: "Remembering"

As of the time of initial original blog posts, this label regards my own personal looks back on various items, trends, personalities, and more. This is also assuming all of the material is no longer with us as of the initial date of such posts.


You now have a few more things to search for in my massive blog. You're welcome. :)




That concludes this blog post. I hope you enjoyed this post and got a little retrospective on Music Television's Total Request Live.

If you've seen TRL before, what do you remember most about the show? Have you any favorite moments from the show?

Believe it or not, I wanted to blog about Total Request Live for a few years but never completed a legit blog post about it until now. That is a true reality of my blogging work. I sometimes try to blog about topics but never actually complete them or make any posts worthy of being shown in any of my blogs. So this one is a long time coming to be quite honest. I did what I could. Hopefully you enjoy my efforts. Subscribe and Follow this blog (and my others) if you enjoy my work. Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.

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Issues Regarding MTV's "16 and Pregnant"

One of MTV's latest hit reality TV series is "16 and Pregnant." This is a show basically chronicling the lives of teenage girls whom are dealing with being pregnant. It has given me an opportunity to think a bit more critically about some of the issues involving this show. I believe (don't know for sure) "16 and Pregnant" is a spinoff of "Teen Mom." I will be sure to express myself in my own way as I have done for 700+ blog posts here on "John's Blog Space."

NOTE: This blog post pertains to the show "16 and Pregnant" and is not a spinoff of my "Young and Pregnant" blog post.

WARNING: This blog post concerns a subject matter and themes that may not be suitable for all audiences. Read at your own discretion.

--- Young and Pregnant: Retrospective ---

Before I talk about this show, let me offer some brief insight from my past blog post, "Young and Pregnant." These issues will lead up to me eventually talking about MTV's "16 and Pregnant" show.

I think back to The Maury Show in thinking about episodes where teenage girls are hellbent on being pregnant. I think most about one girl (I think her name was Nicole) who was 15 at the time. Her and her boyfriend, Cruz, were reluctant and willing to have their baby. Cruz was even reluctant to get a job at Chuck E. Cheese's to help financially support the baby. Also, I think back to many other teenage girls who were seriously wanting to become mothers at such young ages. Some of them on Maury end up going to Baby Boot Camp. This is where teens reluctant to have children face the harsh reality of being a mother. Many of these wannabe teen moms fail at taking care of babies from other mothers. If you can't take care of one baby from one parent, how can you take care of children that YOU have?

Something else I think back on was back in the 10th Grade, where I met a girl in my P.E. class at Milby High School here in Houston (this was the 1998-1999 school year for me). I talked to her a bit as she was the only pregnant girl in my class. I had to wonder what exercises she could do and things like that. As my high school times were going to Hell, I ended up in alternative school with more girls in my age range that were either pregnant or have given birth. It led me to wonder how girls within the age range of 13 to 18 could even be pregnant. The feeling was mostly surreal knowing how teenage girls can be pregnant and still be in grade school.

The biggest problem is that being pregnant at a young age really takes away from the sort of freedom you have as a young girl. Instead of hanging out with friends or going out to the mall shopping, you have the responsibility of becoming a mother to your child or children. In addition to school, you have to worry about being a parent while also going to school. EXTRA responsibility on your behalf. Why responsibility? Simple- taking care of children is a lifelong process. There is nothing "cute" about having a child. Wanting to be a mother is a serious responsibility that shouldn't be taken carelessly or haphazardly. It isn't like playing with baby dolls. Think about it- you are giving birth to, and having to manage and raise a child. You have to go through nine months while also staying fit and healthy for both yourself and your baby. After that, you will have to realize that being a parent is a lifelong task. Again- NOTHING "cute" about getting pregnant or wanting to have a child.

There are too many responsibilities to take into account, and you have only one precious life (including the one precious life your child/children will have). Making some poor decisions early in your life may haunt you for the rest of your life. Giving birth to and taking care of a child (or children) is not something most teenage girls still in grade school want to deal with. That's why something like being pregnant early in your life is just too much responsibility for a young girl to have. You should be focused more on school and enjoying your youth rather than concern yourself with being a mother, especially at a young age. Don't put extra responsibility on yourself (as well as your parents) by wanting to be a teen mom. Get school out of the way (graduate), THEN worry about marriage and motherhood.


With this out of the way, let's begin the main point of this blog post.

--- "16 and Pregnant" and its Issues ---

^ from: startingrumors.com (best picture I could find) - Being young and pregnant can be tremendously difficult in going through life while also nursing and providing for a baby.


The first question most people (especially older adults) would wonder is why a teen girl between the ages of 13 and 18 even have unprotected sex. Such parents would be furious at their teen daughters for them to be pregnant while still in Middle School or High School. Here are two more issues that I have with this whole deal:

Issue 1: Why Have Sex Before Age 18?

Unprotected sex at a young age will bring almost ANY parent into an uproar. The first order of business is to even envision that a teenage schoolgirl is pregnant. As we grow older, we begin to think about issues that will affect us later in life. One such aspect involves becoming a parent.

Issue 2: Accepting Being Pregnant as a Teenage Girl.

A big reason why this is such a huge issue is the fact that a girl still in Middle and High School should NOT be having children. While that is true, unprotected sex among teenagers still is a gripping issue. Having such unprotected sex lends itself to the possibilities of being pregnant. If the girl somehow gets knocked up, life changes forever, not just for the pregnant teen girl, but also for the possible teenage boy father.


Those are the two primary issues that come to mind for me with this show.

--- Stepping Up ---

It is important that the teen parents and their respective parents will have to step up to take care of a child or children. Accepting responsibility and living up to responsibility are both key elements in being successful as teen parents. Some parents are understanding and want to help their daughter make the parenting process a bit easier. Some, however, will only offer so much or hardly any support. Stepping up being parents is a responsibility for not only the teen daughter, but also the father of the child (or children).

--- A Harsh Reminder ---

Of all the themes involving teen pregnancy and having sex, it goes to show the potential aftershock of trying to randomly having unprotected sex with as multiple females as possible. It may sound cool for guys to basically have sex with whatever females they want and with as many as they want, but you run the risk of possibly getting someone else pregnant. That scorned female may want to go after you in Maury fashion by pinning a baby or babies on you. Especially if you are with some girl and you have sex with another woman, you may end up having to accept responsibility in being a father figure to a love child.

Don't have unprotected sex with others without considering the consequences of engaging in intercourse. Think ahead to prevent any future problems from occurring or arising. You have the decision to NOT have unprotected sex with a female as much as you have a choice to have unprotected sex with a female.

So think before you have sex. REALLY think.





As if it isn't obvious, you can read my related blog post, "Young and Pregnant" here on John's Blog Space, for more of my thoughts on being pregnant at a young age. Thank you for reading! If you're a fan of the show, why not Become a Fan of (Like) "16 and Pregnant's" Facebook fan page? If you're a fan of me and my online work, why not show your support by doing any (or all) of the following:

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Issues Regarding MTV's "My Super Sweet 16"

Sometimes, sixteen ain't so sweet. Anyone who's seen this MTV series know what this is all about- social status, turning a new leaf, and more boastfully... being spoiled... and arguing. This blog entry focuses more about some of the issues and themes of people featured in these episodes rather than retrospective on the series itself.

--- "My Super Sweet 16" Synopsis ---

^ from: pendulumopinions.wordpress.com - My Super Sweet 16- both a reality TV series and a reality check.

There are understandably people who cannot stand MTV programming. In case you don't know what this series was about, let me provide you a synopsis of this series.

The series mostly features girls in their mid or late teen years of (usually) rich families having these lavish birthday parties for their little birthday girl (or boy). The majority of teens featured are usually very spoiled and have an attitude of "gimme, gimme, gimme!" There are some issues that tend to deter the progress of a party going great. In some episodes, I can remember a girl's credit card being canceled, some girls needing to make good grades just to have a party, and things like that. It's all about the birthday boys/girls, but the parents are playing a serious role in making sure the kids have their heads straight. The parties themselves have this kind of theme: plan a party, type of party, bring in a musical guest, high-dollar birthday gift. Those music guests are usually big-name artists and groups. They vary from pop stars, hip-hop stars, even some rock groups. The only one I can readily remember are Bow Wow, Lucas Prata, and that's about it (maybe Texas' own Ciara as well).

So that's this show in its most basic sense.

--- The Issues of "My Super Sweet 16" ---

^ from: remotecontrol.mtv.com - "It's MY party, and I'll _____ if I want to!"

This section focuses on all of the various issues from episodes I've seen of "My Super Sweet 16." All areas come with my own commentary. So let's go!


Spoiled.

^ from: mtv.com - "I get what I want because I'm so blessed and special! Don't be jealous!"

I'm not going to admit to being spoiled, but some of the ones that are on this show are treated almost like royalty. A great majority of the (especially females on the show) are basically spoiled. And for them, it's nothing because they love having things their way even if hissy fits are thrown.


I Get What I Want!
One episode of "My Super Sweet 16" featured one teen girl getting a [2006 or 2007] Lexus SC430 (a $67K USD car!), and turned it down. Spending $67K USD for a new car as a present would warrant happiness and devotion for most people. Sadly, an expensive Lexus wasn't good enough for this girl. What if she got a Bugatti Veyron? Would she turn THAT down too, even if it was painted pink?


I'm the Princess!/Prince!
Princes and princesses are associated mostly with royalty. They are associated with importance and power. You are not a true prince or princess unless born into a royal family. It's okay to be seen like a prince or princess, but you are still a human, and you still have to provide for your family and yourself. You still play an important role in this world.


Grown Too Fast?
Sweet Sixteen is usually seen as that transition from being a young girl to a maturing woman. Some such parties, however, features acts and themes that make someone feel they are much older than their young age implies. You're grown... just not THAT grown. At least, not yet.

--- The Issues of "My Super Sweet 16" in Videos ---

Here is a video reaction from a bloke named Charlie Brooker about this series (WARNING: bad language!):

--- From Sweet Sixteen to Sweet Reality Check ---

Once, MTV aired a series called "Exiled" in which some of the most memorable "My Super Sweet 16" princes and princesses had to learn tough lessons in love and in being responsible and respectful people by going to places around the world. These weren't glamourous cities. In fact, many of them are places devoid of any kind of glamourous cities or areas. One teen girl named Sierra was sent to Vanuatu, one girl had to go up to Norway, one boy went to Morocco... all in a lesson of learning responsibility and working for status. Some of the people these teens met were other teens. So in essence, it was a learning experience as well as a crash course with reality.





"My Super Sweet 16" was still a show I watched often. Trouble is, I really tend to feel for the parents more than their children. I admit I've been spoiled, but I never take advantage of it or feel entirely blessed. There will come a point where I'll have to fend for myself. There's still a number of things I can't do- cook, drive a car (even at my old age), pay bills, dress properly, conduct myself in an objectionable way. I'd feel crushed and on my lonesome. If I can feel this way at my current age of 27 (as of the date of this blog post), I can only imagine how teens at least ten years younger than me feel. "My Super Sweet 16," if anything, is a mere reality check that there are some who parents see their children as royalty, and then those who are BASICALLY royalty. So much so that they don't really do chores or do any kind of dirty work to show some character and hardness.

That was my blog entry concerning certain issues involving "My Super Sweet 16." How do you feel about these issues? PLEASE comment!

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America's Best Dance Crew

A show that I've watched for the first time ever was America's Best Dance Crew. Each season of ABDC showcases eight of the best dance crews to compete for the honor of being... America's Best Dance Crew. This past season was the fifth season of ABDC. When I saw this show for the first time, I actually thought Blueprint Cru was going to win over Poreotix. Didn't happen. Still, ABDC is a lovely show. Every crew that competes would LOVE the honor of becoming...


^ from: photobucket.com - America's Best Dance Crew logo.

--- Champions of America's Best Dance Crew ---

This section focuses in on the five champions of the past five seasons of America's Best Dance Crew. YouTube videos will be embedded to give you a first-hand look at what each crew brings to the dance floor.

Please visit the hyperlinks to each heading to visit their official websites. You can click on the links to learn more about any performance fees for each crew if you're wanting to book them.

JabbaWockeeZ.

^ from: photobucket.com - the first champions of ABDC, the JabbaWockeeZ.

America's very first Best Dance Crew is the fun and creative JabbaWockeeZ. They have great style and some creative moves. They are best known for the white masks they wear. They are absolutely creative in their moves. Maybe what's best about this exclusively American Southwest crew is that there's no real leader and they they all march to the beat of their own drum. This is really a great crew.

Want to see the JabbaWockeeZ in action? Check this out:

Super CR3W (Super Crew).

^ from: laist.com - Meet Super CR3W. They won the second season of America's Best Dance Crew.

The second-ever team to take the honor of "America's Best Dance Crew" is Super CR3W. These boys from Las Vegas have some sick breakdancing moves. Super CR3W is more like a team of possessed dancing demons because their style is unreal. Their flexibility and style are nothing short of amazing. They'll wow you with some insane breakdancing-style moves. They have amazing flexibility.

This video below is a video compilation of Super Cr3w in action. Not sure what the song is, but the video is audioswapped. Be warned that the song contains some foul language. Here's the video:

Quest Crew.

^ from: poptower.com - The Quest Crew took top honors in the 3rd ABDC season.

ABDC Season 3 champions, Quest Crew, is a crew all with unique characters. This is a diverse and creative crew with a great convergence of styles. These Los Angeles guys are crazy. They should have called themselves Crazy Crew.

Here is an insane performance by Quest Crew from Season 3:

We Are Heroes.

^ from: dancetalk.info - We Are Heroes is the first all-female crew to win ABDC, winning the fourth season of ABDC.

Girl power reigned supreme as Los Angeles' We Are Heroes won Season 4 of America's Best Dance Crew. They are the first all-female dance crew to win ABDC. These ladies have their own intense style and moves. While they aren't as eccentric as their male counterparts, this group has shown to be every bit as capable and fluid as any male dance crew. Some regular watchers of ABDC thought Rhythm City or Artistry in Motion should have won instead of We Are Heroes. Some of the more chauvinistic fans think that the only reason why We Are Heroes won is because they are females.

Here's your chance to see We Are Heroes light up the dance floor. This was part of a Karate/Martial Arts challenge:

Poreotix.

^ from: angryasianman.com - Poreotix is the most recent champs of ABDC as the fifth season of ABDC.

A close championship battle between Poreotix and Blueprint Cru saw Poreotix pull off the win. The boys from Westminster, California says that "Poreotix" is a combination of popping, choreography, and robotics. They try to incoporate humor into their routines.

These guys are silly. About as silly as the lady who Poreotix danced to in this video below. Watch them dance to Taylor Swift's "Love Story" here:



Who will be the ABDC Season 6 champs? I'll start watching this deal more often.

--- America's Best Dance Crew: Bonus Video ---

Here is my friend Arika Sato interviewing both the first two champions of ABDC. Check out this interview:



If you like Arika Sato's videos and commentary, check out Arika's home page!



(ADDED: April 7, 2011) The Sixth Season of "America's Best Dance Crew" started (to my surprise) tonight! This season is the "Season of the Superstars" I want to wish on all the crews the best of luck this season.

Here are the crews for this season and where they are from:

• I aM mE (Houston, Texas, USA) (woohoo!)
• Eclectic Gentlemen (Los Angeles, California, USA)
• REQUEST DANCE CREW (Auckland, New Zealand)
• PHUNK PHENOMENON (Boston, Massachusetts, USA)
• STREET KINGDOM (Los Angeles, California, USA)
• 787 Crew (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
• FootworKINGZ (Chicago, Illinois, USA)
• ICONic Boyz (Englishtown, New Jersey, USA)
• Instant Noodles (Los Angeles, California, USA)
• JAG6ED (Crenshaw, California, USA)

Should be a great one!

--- Meet the ABDC Season 6 Champions! ---
(ADDED: July 5, 2011)

The sixth season of ABDC was the Season of the Superstars. This is where producers District 78 had a number of Superstar Master Mixes of hit songs from some of the top names in hip-hop and pop. Many crews battled in Season 6 until it came down to two. I actually missed seeing crews like Instant Noodles (I loved those guys!) go down. I was even sold on Boston's Phunk Phenomenon. Season 6 came down to ICONic Boyz and I aM mE. This would be the first time in ABDC history where a crew NOT from the West Coast or from the western part of the United States will win the title of "America's Best Dance Crew." And...

I aM mE won Season 6 of "America's Best Dance Crew!" So here's another one to add to this blog post:

I aM mE.

I aM mE caught my eye when I actually noticed what all they brought to the dance floor. This was a crew that took risks and never failed to captivate. 15-year old Olivia "Chachi" Gonzales was surely one hard-hitting girl on the floor. I was not only proud of I aM mE not only because they're representing my hometown of Houston, but because they really brought it.

Want to see the finale (all 42+ minutes of it) of ABDC Season 6? Check this out: http://www.mtv.com/videos/americas-best-dance-crew-season-6-ep-10-the-finale/1665165/playlist.jhtml






Thanks to all of you for reading my blog! Hope you have a great day/night! An unofficial Blogspot blog I found with more on ABDC can be found at a blog called Blogging America's Best Dance Crew. Check it out if you get a chance.

Thank you for reading!

Become a Fan (or Like) my Facebook Fan Page and subscribe this blog (and my others) via FeedBurner (or any other aggregator in the sidebar)! Visit (or subscribe):
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