Recapping The Real World: MTV's Cheap Rating Ploy

The Real World season is not really The Real World season until the exes come in town. This is all basically setting the ground layer for what is going down with the exes in the weeks to come. MTV is hyping up 'Exes come next week!' which is completely flawed because we know where this one is headed where it is a full episode with the cast then at the very end, OH SHIT!  EXES!!!!  MTV knows how to manufacture things with this show and speaking of which, why did we find out Jay's mom died right along with Jay?

MTV did the cast member a disservice by showing how the whole process played out in front of the cameras. We know they need ratings, and if you could tell by social media, more people were 'crying' along with him versus wondering how the hell are they airing this? On top of it, MTV went home with him and filmed everything!  That's unbelievable given his mother told him not to go on the show. What would she think about all of this? I have to assume Jay gave them permission to use all of this footage therefore some of this criticism is probably on him as well. I felt the whole thing was in poor taste from MTV, and they could have went around much better than showing everything.

One of the other weird things about this episode is it features three (?) of the exes whom will be on the show in the coming week, and it seems like each of them were on good terms. I have to believe this is all set-up showing like these people will still get along in a short-term because

1.) They were in a relationship recently together and the feelings could still be there.
2.) When you see people for a short while, all the good things about that person come back versus the bad things

 MTV is playing this perfectly because it is expected the exes will cause all sorts of strife throughout the household from the instant they see each other.

One ex involved more than others is Francis, Ashley's boyfriend which is weird given everyone in the house is supposed to be single. Now Ashley is the first local to be on the show in quite some time, and frankly, MTV probably made a mistake here. She is basically a rich drunk party girl which Real World usually needs one in every show, but being from there makes her sort of a liability. She talks about not being able to see her friends on the last episode which is something no one worries about when they head into the Real World house. The producers could have easily found another Ashley on the East Coast or in the South for that matter. It appears like she is done for at the house, but we will see if the 'house vote' will hold up in the next episode. My guess is she will find a way back because Ashley is the only real drama from this house minus the Jenny-Cory relationship.

As for the season, I give it a C+. Jenny turned out to be the most likable castmate which is saying something about the cast in general right now. We will see how the dynamics of everything change once the exes come into play, but until then we play the waiting game.

Charlie.