How did the Real World TV show become popular in the 90's? Who did it cater to?

[Rhood]

Never understood how this show became so popular on MTV, during a time when music video's were still in heavy rotation. I'm trying to understand who watched this show and was glued to the TV screen for every episode.

I remember watching 1 episode (aired before Beavis & Butthead) where this lady went to her barista job, came home, ate dinner, and went to bed.
This is what a majority of people do 5 days week. Is this really entertainment?

 

[Kung Fu Kowboy]

The Challenge was legit when Prime CT was beating up all the cast.

 

[shunyata]

I preferred The Mad Real World.

 

[Jesus X]

My first real world was the san diego season in like 2004. Even in 2004 we didn't use the Internet much as we only had dial up and desktop computers. I don't even think youtube existed in 2004. We were used to laugh track sitcoms like friends so real world was something new and refreshing.

 

[Grassshoppa]

Because The Real World season 1 was an awesome show at whatever age I was. Then later I grew up and got bored.

 

[syct23]

Same reason everyone from the older generation can not understand big brother..

 

[Legumes]

Teens to 40ish year olds I would imagine. It's no different than today's 10,000 reality tv shows where people tune in just to see how others live and/or to vicariously live through them.

 

[TheNinja]

Why was Survivor so popular? People were just started to learn about and like "reality TV". I only watched that one season with Ruthie on it. She was some hot (I believe Hawaiian) chick who loved to get naked, drink like a party animal, and have sex with men and women.

 

[TuBB]

Puck was a real one.

 

[Osculater]

I guess it catered to teenagers and young adults who are about to move out from their parent's home, and live on their own with strangers.

 

[Race Freelie]

I’m 60. Was 25 when it hit the air waves. It was the first experience of voyerism our generation had.

 

[FyrFytr998]

Never understood how this show became so popular on MTV, during a time when music video's were still in heavy rotation. I'm trying to understand who watched this show and was glued to the TV screen for every episode.

I remember watching 1 episode (aired before Beavis & Butthead) where this lady went to her barista job, came home, ate dinner, and went to bed.
This is what a majority of people do 5 days week. Is this really entertainment?

You have to remember, there was no reality TV like this on the air at that time. It literally invented the genre. Now add in young hip relatively good looking people living in NYC. Who wouldn’t want a peek behind the scenes of their lives?

 

[llperez22]

Reality tv was new back then. People were used to sitcoms with laugh tracks. Putting a group of strangers together and advertising the drama different character traits go through was unique. The only season I really got into was Boston in 1997

 

[Takes Two To Tango]

This is actually fascinating back then, it was new and fresh. It's like the Truman Show I guess, but with a group of people. And obviously they know there is a camera there, but it was something very unusual at that time. So it would get a lot of attention just because of that.

Plus they were young and relatively good looking.

 

[Pittie Petey]

Reality tv was new and interesting, it was brash and bold and a welcome refreshing change from the tired old formulaic laugh track sitcoms that were the norm back then

It was a new generation that had grown up angry and were rejecting the safe little bullshit polite society hypocrite world that they had been presented, thats what gave rise to gangsta rap in the suburbs, ECW, reality television, etc.

Season 1 in New York was good and interesting but season 3 in San Francisco was some really great television for the time, with Puck and Rachel and Pedro(RIP)

 

[Long Dark Blues]

Can't lie, I watched a good ten or so seasons of it.

San Diego/Philly/Austin were the pinnacle, IMO.

 

[Jesus X]

It was the first experience of voyerism our generation had.

 

[Jesus X]

Can't lie, I watched a good ten or so seasons of it.

San Diego/Philly/Austin were the pinnacle, IMO.

Austin was pretty good I don't remember Philly. The guy getting a broken orbital bone perfectly captured the chaos that goes on drinking on 6th st there

 

[Long Dark Blues]

Austin was pretty good I don't remember Philly. The guy getting a broken orbital bone perfectly captured the chaos that goes on drinking on 6th st there

In the Philly season, the blonde chick got scabies

 

[Jesus X]

In the Philly season, the blonde chick got scabies

I just remembered this season after looking at the pictures shavonda was hot.