Thomas DeVillers
Scores of aspiring reality TV stars wait in line at Union South to audition for MTV’s "Real World."
Erica Tessmann’s biggest fear in life is dying with regrets.
This is the first thing that the 21-year-old UW-Madison student tells me when I sit down next to her in a third floor conference room at Union South, where she and dozens of others are lining up to audition for a shot to be on the cast of MTV’s Real World.
“When I’m lying in my bed with 20 breaths left, I don’t want to be thinking, ‘Dang, I really should have done that,’” says Tessmann.
Real World can be credited — or blamed — for launching the modern reality television genre. First aired in 1992 and now in its 31st season, the show puts a diverse group of twentysomethings together in a house and lets the drama unfold.
Part social experiment, part unscripted soap opera, the series was revolutionary in its early seasons as cast members grappled with issues like sexual orientation, race, politics, religion and substance abuse. But some Real World purists argue later seasons have devolved into drunken hookups, fistfights and gimmicks like “surprise visits” from family members and ex-lovers.
I went to the casting call on a whim, drawn by a mix of 1990s pop culture nostalgia and a supreme curiosity about what sorts of people would show up — and why anyone would do such a thing.
“I’m young, I’m stupid, and I want to put myself out there,” says Michael Braatz, an aspiring model and actor. Originally from Hayward, he studied at Madison College before dropping out to travel the world and now performs as a drag queen under the name Regina Taylor. He sees the show as an opportunity to break into the entertainment business and build his own personal brand.
“I used to be redneck as fuck,” Braatz jokes. “I’m trying to live a life bigger than what I came from.”
Within an hour, dozens of prospective reality stars pack into the waiting room. They fill out questionnaires revealing their hopes, dreams, deepest fears and darkest secrets and carry headshots with hopes that the producers will remember them when it comes time for a callback. One guy brings a 12-pack of Spotted Cow.
In many ways, the people auditioning for the show were almost exactly what one would expect — friendly, extroverted, eager to connect with others and unabashed about sharing details of their personal lives.
Some, like Braatz, come seeking fame and fortune. Ta’tiana Clacks, a 27-year-old UW-Madison student and the mother of a 7-year-old, styles herself as “the next Nicki Minaj” in hot pink crop top and leggings and gold platforms.
“I want to show the world what I’ve got,” she says.
Others, like 21-year-old Libby DeGregorio, just come to check it out.
“I’m about to graduate,” says the 21-year-old UW-Madison student. “I’m taking a year off, and I don’t know what to do, so why not go live in the Real World house?”
As someone whose idea of good television is a Ken Burns documentary, I am shocked by how many people are Real World superfans. But it seems the show has resonated with millennials the same way it did for Gen Xers 20 years ago.
“There’s nothing better than reality TV,” says Jimmy Bales, 22, a former television student and self-described “reality TV buff.” He likes the genre because it allows people to be “true to themselves” and doesn’t shy away from tough topics.
For Tessmann, being cast on the show would give her a chance to open up about her own personal struggles with anxiety and depression.
“A lot of people don’t like to talk about it,” Tessmann says. “But if I can help even one person, it’s worth it.”
Year Real World first aired: 1992
Number of seasons: 31
Cities the show has been filmed in: 22
Number of cast members from Wisconsin: 5, including U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy
