Dictionary of Meaning
<<Back
Please select a letter:
A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
F |
G |
H |
I |
J |
K |
L |
M |
N |
O |
P |
Q |
R |
S |
T |
U |
V |
W |
X |
Y |
Z |
0-9
Click here for Shopping
The Real World: Chicago
*** Shopping-Tip: The Real World: Chicago
Image:RWChicago.jpg right|The cast of ''The Real World: Chicago''.
'''''The Real World: Chicago''''' was the eleventh 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 Chicago season debuted in 2002, with its cast living in a converted warehouse in the Bucktown/Wicker Park neighborhood.
The season, which featured themes centered on such as
romantic love romance,
illness, recovery from
alcoholism, and the events of the
September 11th attacks, enjoyed some of the highest ratings in the history of the show.
Ratings and praise
While on-air, ''
The Real World: Chicago'' consistently received high viewer ratings, and also broke several records. The
September 11th episode holds the record for the highest ratings ever in the history of ''The Real World'' and still remains the highest rated episode of any show ever on MTV, according to
Nielsen Media Research. The season finale of the Chicago season has the second highest ratings ever for MTV and ''The Real World''.
Along with high ratings, the
Chicago season of ''The Real World'' has also received critical acclaim. Nikki Carra, of ''
The Chicago Tribune'' pointed out that the show dealt with the attacks of
September 11th in the "most appropriate and emotionally impacting way possible". John Algerson of ''
USA Today'' even went as far to say that MTV "has finally captured the voice of
Generation Y, ...and has returned to the character driven roots of the original, ''
The Real World: New York''". Finally,
GLAAD responded enthusiastically to the two
gay characters, a first for ''The Real World'', by saying that "With the Chicago season, ''The Real World'' has returned back to not only being a pioneer in
reality tv, but also a pioneer in the visibility of the
LGBT community."
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 Chicago roommates were assigned to three different jobs at the
Chicago Park District. Some roommates are lifeguards at the
Lake Michigan beaches while other work with inner-city children on a park mural. The cast then worked on "Chicagoween" and had to come up with a story to act out to for the children for
Chicago's
Halloween celebration
Cast
*Aneesa Ferreira
*Cara Kahn
*Chris Beckman
*Keri Evans
*
Kyle Brandt
*Theo Gantt III
*
Tonya Cooley
{{spoiler}}
'''Aneesa Ferreira''' is from
Philadelphia and comes from an interracial relationship- her mother is
Caucasian race Caucasian and
Jewish, and her father is black. Aneesa is a very liberal
lesbian who does not mind walking around nude, or even showering with a male roommate, much to the dislike of small-town girl Tonya. She has a quick temper but also is very funny and caring. Throughout the season, Aneesa clashes frequently with Tonya, argues with her mother (by phone) frequently, and regularly hunts for the perfect woman for her. She enters a brief relationship with a woman named Veronica, but Veronica's history with her ex gets in the way of getting close to Aneesa. Aneesa then finds romance with Danielle, who, while tending to be overbearing and bossy, allowed Aneesa happiness during her months in Chicago. In the house, Aneesa shares a room with Theo.
'''Cara Kahn''' is from the suburbs of
Boston,
Massachusetts, recently relocated to
St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis,
Missouri in an upper-middle-class Jewish family. Cara has spent most of her life in relationships with men, and has abruptly ended her last serious relationship with Jared, whom she proclaimed to be her great love, to be independent for virtually the first time in her life while in Chicago. However, she does manage to attach herself to men nonetheless as the season highlights her trysts with various men, including a rock star and a visiting ex-boyfriend. The Chicago season was the highest rated up until that point, and many people believe it was because of the sex -- including Cara's sex life, which has been compared to a one-woman ''
Sex and the City''. Cara is independent and strong, although an episode discussing her weight and anti-depressants shows another side to her. Cara shares a room with Tonya.
'''Chris Beckman''', like, Cara, is also from
Massachusetts. He is an artist and is openly gay. He has struggled in the past with
alcoholism but takes up a job as a bartender during the show, much to the bewilderment of Kyle, who wonders what this does to Chris's recovery. Chris maintains his body by working out a lot, but some of the roommates see his exercise to be on the obsessive side - and maybe compensating for something else. While in Chicago, Chris enters a relationship with a man named Kurt, with whom he seems compatible. However, Chris ends the romance because he wants to focus on his recovery instead of a serious relationship. Chris's relationships with men do make the other male roommates a bit uncomfortable. Chris also does modeling during the season, and asks Kyle to join him. Chris shares a room with Kyle and Keri.
'''Keri Evans''' is a wealthy girl from
Louisiana. She is probably the most socially outgoing of the housemates. Much of Keri's storylines over the season involve her tumultuous relationship with fellow cast member Kyle, whose indecision over his attraction to Keri and his on-off relationship with girlfriend Nicole, who is in
New York, eventually drives a wedge between the two. Keri becomes homesick at one point, and claims not to like the men of
Chicago. She remains in the house, though, and does end up flirting with guys at a local bar with Cara as she gets over Kyle. Keri shares a room with Kyle and Chris.
'''
Kyle Brandt''' comes from a
Chicago suburb and just graduated from
Princeton University. Although he first was on track for a football career, he got involved in theater. Kyle dreams of acting and being in the spotlight. His "will they or won't they" relationship with Keri takes up most of his screen time in the Chicago season, though their romance inevitably does not work out. After the events of the September 11 attacks, he realized how important his ex-girlfriend Nicole, who was in
New York at the time, still is to him. Kyle shares a room with Keri and Chris.
'''Theo Gantt III''' is a pastor's son from
California. He holds his faith close to him, but still socializes with woman a lot. He is initially attracted to Aneesa upon first arriving in Chicago, but she is not attracted to men and they form a brother-sister bond instead. Theo clashes frequently with Tonya, but he is always quick to apologize. Theo is seen as a loveable party boy who has a good heart. Although he does not agree with Aneesa or Chris's sexual orientation, he is still good friends with both of them. Theo shares a room with Aneesa.
'''
Tonya Cooley''' is from
Walla Walla,
Washington and has been very sheltered. Tonya was a foster child, going from home to home from a young age until she moved out on her own at age 17. She is very taken aback by Aneesa's openness about nudity, and is often offended by it. She also claims to be afraid of Theo and men in general. Tonya suffers from kidney problems from medical problems that were never addressed when she was younger. She experiences problems with her condition while in Chicago and is admitted to the hospital several times. Tonya is very attached to her boyfriend Justin back home, and spends much of her time in the house talking on the phone with him. Tonya shares a room with Cara.
Season highlights
*In July 2001, while the season was filming, about 350 activists gathered outside the cast's apartment, chanted "Free the Real World 7" and splashed red paint on their door. The motive behind this action was to break the cast's "media trance". One of the major protests happened during the episode in which Aneesa receieves a phone call from her "girlfriend's" ex-girlfriend while she is with Chris and his friends. Although the protest was not shown, the chants and screams from outside can be heard as the cast is gathered in the workout room.
*The cast is shown as they learn of the
September 11th attacks.
*This was the first season of
The Real World to feature two openly
gay castmembers- Chris and Aneesa.
{{RWSeasons}}
Category:The Real World (MTV) Chicago
*** Shopping-Tip: The Real World: Chicago
