real world philadelphia

Big Jim and I were up late last night watching the first seven episodes of MTV's latest edition of "The Real World," which was filmed in my old hometown of Philadelphia. A friend of mine back there recently sent these to us because not only is the show filmed in Philly but also the house in which the cast is living is just a block from my last apartment there. Watching this show was a surreal experience on so many levels. First, it was very strange seeing my old neighborhood in just about every outdoor shot: Old City Pizza (where Big Jim had his first cheesesteak ever), Mulberry Market, all the art galleries and old machine shops, the parks where my dog played when she was a pup, the Ben Franklin Bridge. The gym where the cast goes to work out is just around the corner from my old office by Independence Hall. One scene was filmed in a lounge-y bar, which used to be a place where I went to see bands. I didn't recognize the old Nick's until they panned down the very long flight of stairs. I won't forget those stairs; I've lugged band equipment up them for friends and I've also negotiated them after a night of beer and rock n' roll. So strange to see the bar all glammed up....but then again, my old neighborhood has been glammed up considerably since I first moved there ten years ago. It was also bizarre to watch these people relate and play for the camera. I watched the Real World back in the early days, god almost fifteen years ago. I stopped watching around series eight or so---the one in New Orleans---because I could no longer relate to the "kids" anymore. Back in the earlier versions, the people seemed to be more interested in hanging out in a new city, doing different stuff, and meeting new folks. There were some drama queens who played for the camera, but they all also seemed to have some sort of life beyond being on the Real World. Around Hawaii/New Orleans, though, something switched, and the cast only really seemed to care about getting insanely drunk and hooking up with other castmates. Many of the Philly cast seem to be similarly minded, and Big Jim and I kept looking at each other in disbelief as we watched episode after episode. Our favorite cast member is the woman whose parents gave her breast implants as a college graduation present, this despite knowing she has serious body image issues and is bulimic. Wha??!!! As the castmates first arrived at the new digs, she almost immediately announced her boobs were fake and then asked these people who she had just met if they wanted to feel them. And most did. Big Jim and I are still extremely traumatized.... I remember when MTV made its debut, and my sister and I watched Duran Duran and Big Country videos before we went off to school. MTV has changed oh so much since then. I feel like such an old lady. Even one of my favorite bands ever, Guided by Voices, is retiring at the end of this year. I think I went to every one of their Philly shows, as well as several in New York, from 1993 until I moved to Spain. Some of my favorite were in the early days when they still played at the Khyber, although I also saw a great show they played at the Bowery Ballroom in 1999. With few exceptions, most of my favorite tunes are from this era...there seem to fewer and fewer bands these days who know how to truly rock. Ah well, more nostalgia, seems to becoming a recurring theme these days.... Still working on my pro/con list and still haven't looked at my camera manual, although am going to as soon as I finish this post. We have to leave at a pretty ungodly 5 am tomorrow to get to Gib in time for our morning appointment. But it will be fun to have a little roadtrip. :-) hasta pronto, mylifeinspain