The controversial reality television show, “The Real World,” has landed in Philadelphia for its 15th season to see what the city of brotherly love has to offer. Due to Cabrini’s close location to the large city, there are many students enrolled at the school hailing from Philly.
Therefore, I decided to question the Philadelphia-Cabrini students on their reaction to the hit show in their home town. This reaction was not too heart-warming. But first, a brief history of the Real World is provided. The “Real World” is the longest-running reality show in television history. The show places eight strangers in a house together and films them close to 24 hours a day.
Over the years, the show has caused widespread criticism from conservative viewers that feel the show depicts too much sexual content.
So far in the Philadelphia season, there is strong sexual content as well. This time, the sexual content mainly consists of large amounts of homosexual acts presented to the viewers. Anytime homosexuality is shown on television, it is safe to say there will be controversy. That’s just the way it is.
The male homosexual population of Philadelphia is being put in the spotlight this season. Philadelphia native Cabrini students feel that their city is not being depicted to their approval.
“I think they are taking the brotherly love thing a little too serious,” Sean Dugan, a senior liberal arts major, said. Seeing all the male sexual content was said to make many students feel uncomfortable. “It makes Philadelphia look like one big gay community,” Michael Murphy, an English communication major, said. Murphy and Dugan both agreed that this show gave viewers a distorted view of how Philadelphia really is.
“The show makes Philadelphia look soft,” Kyle Foley, a junior criminal justice major, said. Foley also felt that Philadelphia isn’t as nice as they are trying to make it look.
On a recent episode, the cast of the “Real World” complained of how unwelcoming the people of Philadelphia have been. Constant jeers and verbal insults have been aimed at the cast during their stay. In one instance, a member of the cast got a bar stool thrown at him.
In previous seasons of the “Real World,” there has been typically only one homosexual member on the cast. It seems as though the addition of a second has caused disapproval.
Every Philadelphia native questioned responded in the same manner of too much homosexual content.
Wow, I thought this was supposed to be a liberal school.
Posted to the web by Paul Nasella
