Students try out for MTV's 'Real World'

For most students, privacy is precious -- but some find the prospect of being watched enticing, even while arguing with roommates and bungee jumping off cliffs.

For those exhibitionist types, the auditions for Real World Season 15 and Road Rules Season 13 were held at the All New Culture Club on 1201 Race St. on Saturday.

Over the course of the day, exactly 666 hopefuls made their bid to appear on the MTV shows. Music and an open bar made the two-hour wait for auditions more bearable for applicants -- among them were a number of Penn students, who expressed varying levels of enthusiasm.

A few, like College sophomore Justine Harman, "really do want to be on" one of the shows.

But most felt as College junior Matt Leiker did, thinking simply that "it might be fun" to try out.

And then there was the exception of College junior Sharon Kim, who said she "had nothing better to do today."

Students viewed the shows as opportunities for new experiences, and some welcomed the chance to meet interesting and opinionated people.

"I like the idea of cultivating friendships with strangers," Harman said.

To others, the traveling and missions of Road Rules were attractive. "Instead of just wasting time sitting around like in Real World, there's all the focusing on the challenges," College sophomore Caitlin Paul said. On Road Rules, participants travel to exotic locales in an RV, completing nerve-racking missions along the way.

And of course, there is the allure of television and "all the notoriety," according to Harman.

And according to Leiker, "Anyone on that show has an opportunity to change the way people think about things."

Candidates filled out applications asking questions about relationships, character traits and most embarrassing moments. Casting directors then called people up in a line of 50, with 10 at a time entering to audition.

Students speculated, based partly on the application, about their suitability for the show.

"I'm kinda spunky," College sophomore Pamela Gussow said, adding that she believed the applications were designed to attract conflict to the shows.

"But I'd be worried about [the other participants] hating you."

College sophomore Michael Saslow said he could bring some "style and grace and panache," to the shows.

Kim noted that she definitely offered more than all the "dumbass Penn kids."

"I'm far more interesting than all these people," Kim said. "Look at them, they're all boring!"

Auditions were in debate form, with casting directors asking questions on controversial topics.

"We were asked about legalizing prostitution, what constitutes cheating in relationships, gay civil unions," Wharton sophomore Kelly Rytel said. "A lot of it had to do with interactions in a group."

Students were a bit surprised by these questions, which seemed too cerebral for the Real World.

"They wanna see if you have any brain cells," Kim said. "But from watching [the season in] Las Vegas, that doesn't seem to matter."

Most contestants interpreted the questions as proof that the shows' producers are seeking discord.

"They want to find people with real hard-line opinions," College of General Studies junior Vishaal Bhuyan said. Harman agreed, adding that "maybe they're waiting for someone to be prejudiced against gay people."

Some Penn students who did not make the first cut expressed bitterness -- Saslow and Bhuyan, who were in the same audition group, were openly resentful of the one triumphant candidate.

"The kid who got picked didn't say anything," Bhuyan said. "But he had sideburns.... He looked like he was from Fast and the Furious."

"Apparently they want real dildos on this show," said Saslow, who mentioned several times that he really wanted to be on television. "Real World is stupid, and I'll never watch it again."

Despite the small disappointment of not being accepted, students were happy that they had at least made the attempt.

"I was glad to kind of take advantage of this, since I'm from Kansas, and they don't hold auditions there," Leiker said.

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