The 10 Most Thought-Provoking Episodes Of "The Real World"

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Season: The Real World: Denver
Air date: December 18, 2006

The cast members in any Real World season are no strangers to partying hard. But just as much as we love watching people make complete and utter fools out of themselves while drunk, we also can't deny that when it happens too often, we worry. So when it came to Jenn from The Real World: Denver and her habits of partying at least four times a week (as well as drinking at least once a day), the latter was very much the case. No one's liver is made of steel, except Tony Stark's.

It was in the sixth episode of the season that we finally got some insight into what was causing Jenn's reckless behavior: Alcoholism runs in her family, and Jenn may have a problem. "Bus Brawl" sticks out for its obvious reasons, one of the most prominent being that showing the signs of someone suffering with an addiction and then admitting the fact that they need help could serve as inspiration for someone dealing with the issue themselves.

Additionally, though, it's one of the only times in a reality series that the subject of alcoholism has actually been brought up and a cast member who is known for being a drunken mess receives applause for his or her acknowledgment that help is needed.

We talk a lot about how reality shows (not naming any names, but, cough, Jersey Shorecough) lose their appeal when the characters are all well-adjusted, and while that may be true, the bottom line is still that these are real people whose lives are potentially being ruined before our eyes. If there's a real problem, like in Jenn's case, it should be addressed. 

Season: The Real World: San Diego
Air date: April 6, 2004

All of the episodes featured on this list are serious and heavy in their own right; "Emotional Distress," though, which focused on cast member Frankie Abernathy’s struggles with cutting and self-mutilation, was particularly difficult to watch.

After confessing to her off-camera boyfriend Dave on the phone that she drunkenly made out with another cast member and subsequently receiving an understandably less-than-ideal response ("Well, obviously you need your freedom," specifically), Frankie took to cutting herself to deal from the emotions that followed.

Though fellow cast member Jamie discovers this after Frankie emerges from the bathroom with a knife in her pocket, Frankie insists that she's fine because she's not ready to openly discuss her problems with her housemates. It's discussed later, though, when Frankie tells Jamie that she's had thoughts of cutting herself daily but has only actually done it once. By the end of the episode, Frankie does seek help for her issue, yet, even so, the severity of her emotional issues remained palpable long after the final credits rolled.

Prior to this episode and throughout the season, Frankie had been dealing with numerous issues. One was her illness. she was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when she was 3-years-old, a disease that she unfortunately lost her battle with in 2007. Additionally, she had numerous conflicts with roommates, and, as is evident in this episode, issues with her boyfriend who himself had a history of self-mutilation. 

Considering that the subject of self-harm and cutting isn't discussed in many shows, whether scripted or reality, there's a real lack of understanding of the true issue. As a result, it's so easy to write off people suffering from issues such as this as "crazy" or "psycho, which is obviously not the case. At the very least, "Emotional Distress" attempted to open a conversation about the subject, and for that alone it deserves recognition. 

Season: The Real World: Seattle
Air date: September 15, 1998

In this episode, we see cast member Irene suffering from an illness unknown to her fellow housemates, as well as the audience—it's later revealed to be Lyme disease. "The Truth About Irene" does a few things in terms of making even the most casual of viewers think. First, prior to Irene's reveal that she's been struggling with the disease, there wasn't much awareness about the illness itself. Sure, many people vaguely knew about it, but having a major cast member on a popular series viewed by millions of young people every week, that has an effect on awareness about anything. 

The second thing is a bit more complicated. It's explained in the show that the relapse of Irene's disease is forcing her to make the decision to leave the series (which she does in the next episode), but it isn't until two years later, in a 2000 reunion special, that we see an older interview in which Irene herself divulges the real reason she left as because the house was actually a toxic environment. She disagreed with the manner in which producers would create drama themselves, and claimed that everything on the show was fake, right down to what they were allowed to drink (only Nantucket Nectar, label facing towards the camera).

Now, we all know reality shows are fake to some degree, but hardly any thought is ever really paid attention to what the cast members are possibly put through to achieve the final product we see on television. This episode, with the context of the interview, puts that into perspective.

Does it take something away from the show to be aware of this? Perhaps, but by remaining ignorant to the fact, does it take something away from us? Philosophy majors, go.

Season: The Real World: New Orleans
Air date: July 21, 2010

When we said earlier that The Real World had devolved from a realistic look at the lives of people into a frat party, we were speaking with this guy in mind. Ryan Leslie was, perhaps, one of the most obnoxious cast members in the history of the series, and that's saying something, since there have been twenty-six seasons so far. 

"Superbrawl 2010" displays this truth perfectly. In it, cast member Preston comes out to his housemates, informing them that he is gay; then, he questions Ryan's sexuality. Ryan takes a lot offense to this, and the two end up getting into a season-long conflict that includes lots of homophobic slurs from Ryan. At one point, they even engage in a weird battle that includes both secretly soiling each other's belongings with, well, themselves. 

While this isn't the first nor the last time that we see rampant homophobia coming from cast members in the series, it's more the manner in which Ryan chooses to deal with his bias that makes this episode particularly thought-provoking. Hate is seldom unfounded, so we're presented with two possibilities: Either Ryan really does just hate his housemate for being gay and that's it, or his hate is rooted in something a lot deeper going on inside his own head. 

Season: The Real World: Las Vegas
Air date: April 27, 2011

Dustin Zito was one of the most publicized cast members of the series, and for good reason: He had a very scandalous secret. Really, it's difficult to top this one.

In this specific episode, it is revealed that Dustin appeared in gay porn when he was 18, under the pseudonym of Spencer. While his roommates are shocked and uncomfortable with the news, Dustin himself has no shame about it. In a 2011 interview with The Daily Beast, he said, "Why am I so scared? I didn't hurt anybody, I didn't do anything wrong."

And here's the thing: He really didn't. He was 18, meaning he was legally old enough to make the decision of whether or not to participate in pornography. He chose to do it for the money, and his decision is his own concern. This isn't a particularly new concept, but what this episode did well was beg the question, "Is there anything shameful about doing pornography?" It also illustrated how judgmental people can be about people's pasts when it has nothing to do with them. Of course, people have an innate nature to do just that. 

Season: The Real World: Seattle
Air date: September 22, 1998

If you need a refresher from two slides ago, in the previous episode of The Real World: Seattle, Irene revealed that she suffers from Lyme disease, and complications from her illness were going to force her to have to leave the series. What she didn't say at that moment, however, was that it was actually the "toxic environment" of the house and the producers' insistence to fabricate all the drama they could that forced her to leave - not her disease.

It's in this episode that Irene actually leaves, but before she can get into the cab, she gets in a rather intense fight with a fellow cast member Stephen (seen above). At one point, in front of the other housemates, she claims that he is gay, and, as a result, he slaps her, deeming her accusations to be untrue. Fun fact: Stephen actually came out as a homosexual man years later. 

"Irene Calls It Quits" is yet another episode that brings up a whole slew of issues to be pondered and discussed. One, even if Stephen was in denial of it at the time, what right did Irene have to out him as a gay man not only in front of the other housemates, but in front of cameras as well? Issues of sexuality are deeply personal and shouldn't be forced or addressed until that person is ready —no one else has the right to do that for them.

Two lies with the attention that the slap itself received. The episode is regarded as an memorable reality TV event, but should something featuring very real violence like that really be regarded as anything but disgusting? 

Season: The Real World: New York
Air date: June 18, 1992

In the early years of The Real World, conflicts between cast members were occasionally about more than just scandalous hook-ups and drunken debauchery. The participants discussed issues ranging from racial to social and sexual matters, and not always in the most civil of fashions; nonetheless, the conversations held substance. A good example of this is the debate between Kevin and Eric about race in the fifth episode of the show's inaugural season, The Real World: New York.

In "Kevin and Eric Mend Their Relationship," the guys are still dealing with the aftermath of a gigantic fight they had in the previous episode. They take it outside, and so begins one of the most iconic scenes in Real World history, with the two discussing racial issues and their different outlooks and situations. By the end, the two have overcome their differences, and are totally cool with one another.

It's rather inspiring to watch: The two bond over the fact that Eric is on probation for steroid possession and, coincidentally, Kevin councils kids to help them stay away from things like that. It makes you wonder why we can't just all get along, especially if Kevin and Eric could ultimately do it.

Season: The Real World: Boston
Air date: September 3, 1997

This standout episode from the sixth Real World season contains one of the more particularly touching scenes of show's entire 20-year run. Cast member Kameelah has a very thoughtful discussion with a young girl who claims that she hates gay people. With her fellow cast member Genesis, who is a lesbian, sitting nearby listening to the conversation, Kameelah implores the girl to explain  why she hates gay people.

She says it's because her mom told her to, and cites the fact that they've stopped watching Ellen (Ellen DeGeneres' sitcom at the time) because Degeneres has recently come out as a lesbian. Kameelah asks the girl how she would feel if she, Kameelah, said she was gay, rendering the youngster nearly speechless. She asks the girl if she would still want to color with her. The girl says yes.

By the end, Genesis is in tears and, if we're going to be honest, one or two might have fallen from our eyes as well.

Season: The Real World: Los Angeles
Air date: August 26, 1993

Before she became a full-fledged reality TV star on Basketball Wives, Tami Roman was a cast member on the second season of The Real World. In one of its more controversial episodes, Tami reveals to her fellow cast members that she is pregnant, and that she plans on getting an abortion. This, obviously, brings up a lot of issues with those around her, from her mother berating her for not practicing safe sex to her housemates debating their stances on pro-choice versus pro-life.

One thing to keep in mind is that when this particular episode aired, it was the early '90s—abortion wasn't discussed that much on television yet. For the show not only to acknowledge the struggle a woman goes through when faced with a decision like this but to also devote an episode to the open debate of it was a big deal. Even politicians don't talk this openly about it.

Season: The Real World: San Francisco
Air date: November 3, 1994

While it's actually the entirety of The Real World's epic third season that's truly thought-provoking, "Love Rules" stands out as the episode with the deepest impact.

In the premiere episode of The Real World: San Francisco, we first meet Pedro, an HIV-positive AIDS educator who is involved in activism for both the disease and gay marriage. In short, he was a an extremely inspirational guy. While most of Pedro's fellow housemates reacted positively to his admission, one girl, Rachel, did not, due to her worries about living with someone who has the virus.

Being that this particular season aired in 1994, in the wake of the '80s, when fears of HIV and AIDS were at an all-time high, the inclusion of a cast member who not only struggled with the virus himself but participated actively to spread awareness was major. Just as Rachel's reaction proved, still not a lot about the virus was known at the time, and that led to a lot of narrow-mindedness on the parts of cast members and viewers alike.

And in "Love Rules," the season's 19th episode, Pedro married his partner, Sean Sasser, in a commitment ceremony that MTV bravely aired. Sadly, Pedro passed away as a result of complications from the virus the day after the final episode of the season aired in 1994. His impact and fearlessness have since forged a resonant legacy.