I shouldn't be surprised by MTV's decision to return to New Orleans for its 24th season of The Real World; after all, if the network is going to return the lagging reality show to its addictive apex and provide an off-season fix for Jersey Shore fanatics, it'll have to reference some of the glory of its '90s cycles. The 2000 season of The Real World used Mardi Gras debauchery on Bourbon Street merely as a backdrop for its top-tier cast, but is the new crop of roommates good enough for Anne Rice's jambalaya paradise? Let's analyze the new trailer.
Pain. Is this the most obvious, camera-ready crop yet? Did Preston just stare into the camera and re-appropriate an Animaniacs catchphrase to explain his horniness? Did one of the blond dudes just appear naked for some reason? Contrived at every turn -- and no sign of a housemate who's as cool as the first New Orleans season's Danny, Melissa, or Kelly. Doesn't look like we're even in for a hot slow jam like "Come On Be My Baby Tonight."
Some of this is Jersey Shore zealotry talking, sure. But most of it is The Real World itself, which seems to be doing all it can to make us haters.