The Real World: Austin
Encyclopedia
The Real World: Austin is the sixteenth season of MTV
's reality television
series The Real World
, which focuses on a group of diverse strangers living together for several months in a different city each season, as cameras follow their lives and interpersonal relationships. The Real World: Austin won "Favorite Season" at the 2008 The Real World Awards Bash. The season premiere was watched by nearly 4 million viewers.
, has included the assignment of a season-long group job or task to the housemates, continued participation in which has been mandatory to remain part of the cast since the Back to New York season. The Austin cast had to shoot, edit and direct their own documentary on the South by Southwest
music festival. Their "boss" was Paul Stekler, an award winning documentary filmmaker who taught at the University of Texas.
This season the cast was housed in the west half of a 23552 square feet (2,188.1 m²) warehouse at 301 San Jacinto Boulevard at East 3rd Street in Austin, Texas
, 8000 square feet (743.2 m²) of which were used for filming. The interior used for the series was designed by Austin designer Joel Mozersky. Construction took three and a half weeks. 44 cameras were mounted on walls for filming. After filming ended, the warehouse was completely gutted. The west half of it was turned into a Mexican restaurant called The Rio Grande. The east half was leased to a printing services company.
: Age at the time of filming.
At the 2008 The Real World Awards Bash, the Austin season won "Favorite Season" Danny and Melinda won "Favorite Love Story" and Johanna won "Favorite Dance-Off".
When filming ended Melinda moved to Boston to be with Danny. A film crew followed them in New York City as they took a carriage ride through Central Park and he proposed before the reunion show. On August 2, 2008, they married at Castle Hill outside Boston, with most of their former cast members among those in attendance. Danny owns a construction company while Melinda is planning a career in dentistry. During the premiere of The Challenge: Cutthroat
, Melinda reveals in a confessional that she and Danny were going through a divorce.
Wes and Johanna announced during the reunion show that they began dating several months after the conclusion of filming the show. They appeared together in Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Fresh Meat
, and Wes promised to use his prize money to pay for her engagement ring as he won the Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Duel
. At the Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Gauntlet III reunion show Johanna announced that she and Wes are no longer together. During the reunion special for Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Island
, which premiered November 5, 2008, it was revealed that KellyAnne Judd from The Real World: Sydney
was dating Wes at the time. Wes and Johanna both appeared on the Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Ruins
(as did KellyAnne Judd), during which they experienced interpersonal conflicts stemming from the game and relationship issues. During the reunion for The Ruins the two indicated that they were never officially engaged, despite prior indications to the contrary. In a clip from Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Ruins
reunion, which aired December 16, 2009, Wes and KellyAnne revealed that they were no longer a couple.
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
series The Real World
The Real World
The Real World is a reality television program on MTV originally produced by Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray. First broadcast in 1992, the show, which was inspired by the 1973 PBS documentary series An American Family, is the longest-running program in MTV history and one of the...
, which focuses on a group of diverse strangers living together for several months in a different city each season, as cameras follow their lives and interpersonal relationships. The Real World: Austin won "Favorite Season" at the 2008 The Real World Awards Bash. The season premiere was watched by nearly 4 million viewers.
Assignment
Almost every season of The Real World, beginning with its fifth seasonThe Real World: Miami
The Real World: Miami is the fifth season of MTV's reality television series The Real World, which focuses on a group of diverse strangers living together for several months in a different city each season, as cameras follow and document their lives and interpersonal relationships...
, has included the assignment of a season-long group job or task to the housemates, continued participation in which has been mandatory to remain part of the cast since the Back to New York season. The Austin cast had to shoot, edit and direct their own documentary on the South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
music festival. Their "boss" was Paul Stekler, an award winning documentary filmmaker who taught at the University of Texas.
The residence
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, 8000 square feet (743.2 m²) of which were used for filming. The interior used for the series was designed by Austin designer Joel Mozersky. Construction took three and a half weeks. 44 cameras were mounted on walls for filming. After filming ended, the warehouse was completely gutted. The west half of it was turned into a Mexican restaurant called The Rio Grande. The east half was leased to a printing services company.
Cast
| Cast member | Hometown | Biography | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Danny Jamieson | 21 | Billerica, Massachusetts Billerica, Massachusetts Billerica is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,243 at the 2010 census. It is the only town named Billerica in the United States and borrows its name from the town of Billericay in Essex, England.- History :... |
MTV.com describes Danny as a humble, sensitive, attractive, and assertive man. Before filming he wanted to become a lawyer, but has chosen to help his father with the family business first. Danny dated Melinda throughout this season and after filming ended, they moved in together and got engaged on the season's reunion show. |
| Johanna Botta | 21 | Riverside, California Riverside, California Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California... |
Johanna is Peruvian, born in Lima, Peru, who moved to the U.S. when she was eleven, and had been living in Southern California when she was cast. She aspires to be a clinical therapist, specializing in marriage and counseling for families. MTV.com describes her as highly opinionated and argumentative. |
| Lacey Buehler | 23 | Tallahassee, Florida Tallahassee, Florida Tallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by... |
Lacey was raised by ex-hippie Hippie The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's... -turned devoutly religious parents who raised her in a strict manner, monitoring the TV and movies that she viewed. This made socialization at school difficult for her, but according to MTV, has given her a unique style. |
| Melinda Stolp | 21 | Germantown, Wisconsin Germantown, Wisconsin Germantown is a village in Washington County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 18,260 at the 2000 census. The village surrounds the Town of Germantown... |
Melinda is an aspiring dentist working as a waitress when she was cast. MTV.com describes her "sexy, creative, and quick witted", and as a "once shy girl [who] has completely come out of her shell and truly lives by the saying 'I will try anything once.'" She had a boyfriend, but she fell in love with castmate Danny. |
| Nehemiah Clark | 19 | Rancho Cucamonga, California Rancho Cucamonga, California Rancho Cucamonga is a suburban city in San Bernardino County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,269, up from 127,743 at the 2000 census. L. Dennis Michael was elected as Mayor on November 2, 2010. Jack Lam is the City Manager... |
Nehemiah was born to a mother who was currently in rehab, and mtv.com describes his life as "a combination of heartbreaking and hopeful", and Nehemiah himself as a "bright, charismatic young man who has the wisdom and experience of someone far beyond his years." |
| Rachel Moyal | 21 | Valencia, California Valencia, California Valencia is an affluent planned community located in the City of Santa Clarita, California and Los Angeles County, California, U.S. in the northwestern corner of the Santa Clarita Valley, adjacent to Interstate 5. In 1987, it was one of the four unincorporated communities that merged to create the... |
Rachel is a former U.S. Army combat nurse and Iraq War veteran who enlisted in the military to pay for college. According to mtv.com, her military experience made her resilient, confident, and outspoken. She is sexually outgoing, and sees Jenna Jameson Jenna Jameson Jenna Jameson is an American entrepreneur and former pornographic actress, who has been called the world's most famous adult-entertainment performer and "The Queen of Porn."... as her hero. |
| Wes Bergmann | 19 | Leawood, Kansas Leawood, Kansas Leawood is a city in Johnson County, Kansas, United States. The city is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri and is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 31,867.-History:... |
MTV.com describes Wes, a junior and a frat boy at Arizona State University Arizona State University Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona... , as an "obnoxious, super-competitive jock", "the guy you love to hate", but also "bright and entrepreneurial." He cannot wait to graduate so he can start his own business. |
: Age at the time of filming.
After filming
The four female cast mates posed in lingerie for a cover feature in Stuff magazine.At the 2008 The Real World Awards Bash, the Austin season won "Favorite Season" Danny and Melinda won "Favorite Love Story" and Johanna won "Favorite Dance-Off".
When filming ended Melinda moved to Boston to be with Danny. A film crew followed them in New York City as they took a carriage ride through Central Park and he proposed before the reunion show. On August 2, 2008, they married at Castle Hill outside Boston, with most of their former cast members among those in attendance. Danny owns a construction company while Melinda is planning a career in dentistry. During the premiere of The Challenge: Cutthroat
The Challenge: Cutthroat
The Challenge: Cutthroat is the twentieth season of the MTV reality television game show, The Challenge, and follows Fresh Meat II. Filmed in Prague, Czech Republic, Cutthroat features a first-ever three-team format, with cast members from The Real World, Road Rules, Fresh Meat, Fresh Meat II and...
, Melinda reveals in a confessional that she and Danny were going through a divorce.
Wes and Johanna announced during the reunion show that they began dating several months after the conclusion of filming the show. They appeared together in Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Fresh Meat
Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Fresh Meat
Fresh Meat is the twelfth season of Real World/Road Rules Challenge. Filmed in Australia, Fresh Meat featured two-player teams; each team had an alumnus of The Real World or Road Rules partnered with a newcomer to the Challenge . This is the first edition of the Fresh Meat series.-Cast:Host: T. J...
, and Wes promised to use his prize money to pay for her engagement ring as he won the Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Duel
Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Duel
The Duel is the thirteenth season of the MTV television series Real World/Road Rules Challenge. It took place in Búzios, Brazil, with former cast members from MTV series The Real World and Road Rules competing, along with several cast members from the previous Challenge, Fresh Meat. The host of...
. At the Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Gauntlet III reunion show Johanna announced that she and Wes are no longer together. During the reunion special for Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Island
Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Island
Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Island is the sixteenth season of the reality television game show, Real World/Road Rules Challenge, which aired on the American cable tv network MTV. It premiered on September 10, 2008 at 10pm ET/PT...
, which premiered November 5, 2008, it was revealed that KellyAnne Judd from The Real World: Sydney
The Real World: Sydney
The Real World: Sydney is the nineteenth season of MTV's reality television series The Real World, which focuses on a group of diverse strangers living together for several months in a different city each season, as cameras document their lives and interpersonal relationships...
was dating Wes at the time. Wes and Johanna both appeared on the Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Ruins
Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Ruins
Real World Road Rules Challenge: The Ruins is the eighteenth season of the MTV reality television game show, Real World/Road Rules Challenge, and follows The Duel 2. The Ruins took place in Phuket, Thailand, with former cast members from MTV's The Real World and Road Rules competing along with...
(as did KellyAnne Judd), during which they experienced interpersonal conflicts stemming from the game and relationship issues. During the reunion for The Ruins the two indicated that they were never officially engaged, despite prior indications to the contrary. In a clip from Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Ruins
Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Ruins
Real World Road Rules Challenge: The Ruins is the eighteenth season of the MTV reality television game show, Real World/Road Rules Challenge, and follows The Duel 2. The Ruins took place in Phuket, Thailand, with former cast members from MTV's The Real World and Road Rules competing along with...
reunion, which aired December 16, 2009, Wes and KellyAnne revealed that they were no longer a couple.
Real World/Road Rules Challenges
| Cast Member | RW/RR Challenges Real World/Road Rules Challenge The Challenge is a reality television game show on MTV that is both dependent on and spun off from the network's two flagship reality shows, The Real World and the now cancelled series, Road Rules. It is currently hosted by T.J... |
Challenges Won |
|---|---|---|
| Danny Jamieson | Fresh Meat Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Fresh Meat Fresh Meat is the twelfth season of Real World/Road Rules Challenge. Filmed in Australia, Fresh Meat featured two-player teams; each team had an alumnus of The Real World or Road Rules partnered with a newcomer to the Challenge . This is the first edition of the Fresh Meat series.-Cast:Host: T. J... , The Inferno 3, The Gauntlet III, The Ruins Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Ruins Real World Road Rules Challenge: The Ruins is the eighteenth season of the MTV reality television game show, Real World/Road Rules Challenge, and follows The Duel 2. The Ruins took place in Phuket, Thailand, with former cast members from MTV's The Real World and Road Rules competing along with... , Fresh Meat II |
None |
| Johanna Botta | Fresh Meat, The Gauntlet III, The Island Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Island Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Island is the sixteenth season of the reality television game show, Real World/Road Rules Challenge, which aired on the American cable tv network MTV. It premiered on September 10, 2008 at 10pm ET/PT... , The Ruins |
The Gauntlet III |
| Lacey Buehler | - | - |
| Melinda Stolp | Fresh Meat, The Gauntlet III, Cutthroat The Challenge: Cutthroat The Challenge: Cutthroat is the twentieth season of the MTV reality television game show, The Challenge, and follows Fresh Meat II. Filmed in Prague, Czech Republic, Cutthroat features a first-ever three-team format, with cast members from The Real World, Road Rules, Fresh Meat, Fresh Meat II and... |
None |
| Nehemiah Clark | The Duel Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Duel The Duel is the thirteenth season of the MTV television series Real World/Road Rules Challenge. It took place in Búzios, Brazil, with former cast members from MTV series The Real World and Road Rules competing, along with several cast members from the previous Challenge, Fresh Meat. The host of... , The Gauntlet III, The Duel II, Rivals The Challenge: Rivals The Challenge: Rivals is the twenty-first season of the MTV reality television game show, The Challenge, and follows Cutthroat. It takes place in Costa Rica, Argentina and Patagonia, with former cast members from MTV's The Real World, Fresh Meat, Fresh Meat II and the Spring Break Challenge competing... |
The Gauntlet III |
| Rachel Moyal | The Inferno 3, The Gauntlet III | The Gauntlet III |
| Wes Bergmann | Fresh Meat, The Duel, The Ruins, Fresh Meat II, Rivals | The Duel |
- Challenge in bold indicates that the contestant was a finalist on The Challenge, but lost in the final race.
External links
- The Real World: Austin official site. MTV.
- Cast Bios. The Real World: Austin. MTV.
- Episodes. The Real World: Austin. MTV.
- The Real World and Road Rules Blog