The Real World: Key West
Encyclopedia
The Real World: Key West is the seventeenth 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. This season was shot in the Key Haven neighborhood of Key West, Florida
in From August to December 2005, and debuted February 28, 2006. It is the second season of The Real World to be filmed in southern Florida, as The Real World: Miami
was filmed 10 years prior in 1996. It is also the fourth season to be filmed in the southern United States
, after Miami in 1996, The Real World: New Orleans
in 2000, and The Real World: Austin
in 2005. The season premiere was viewed by 3.33 million people.
, just north of the Key West city limits. The property spans 32000 square feet (2,972.9 m²) of waterfront property, and includes a tennis
court, indoor racquetball
court, gym, and an open dock. The house, which, along with two adjacent lots, was leased from June 28 to December 30, 2005, also included a 12 feet (3.7 m) x 20 feet (6.1 m) indoor pool that was converted into a sunken lounge area for filming. The house also included an outdoor pool. The house sustained some damage from Hurricane Wilma
.
The production faced a lawsuit by tourism mogul Ed Swift, a neighbor to the Driftwood Drive house, who sought to stop filming at the location, on the grounds that the production's floodlights, commercial-sized air conditioners, and outdoor cameras capable of rotating towards his house were a nuisance, and that local zoning laws prohibit commercial use of Key Haven homes. After MTV threatened to cancel production in response to the lawsuit, a judge threw out the lawsuit and allowed Bunim-Murray Productions to continue filming the season, with some minor production restrictions put in place.
During filming, Hurricane Rita
made landfall, forcing the cast to evacuate to West Palm Beach
. Subsequently, Wilma
hit the area, forcing them to evacuate again, first to Ft. Lauderdale, and then to Orlando
.
, 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 Key West cast was assigned to assist in starting a Mystic Tan franchise at the Pineapple Gallery. It closed briefly after Hurricane Wilma had devastated the store, and later reopened.
: Age at the time of filming.
Svetlana went on to pose for FHM
magazine.
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. This season was shot in the Key Haven neighborhood of Key West, Florida
Key West, Florida
Key West is a city in Monroe County, Florida, United States. The city encompasses the island of Key West, the part of Stock Island north of U.S. 1 , Sigsbee Park , Fleming Key , and Sunset Key...
in From August to December 2005, and debuted February 28, 2006. It is the second season of The Real World to be filmed in southern Florida, as The Real World: Miami
The 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...
was filmed 10 years prior in 1996. It is also the fourth season to be filmed in the southern United States
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
, after Miami in 1996, The Real World: New Orleans
The Real World: New Orleans
The Real World: New Orleans is the ninth 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 series was filmed...
in 2000, and The Real World: Austin
The Real World: Austin
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...
in 2005. The season premiere was viewed by 3.33 million people.
Production
The cast lived in a nearly 6000 square feet (557.4 m²) Spanish Mediterranean-style, five bedroom, four and a half bathroom house at 32 Driftwood Drive in Key HavenKey Haven
Key Haven is an unincorporated community on Raccoon Key, an island in the lower Florida Keys about a mile east of the island of Key West. It is a suburb of greater Key West, and houses approximately a thousand residents...
, just north of the Key West city limits. The property spans 32000 square feet (2,972.9 m²) of waterfront property, and includes a tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
court, indoor racquetball
Racquetball
For other sports often called "paddleball", see Paddleball .Racquetball is a racquet sport played with a hollow rubber ball in an indoor or outdoor court...
court, gym, and an open dock. The house, which, along with two adjacent lots, was leased from June 28 to December 30, 2005, also included a 12 feet (3.7 m) x 20 feet (6.1 m) indoor pool that was converted into a sunken lounge area for filming. The house also included an outdoor pool. The house sustained some damage from Hurricane Wilma
Hurricane Wilma
Hurricane Wilma was the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Atlantic basin. Wilma was the twenty-second storm , thirteenth hurricane, sixth major hurricane, and fourth Category 5 hurricane of the record-breaking 2005 season...
.
The production faced a lawsuit by tourism mogul Ed Swift, a neighbor to the Driftwood Drive house, who sought to stop filming at the location, on the grounds that the production's floodlights, commercial-sized air conditioners, and outdoor cameras capable of rotating towards his house were a nuisance, and that local zoning laws prohibit commercial use of Key Haven homes. After MTV threatened to cancel production in response to the lawsuit, a judge threw out the lawsuit and allowed Bunim-Murray Productions to continue filming the season, with some minor production restrictions put in place.
During filming, Hurricane Rita
Hurricane Rita
Hurricane Rita was the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded and the most intense tropical cyclone ever observed in the Gulf of Mexico. Rita caused $11.3 billion in damage on the U.S. Gulf Coast in September 2005...
made landfall, forcing the cast to evacuate to West Palm Beach
West Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida...
. Subsequently, Wilma
Hurricane Wilma
Hurricane Wilma was the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Atlantic basin. Wilma was the twenty-second storm , thirteenth hurricane, sixth major hurricane, and fourth Category 5 hurricane of the record-breaking 2005 season...
hit the area, forcing them to evacuate again, first to Ft. Lauderdale, and then to Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
.
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 Key West cast was assigned to assist in starting a Mystic Tan franchise at the Pineapple Gallery. It closed briefly after Hurricane Wilma had devastated the store, and later reopened.
Cast
| Cast Member | Hometown | Biography | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zach Mann | 22 | Vashon Island, Washington | A communications grad from Lewis and Clark College, Zach comes from a Jewish family. Zach was at one time overweight, but has since transformed himself and emerged as an energetic, confident young man. He angers Svetlana when he informs her that he would also like to apply for team leader of Mystic Tan. At the reunion show, all of the castmates laughingly point to Zach when asked who "got the most booty." |
| Jose Tapia | 20 | Brooklyn, New York | Known to his friends as "The Don." He was raised in Brooklyn surrounded by drugs, violence and the influence of "the wrong crowd". During the season, viewers learn that while living in Key West he is in the process of moving out of an apartment he shares with his former girlfriend. He attended Florida State University Florida State University The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation... , and is the owner of multiple rental properties and the holder of a real estate broker license. |
| Paula Meronek | 24 | Meriden, Connecticut Meriden, Connecticut Meriden is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 59,653.-History:... |
Since her graduation from Quinnipiac University Quinnipiac University Quinnipiac University is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational university located in Hamden, Connecticut, United States at the foot of Sleeping Giant State Park... , Paula is a corporate employee by day, and parties at night. Paula is still experiencing problems with an abusive ex-boyfriend, and with her body image. |
| Johnny Devenanzio | 23 | Fullerton, California Fullerton, California Fullerton is a city located in northern Orange County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 135,161.It was founded in 1887 by George and Edward Amerige and named for George H. Fullerton, who secured the land on behalf of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway... |
A recent graduate of Pennsylvania State University Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service... , his casting made headlines in the Daily Collegian, PSU's student newspaper. He initially flirts with Svetlana but she remains faithful to her boyfriend at home. At one point during the season, he jokingly removes Janelle's bikini top in the ocean. Concerned about being asked to leave the house, he apologizes to Janelle and she accepts but not without reprimand. He and Tyler share a relationship characterized by numerous practical jokes they play on one another. |
| Janelle Casanave | 23 | San Jose, California San Jose, California San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay... |
Friends describe her as "independent." She was accepted to the University of San Francisco School of Law, but before becoming a lawyer, is launching a career as a makeup artist. . Janelle would later appear in The Real World: Hollywood The Real World: Hollywood The Real World: Hollywood is the twentieth 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. It premiered on... , in which she dates cast member William Gilbert. |
| Tyler Duckworth | 23 | Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States... |
A gay gymnastics and figure skating enthusiast who describes himself as "manipulative" and "mischievous". At one time, he was on track to becoming a world-class swimming Swimming (sport) Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native... champion, until a freak accident that nearly took away his ability to walk shattered his Olympic Olympic Games The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate... dreams. A recent graduate of Tufts University Tufts University Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France... , he must decide what to do with his life. In the show, he admits to feeling the closest to Jose in the house. |
| Svetlana Shusterman | 19 | Richboro, Pennsylvania Richboro, Pennsylvania Richboro is a census-designated place in Northampton Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,563 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Richboro is located at .... |
Svetlana is a pre-med student at Temple University Temple University Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional... who was born to a Jewish family in Odessa Odessa Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,... , Ukraine Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia... . A first generation immigrant with a reputation for being the "crazy Russian chick," she is torn between her dependency on her family, and the need to venture out and experience life. In 2007, her 21st birthday was featured on MTV 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 My Super Sweet 16 My Super Sweet 16 My Super Sweet 16 is an MTV reality series documenting the lives of teenagers, usually in the United States, Canada and UK, who usually have wealthy parents that throw huge coming of age celebrations. Parties include the quinceañera , the sweet 16, and other birthdays including a My Super Sweet 21 ... . |
: Age at the time of filming.
After filming
The entire cast attended the Reunion, which was broadcast as The Real World: Key West Reunion.Svetlana went on to pose for FHM
FHM
FHM, originally published as For Him Magazine, is an international monthly men's lifestyle magazine.- History :The magazine began publication in 1985 in the United Kingdom under the name For Him and changed its title to FHM in 1994 when Emap Consumer Media bought the magazine, although the full For...
magazine.
Real World/Road Rules Challenges
Challenge in bold indicates that the contestant was a finalist on The Challenge, but lost in the final race.| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Zach Mann | The Gauntlet III | None |
| Jose Tapia | - | - |
| Paula Meronek | 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 Inferno 3, 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 Duel II, Fresh Meat II, 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... , 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... |
Rivals |
| Johnny Devenanzio | The Duel, The Inferno 3, The Gauntlet III, The Island, 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... , Cutthroat, Rivals |
The Island, The Ruins, Rivals |
| Janelle Casanave | The Inferno 3, The Gauntlet III | The Inferno 3 |
| Svetlana Shusterman | The Duel | None |
| Tyler Duckworth | The Duel, The Gauntlet III, Cutthroat, Rivals | Cutthroat, Rivals |