If you have ever watched MTV’s reality show The Real World (“Welcome to Las Vegas,” from Amazon) before, then you may know some of the rules. The cast are only allowed one phone. There are absolutely no doors in any of the rooms. And oh yeah, every minute of your livfe for three months is on tape.
But after The Village Voice recently unveiled a copy of the cast member’s contracts, we know now those three stipulations are the least offensive rules these reality stars must follow.
In case you have never seen an episode of the show before, here is a quick video to catch you up:
The contract states:
- You may die, lose limbs, and suffer nervous breakdowns.
- You may be humiliated and explicitly portrayed “in a false light.”
- Producers are under no obligation to conduct background checks on your fellow cast members.
- If you contract AIDS or other sexually transmitted diseases while filming ["gonorrhea, herpes, syphilis, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), Chlamydia, scabies (crabs),'hepatitis, genital warts, and other communicable and sexually transmitted diseases or Pregnancy; etc"], MTV is not responsible.
- You’re not pregnant and you won’t become pregnant before the show’s done filming. If you do become pregnant, you’ll tell the producer immediately–and pregnancy is grounds for dismissal.
- You can’t change your physical appearance during filming, without the producer’s express permission.
- Your e-mail may be monitored during participation.
- You promise not to hide from MTV cameras in establishments where they can’t film.
- The production crew can show up at your personal house at any time to film and/or to take anything they want, as long as they return the objects once production has ended.
- You authorize the producer to have total access to your school records, government forms, your credit history.
- You’re obligated to participate in a reunion special for up to five years after the show ends, you’ll be paid $2500 for your involvement, and the producer only has to give you 14 days notice.
Now some of these contractual stipulations I understand. I imagine that members of the cast could easily get injured, or even possiblly suffer some kind of mental breakdown while filming. (If your life were being filmed at every minute, wouldn’t you?) But some of these bullet points are just out of control.
What part of the contract do you think is the most shocking, Lovelies? Would you agree to all of those terms and conditions in order to be on a reality TV show?
guest
This is so wrong.
guest
No, I would not.
daisy / 598 posts
oh my gosh it’s really like selling your soul!
guest
Never…. The last three are the worst.
guest
fuck that shit
guest
The only one that seems weird to me is going to their house and taking stuff. That doesn’t seem relevant, especially if they won’t be there for three months? Unless that’s before the show starts, then that makes sense, I guess.
Some of the others are sketchy, but make sense since they’re blatantly making your life drama for viewers. No one has to sign the thing in the first place. Not like they don’t know what they’re getting themselves into, and if they disagree with any of the terms, I’m sure they weren’t forced to sign at gunpoint.
ranunculus / 3457 posts
People who sign up for this are idiots.
magnolia / 1369 posts
I think the taking stuff from your house thing is scarier than the government records one.
guest
No wonder Real World castmates are sooooo moody. I’m not surprised by the strict rules though. I am surprised that the show’s still going on!
guest
Who in their right mind would put their John Hancock on that contract?
rose / 791 posts
why would anyone be stupid enough to sign these?
guest
I would totally do this!!
guest
I would do it, you get paid every single day for 3 months plus you can earn an extra $2,500 for up to 5 years after the show ends by doing a reunion.
orchid / 205 posts
HAHAHA That’s all they got?
1. Don’t do anything dangerous, and play to other members of the cast like strategically placed pawns. Or they can be your friends. after all, it’s not survivor.
2. Wrap your tool. But that already goes without saying. Remember Japanese game shows, and your time on the set won’t seem as bad.
3. Yo producer, I’m hitting the gym, mind watching me work out?
4. Okay, I won’t hide, I’ll just take nyquil occasionally and go to sleep. And that’s worse than hiding.
5. I have a fake address. Even better, all the “secret stuff” is kept at a friends before I leave.
6. “You authorize the producer to have total access to your school records, government forms, your credit history.”
“Producers are under no obligation to conduct background checks on your fellow cast members.”
Don’t these technically cancel each other out? Or can you pick and choose? Doesn’t matter, I’m a clean man, although credit is shit(but isn’t everyone’s nowadays?)
7. Sure, I’d love to come to the reunion and fuck Natasha again. She was a great piece of ass, and even better, I got paid to do it.
You guys freak out too much.
guest
Wow, I almost wanted to do that but nope, not anymore!
sunflower / 286 posts
That’s very, very amusing.
daisy / 522 posts
sounds good to me! ha
guest
Never in a million years.
daisy / 639 posts
Why does MTV exist again…..?
daffodil / 1615 posts
Is anyone else bothered by the fact that there are no doors to ANY of the rooms? Can you imagine trying to take a shit and someone just walks in the bathroom because it’s lacking a door? Grosssss
guest
@ask_ashleyyy@xanga - LOL! i thought that I was the only one who was worried about that! i already have a thing where I can’t poop anywhere else but my house. I dunno how i’d be without a door!
guest
you may die… nope, no thank you.
guest
@ask_ashleyyy@xanga - @pynk003@xanga - They have a communal bathroom like in a college dorm – you still have stalls with doors and such for when you have to poop.
@mikaelchoe@xanga - Dude, you may die while typing on xanga. They’re not putting you in any bad situations, they merely have to put it in there so that if you get drunk and / or do something stupid and lose a limb or die, you / your family can’t sue them over it.
sunflower / 282 posts
You could die? Really? I kind of figured on most of the other ones though.
guest
To be honest, I’m not surprised by anything you’ve highlighted. It’s always been my understanding that MTV basically owns you once you sign on to do the Real World. I think the experience would be worth it.
guest
LOL.
guest
Some people will do anything for fame. If I were really wanting to do that, I would hide my stuff in a storage facility under someone else’s name, and get a new email address.
guest
I wouldn’t join but people are so fucking fame hungry they will take the shit!