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 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 The Real World: Key West in light of 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.[1]
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.[2][3]
[edit] Assignment
Almost every season of The Real World, beginning with its fifth season, 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.
[edit] The residence
The cast lived in a nearly 6,000-square-foot (560 m2) Spanish Mediterranean-style, five bedroom, four and a half bathroom house at 32 Driftwood Drive in Key Haven, just north of the Key West city limits. The property spans 32,000 square feet (3,000 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-foot (3.7 m) x 20-foot (6.1 m) indoor pool that was converted into a sunken lounge area for filming.[4] The house also included an outdoor pool.[5] The house sustained some damage from Hurricane Wilma.[6]
| Cast Member | Age1 | 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, and is the owner of multiple rental properties and the holder of a real estate broker license.[7] |
| Paula Meronek | 24 | Meriden, Connecticut | Since her graduation from Quinnipiac University, 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. |
| John Devenanzio | 23 | Fullerton, California[8] | A recent graduate of Pennsylvania State University, 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 | 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. During the season her boyfriend comes to visit her, but during his stay he angers her when he meets strangers at a club and attempts to bring them back to the house. They fight and she refuses to allow him into the house when he discovers that he will be unable to fly back home that night. Janelle would later appear in The Real World: Hollywood, in which she dates cast member William Gilbert.[9] |
| Tyler Duckworth | 23 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | A gay gymnastics and figure skating enthusiast describes himself as "manipulative" and "mischievous". He was at one time was on track to becoming a world-class swimming champion. He was devastated when a freak accident shattered his Olympic dreams. Although doctors told him he might never walk again, he proved them wrong. A recent graduate of Tufts University, he must decide what to do with his life. In the show, he admits to feeling the closest to Jose in the house.[10] |
| Svetlana Shusterman | 19 | Richboro, Pennsylvania | Svetlana is a pre-med student at Temple University who was born to a Jewish family in Odessa, Ukraine. 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.[11] In 2007, her 21st birthday was featured on MTV's My Super Sweet 16. |
Note 1: Age at the time of filming.[12]
[edit] After filming
All castmembers attended the Reunion.
[edit] Real World/Road Rules Challenges
| Cast Member | RW/RR Challenges | Challenges Won |
| Zach Mann | The Gauntlet 3 | None |
| Jose Tapia | - | - |
| Paula Meronek | The Duel, The Inferno III1, The Gauntlet 31, The Island1, The Duel 2 | None |
| John Devenanzio | The Duel, The Inferno III1,The Gauntlet 3, The Island, The Ruins | The Island,The Ruins |
| Janelle Casanave | The Inferno III, The Gauntlet 3 | The Inferno III |
| Tyler Duckworth | The Duel, The Gauntlet 3 | None |
| Svetlana Shusterman | The Duel1 | None |
^1 The contestant was a finalist on the Challenge, but lost in the Final Race.
[edit] References
- ^ Matley, Alyson; "Swift: 'Get a Life'"; keynoter.com; August 27, 2005
- ^ Summary page for Episode 10 ("Gettin' Stormy") at mtv.com
- ^ Summary page for Episode 18 ("Hurricane Wilma") at mtv.com
- ^ The Key West house at realworldhouses.com
- ^ Key West House Pre-Renovation Outdoor Pool at realworldhouses.com
- ^ Key West House Hurricane Wilma at realworldhouses.com
- ^ Biography page for Jose Tapia at mtv.com
- ^ Biography page for John Devenanzio at mtv.com
- ^ Biography page for Janelle Casanave at mtv.com
- ^ Biography page for Tyler Duckworth at mtv.com
- ^ Biography page for Svetlana Shusterman at mtv.com
- ^ Cast Page for The Real World: Key West at mtv.com
[edit] External links
