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The Real World: Miami
Format	Reality show
Created by	Jonathan Murray, Mary-Ellis Bunim
Starring	Flora Alekseyeun Joe Patane Melissa Padrón Cynthia Roberts Dan Renzi Mike Lambert Sarah Becker
Country of origin	United States
Production
Running time	30 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	MTV
Original run	Summer 1996 – Fall 1996
Chronology
Preceded by	The Real World: London
Followed by	The Real World: Boston

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. The season was filmed in Miami Beach, Florida, and first aired in 1996. The Real World: Miami was the first season filmed in the United States outside of New York and California, and the first of two seasons to be filmed in South Florida, the second of which was The Real World: Key West, which followed in 2006.

Contents 1 Season changes 2 The residence 3 Cast 4 Season highlights 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Season changes

This was the first season in which the housemates were given a season-long assignment or task, an aspect of the series that would continue in almost all subsequent seasons (the Brooklyn season dispensed with it). This season the cast was given $50,000 startup money to begin a business of their choosing. The cast's efforts were marked by much disorganization and conflict, and while ideas such as a dessert delivery service and a fashion line were floated about, they were ultimately not able to start the business.

[edit] The residence

The house is located at 445 E Rivo Alto Dr, in Miami Beach, just north of the Venetian Causeway on affluent Rivo Alto Island. The four bedroom, three bathroom house is on ³⁄₁₀ acres (1,214 m²) of land, and is 4,976 square feet (462.3 m²). Its current owner is former Ford CEO Jacques Nasser.^[1]

[edit] Cast

Cast Member	Age	Hometown	Stats	RW/RR Challenges
Sarah Becker	25[2]	Chicago, Illinois[3]	Sarah is a former comic book editor at Wildstorm Comics, who decorated her personal areas with Wildstorm posters and action figures. She loved skateboarding and candy. Some of her housemates object to her bringing home some children she met on the street, who run around the house playing and skateboarding. As the show progresses she spends less time in the house, doing outside jobs. She also brings a dog into the house.	None
Dan Renzi			Dan is an openly gay student at Rutgers University and starts a modeling career with Irene Marie Models while in Miami. He dates several men and his parents come to visit. His mother is accepting of his homosexuality but his father and brothers choose to ignore it. When the show ends, Dan is offered a modeling job in Italy and has to say goodbye to his new boyfriend.	Extreme Challenge, Battle of the Sexes, The Inferno II
Melissa Padrón		Miami, Florida	Melissa is a Cuban-American native of Miami. A recent graduate of the University of Miami she had held odd jobs to make extra money, including a brief stint as a phone sex operator. Dan excoriates her for her nosiness after she opens an envelope of his to see what is inside, which according to him, could've cost him his job. She becomes friends with Flora. Eventually Sarah and Melissa have an argument, and Melissa moves out of the house.	None
Joe Patane		Brooklyn, New York	Jeo is an Italian-American building manager. He is an MBA student at Fordham University. The lower amount of motivation he perceives from his housemates causes him to quit the project. He has a girlfriend named Nicole, with whom the rest of the cast develops a mutual dislike when she visits. Joe finds it difficult to remain faithful to her, but he proposes to her by the end of the season. At a subsequent reunion show Joe reveals that they have broken up, to which Mike expresses relief, because, as he tells Joe, Nicole was a "bitch".	None
Cynthia Roberts			Cynthia is an African-American waitress from California who attends San Jose State University. She comes from a single parent home and is overall conservative. At the conclusion of the season she accepts a job offer in Miami. The transformation of the back yard of Cynthia's home was featured in "Floating Deck", an episode of the DIY Network show Yard Crashers.	All Stars, Battle of the Sexes 2
Flora Alekseyeun			Flora is originally from Odessa, Ukraine, and was living in Boston before moving into the Miami house. She dates two men simultaneously despite the inherent risks, and criticism from others in the cast. She bills herself as the "bitch of all bitches" and is given to vindictiveness towards those from whom she perceives slights. She takes a job as a bartender in Miami, though Cynthia openly criticizes her for dressing provocatively in her job interview. At one point Dan expresses worry that Mitchell has been beating Flora, attributing the accusation to Dan. Flora denies this, accused Dan of lying, and says that Mitchell is very good to her when they're alone. Years after the show ended, Flora and Mitchell got married, as she revealed in the multiple-cast reunion show that first involved the Miami cast.	Battle of the Seasons
Mike Lambert			Mike wants to be a private investigator. In one episode, he is heard having sex in the shower with a woman he brought home, while his housemates eavesdrop outside the bathroom window.	Challenge 2000, Battle of the Seasons

[edit] Season highlights

One heated moment during the season was a fight between Dan and Melissa. Melissa opens an envelope that had two slides from the movie The Birdcage that Dan needed for work. Dan is angry that Melissa opened an envelope that obviously wasn't hers. (It was later revealed that Dan's mother learned he was gay by reading a letter sent to him). Dan yells at Melissa and calls her a "stupid bitch". Melissa explodes at him and screams to not ever call her that, referring to him as a "flamer." The next day they talk, and Melissa tearfully admits that her anger comes from a verbally abusive father, and she hated seeing her father in herself. They both apologize for their actions and agree to talk to each other if they need help.

When Sarah and her friends join Melissa and Flora for dinner at a restaurant, Melissa questions if Sarah's friends could be able to afford dinner there. This is upsetting to Sarah because, as she explains, her friends all have jobs, while Melissa does not. Sarah's friends, wanting to show up Melissa, pay for the entire dinner and an embarrassed Melissa thanks them for the gesture.

Another tense moment occurs with Sarah is visited at the house by her friends from Kenosha, WI, who make a home movie about life in the house. While filming, Flora repeatedly flashes the camera. When the movie is produced, Flora says she does not want the movie distributed to anyone. She claims she was on heavy medication and tries to convince Sarah's friend to sign a contract that the movie won't be released.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• The Real World: Miami at mtv.com
• Cast page at mtv.com

v • d • e The Real World, Road Rules, and Real World/Road Rules Challenge   The Real World seasons New York • Los Angeles • San Francisco • London • Miami • Boston • Seattle • Hawaii • New Orleans • Back to New York • Chicago • Las Vegas • Paris • San Diego • Philadelphia • Austin • Key West • Denver • Sydney • Hollywood • Brooklyn • Cancun • D.C.   Road Rules seasons USA - The First Adventure • USA - The Second Adventure • Europe • Islands • Northern Trail • Down Under • Latin America • Semester at Sea • Maximum Velocity Tour • The Quest • Campus Crawl • South Pacific • X-Treme • Viewers' Revenge   Real World/Road Rules Challenge seasons Road Rules: All Stars • The RW/RR Challenge • Challenge 2000 • Extreme Challenge • Battle of the Seasons • Battle of the Sexes • The Gauntlet • The Inferno • Battle of the Sexes 2 • The Inferno II • The Gauntlet 2 • Fresh Meat • The Duel • The Inferno 3 • The Gauntlet III • The Island • The Duel 2 • The Ruins   Related Bunim/Murray Productions • Mary-Ellis Bunim • Jonathan Murray • The Real World Movie: The Lost Season • Reunited: The Real World Las Vegas  • Pedro and Me  • Real World Presents: Return to Duty