2001-07-04
The Real World, posted at 12:13 a.m.
Epiphany in Baltimore has moved to epiphanyinbaltimore.blogspot.com Here are my thoughts on the season premiere of "The Real World", which I'm already hooked on. As posted on the Mighty Big TV forum.Wow, I hate Coral. First of all, she handled herself like an immature little brat at the diner. Yeah, Mike said something stupid. That doesn't mean you shut him off, then not speak to him for a whole day with your evil eye thing. The fact that Mike broached the topic of race while talking with two African-Americans - and was willing to talk about the controversial topic, no matter how stupidly - shows us that he's at least has some guts and is willing to approach topics rather than tiptoe around them.
Would we rather the issue of race - which was obviously in the mind of all - not be brought up at all? skirted around? Whatever.
I'm not saying what Mike said wasn't idiotic. But the fact that he brought up the subject on his first day of knowing Coral and Malik - and brought it up in a situation where he was the minority - shows me that he's at least genuine in some way.
Later, Coral kept repeating, "...and saying it in front of Malik and I," as if *that* was the issue. Would she rather that Mike just make those type of comments in the company of only white people? Isn't it much better that he made the comments in front of Coral/Malik?
Her conversation with her friend on the phone also pissed me off. She recounted the story as saying that Mike said, "All Black people are stupid," which of course turns Mike's comments from something idiotic (he said that his uncle doesn't hire that many Black people because most of them are less likely to have had the opportunity to go
to a good college than a white person) to something hateful. There is a difference.
Her whole attitude during the conversation of how Mike is going to have hell to pay didn't endear her much to me either. Coral should have just told Mike why his uncle is a racist dick, rather than draw it out. What she did accomplished nothing, creating no learning moments for anyone. Maybe I'm too much of a teacher. But, gosh, when someone says something stupid, you deal with it. You don't do what she did.
Again, I'm not defending Mike's comments. They were dumb. But I, like Kevin, don't really think he meant what he said, and certainly don't think what Coral extrapolated it to be was anywhere near accurate. He seems to have started a conversation before he knew where it would go, then didn't know what to do with it once it came back around. His constant need for attention made him continue to suffer from diarreah of the mouth after Coral said to drop the subject, and he just kept talking despite how dumb his comments were. But I give him credit for broaching the subject, and for having the guts to talk about it with two Black people. Coral's reaction showed a distinct lack of perspective, cooperation, and understanding.
And I hated how everyone was tiptoeing about how she felt throughout the episode. I hope someone knocks her off her pedestal soon.
Otherwise, Malik seems like a genuine good guy. He's someone I wish I knew in real life. (He reminded me a bit of Ben Harper, who I once met in real life and seemed just as genuine.) Malik handled the Mike situation well. Kevin is a player, but I like him so far - as manipulative as he is. He actually reminds me a bit of a straight Danny, from Real World New Orleans. Someone who knows how pretty he is and uses it to his advantage as much as possible. Rachel seemed pretty inconsequential - I don't think she'll come close to filling Julie's shoes as the resident house innocent. She wasn't even very prominent in the teaser at the end of the episode. Lori is sort of a dimwit, and she's far too clingy with Kevin already. I will admit that I'm looking forward to how their relationship shapes up. I have a feeling he'll play around with her and then leave her. It'll be fun to watch. Nicole didn't get to do much here in this episode, and I was shocked to see her in a screaming match with Kevin in the teaser. It'll be interesting to see how that progresses.
Anyhow, those are my thoughts. I'm hooked already, although I don't think it'll be as good as New Orleans.