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Created on: March 13, 2010 Last Updated: March 14, 2010
Now I know when most people think of reality television they are thinking of The Bachelor, Survivor, The Greatest Race among many many others I am sure. I am still old school, when I think of reality TV, I am totally thinking of The Real World. Yep the original reality television show. Not only was this truly the ground breaker for reality shows, but it is still going strong some 18 years later. Yes, I said 18 years.
Honestly, a reality show is not around for that long without having it's fair share of villains, Anyone remember the blanket incident with David and Tami on the Los Angelos season? Remember Tonya from Chicago? The Real World combines people of diverse ethnic, religious, sexual orientations and education levels together in a house and starts rolling. There is bound to be conflict, turmoil and fighting. Most of the time it is resolved and everyone goes on to live happily ever after.
Except when there is a bike messenger, snot-rocket blower named Puck. Really has there ever been a better villain? In a house with six other people, a doctor, a cartoonist, a musician and a gay man dying of Aids, no one else had issues. At least not with each other. Everyone had issues with Puck.
I don't think MTV knew just what they were getting into with the third season in San Francisco. Puck doesn't seem to have the basic respect needed to live with other people. He has no manners and his personal hygiene is deplorable. Who doesn't remember the peanut butter episode. Puck who likes to pick at his scabs, doesn't show on a regular basis and loves to blow snots at people, sticks his finger in the peanut butter jar and puts it back for others to share in his germs.
Puck was in that house for one reason. To annoy people, to irritate them, to infuriate them. To be the villain. He had everyone on edge, fighting with him, fighting about him, and even fighting with each other. he got under people's skin in a way no one else since has been able to duplicate on reality tv. He was eventually kicked off the show for being so intolerable for everyone else to live with.
The San Francisco cast got a raw deal, without Puck there was not much of a show anymore. Viewers were so fascinated with him, they still wanted to see his antics. No one would ever want to deal with him in their life but he made for great TV. And that is what makes a true villain.
Learn more about this author, Beth Oliver.
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