On May 21, 1992 the world changed forever. OK, fine — maybe not the world, but certainly the television climate. Reality TV as we know it was officially born thanks to two geniuses named Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray.
Based off of the PBS documentary series An American Family, The Real World brought us into the lives of twenty-somethings as they lived together, worked together and partied together. Naturally, this type of situation led to all sorts of debauchery. Sure, the show (now approaching its 27th season…holy crap) had its silly moments of pranks and hook-ups, but it also depicted hot button topics like sexuality and addiction in a way that can only be described as, well, real.
Love it or hate it, this show broke an insane amount of ground. In honor of the momentous occasion, I’ve composed a gallery including my five favorite cast members over the years. Of course, I couldn’t include ‘em all — but take a look and tell me what you think!
