Here’s to the people who stopped being polite, started getting real, and made television history in the process.
In 1992, producers Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray selected seven strangers to live in a New York City loft, have their lives taped, and show the world what happened when people stopped being polite and started getting real.
Twenty-two years and 30 seasons later (The Real World: Skeletons premieres Dec. 16), the show has boasted an incredibly diverse roster of houseguests and called attention to major issues, both global (the AIDS crisis) and deeply personal (abortion).
While recent seasons have ensured the show's legacy, there is truly no comparison to the first decade of houseguests — the ones who helped define the franchise and influenced multiple generations. So here are the cast members of every season of The Real World from New York (1992) to Las Vegas (2002), ranked from worst to best.
MTV, Jenny Chang for BuzzFeed
Justin Deabler, The Real World: Hawaii
There's nothing wrong with being a reality TV villain, but unlike so many of his brethren, Justin is also utterly forgettable, proving his duplicitous deeds were for naught (his most memorable scheme involved emotionally and mentally manipulating the already emotionally unstable Amaya Brecher during their vacation in India). Justin left the house early, citing a family emergency as the reason for his exit. No one missed him.
MTV
Kaia Beck, The Real World: Hawaii
The Natasha to Justin's Boris, the oft-topless Kaia wasn't much better — or more capable of intentionally causing controversy — but at least she stuck out the season.
MTV
Aaron Behle, The Real World: Los Angeles
Hard-pressed to think of a single contribution he made to the sophomore season of The Real World.
MTV
