Ok kids, it’s that time again. The Real World is coming, and to properly hype the new season, MTV has released a show teaser, which opens with some dramatic dialogue between two of the guys in the cast:
Stephen: “I think it’s wrong that you’re gay.”
Davis: “What if I said I think it’s wrong that you’re black?’
Hold up: Black-on-gay tension in an MTV reality series? Dun-dun-duuuuuuuuunn!
The upcoming season of Real World: Denver features Houston native Alex, who according to my female coworkers, is hot (!!!!). Dude certainly looks like the player. He works the whole handsome guy raised-eyebrow thing. He’s got handsome guy hair. And he apparently has less body fat than Nicole on a diet. The teaser shows him making moves and working lines on the ladies. Nice! Way to represent, Alex.
Adam Cayton-Holland at our sister paper Denver Westword pretty much sums up Alex perfectly: “If the hot-tub water at the house had a flavor, it would taste like Alex.”
And here’s how MTV describes our home boy:
Alex is the product of a recipe that includes a heap of cockiness, a dash of street smarts, tad bit of sensitivity and a whole lot of sex appeal. However, this over confident, Texan flirt does not lack passion. He holds many things close to his heart; such as, his position as Division I swimmer at ASU, his family, his women (yes, plural!) and his never-ending escapades at the hottest parties. Yet, he yearns to build credit as a mature gentleman. Will the Real World house be a place for Alex to grow… or regress?
I got a chance to chat with Alex (last name withheld, lest MTV break my knees), who is close to finishing up his psychology degree at ASU and is working part-time at a fondue restaurant. (Ah, fondue.) — Steven Devadanam
Steven Devadanam (reading Alex his MTV bio): So what do you think, Mr. ‘Texan Flirt?’ Is that an accurate description?
Alex: I guess I agree with it…but I don’t’ know if I describe myself as ‘cocky.’ I don’t look down on people. But later in the paragraph it says ‘overconfident.’ I think that’s more accurate.
I hear that you didn’t even want to audition?
Alex: Yeah. We were at a fundraising carwash for the swim team. They were having casting calls at the bar that shared the parking lot. A friend of mine dragged me there. I was in a swimsuit. I went in and kind of winged it.
So were you shocked that you made it?
Alex: My parents thought it was a for-sure thing. But I had no idea. I was pretty surprised. I thought there was no way it could happen. Then I’d get further and further in the process, and I was like ‘Oh my God, there’s actually a shot here.’
Did you know that our sister paper in Denver did a whole Real World spoof ?
Alex: Yeah, I actually met them. I heard about it later and was like “Wow, weird.” I saw it on YouTube.
Were you a “Texas Stud” in high school, too?
Alex: I wasn’t a stud in high school at all. I was swimming and hanging out with my really good friends. I wanted to go on dates and stuff, but I didn’t want to be taken around my parents. I didn’t even date a girl until I was a junior, till I was 16 and I could drive. My first kiss was when I was 16.
After the jump: How many girls did Alex hook up with? We want numbers!
Real World is famous for its archetypes. Did you think you’d fill a specific role? Maybe “The Player?”
Alex: Actually, I felt like I couldn’t make it because I didn’t fill a specific role, or at least I thought I couldn’t. I was a little insecure about my chances. But I don’t think they search for that one typecast. I think they look for charismatic people who’re fun to be around.
Was there a castmember that you wanted to hook up with?
Alex: At first, when I met these people, I thought they seemed really nice and genuine. But I wasn’t’ floored by anyone’s attractiveness or unattractiveness. Everyone was really nice and really happy to be there. I didn’t really focus on hookups. I was focusing on remembering everyone’s name.
But I’m sure we’ll see that you hooked up with someone?
Alex: I think so. Unless there was some huge power outage and there was no batteries in those cameras in those days.
Nice. Was it more than one girl?
Alex: We’ll see.
This article appears in Nov 9-15, 2006.