I used to be a devoted fan of MTV’s “The Real World.” I missed season one, got addicted during season two then devotedly watched seasons 3 through season 15. After that, I only sporadically watched (of course, I didn’t miss season 20 – Hollywood!). It seemed the show became less about the real world and more about kids who had grown up with the show acting like they thought the viewing audience expected them to act.
Over the years, some of the people on “The Real World” have turned their 15 minutes into a longer pop culture run. For example, season one’s Eric Nies has been a successful model, actor, and host. Season four’s Jacinda Barrett appears in such films as Ladder 49 and “Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason. Season ten’s Mike “The Miz” Mizanin has had quite a successful career in the WWE.
But, the real success story might be that of Sean Duffy. Duffy appeared in season six (1997) as a part of the Boston house. The main thing I remember about Duffy (other than he was the house “cute guy”), was he was a lumberjack champion. I am not kidding – he started log rolling when he was 5 and as a teen he was the three time world champion on the 90-foot speed climb.
Yes, Duffy’s political views were conservative. He occasionally clashed with Kameelah, a liberal, at one point, calling her a “bitch.” But, who could have known that one day this lumberjack would climb his way to the big leagues – Washington, D.C.
Last Tuesday, Duffy, a district attorney in Wisconsin, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for Wisconsin’s 7th District. Talk about getting real! Duffy, who appeared on the show during a more innocent time (aka when the housemates didn’t spend a majority of their time half naked and in a hot tub), said about his reality stint, “People aren’t concerned about a reality show from 15 years ago.”
While competing on “Road Rules,” another MTV reality show, Duffy met “The Real World” season three alum Rachel Campos. The two fell in love, married and now have six children.