I’ve often wondered what it must be like to have a giant TV camera inches from your face all day long. Way back when The Real World began, my teenage self thought it would be glorious. I imagined falling in love with Eric Neis, while the viewers at home fell in love with me. That desire gradually morphed into a deep fear of having my life filmed, after reality TV became the horror show it is today, and I realized that anyone who spends their young adult life in front of a camera, in a drunken, back-stabby environment (particularly that of the Real World / Road Rules Challenges) must have problems with real reality. Do the cast members feel empty when a camera isn’t around? Will Johnny Bananas ever achieve normal boundaries of privacy in his real life? Is Dunbar (“Dummy Bear”) capable of intimacy in his off-camera relationships? These are the great sociological and cultural questions of our time.
Fortunately for those seeking the truth on these matters, BWE.tv has obtained exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from this season’s challenge: The Island. In it, we see an “intimate” conversation taking place between Paula and Dunbar. This clip was recorded with a pocket video camera by Johnny. The telling moment comes when Dunbar realizes he’s being filmed by Johnny.
Is there a psychological, physics, or mathematical term for what just happened? I’m not sure. What I am sure of, is that I’ll be watching The Island tonight at 10 p.m., because let’s face it, starving Real Worlders + endless alcohol + an island = genius. More “research” available at Challenge Dailies.
