Being a resident of Chicagoland I always felt snubbed by MTV for not bringing real world to my home. Everyone knows Chicago rocks and would be a great place to live. Are 7 twentysomething pseudo-actors too good for my favorite city? Not anymore.

Unfortunately, now that it's happened I'm not as excited. I think I just wanted the world to know how great Chicago is, if they don't already. I've come to realize that although the Real World will show that Chitown rules, it will be showing the wrong people. I don't think I want a horde of loyal Real World watchers gentrifying Wicker Park any further. Fortunately, I'm not the only one. It seems like a few weeks ago some residents of Wicker Park staged a protest against the Real World. They got everyone there by handing out flyers that asked people who wanted to be extras to come down in front of the house at a certain time. Then, they started chanting and throwing things at the house. I'm not typically a fan of violent protest, but if it's against the Real World I might be able to let it slide. The link above gives a good account of the tale.

Although I seem to be all anti-establishment here, well, I pretty much am. Still, I have watched, and enjoyed, the Real World on a few occassions. It is truly a guilty pleasure since the show is glorified and gross. One of thing things about the Radiohead show I didn't mention was the Beta Band's lambasting of MTV for homogenizing teen audiences all across the globe, and he's so right. Shows on that channel today tell us what to think and how to think it. They tell us what to buy and where to buy it. I honestly think I went out and bought Dave Matthews one day while in a trance after watching TRL. The channel is evil, when you come down to it. So it is funny watching MTV celebrate 20 years on the air when the last 10 have been funded by the devil himself. Yeah, I like Tom Green and I still watch MTV2, but when it comes down to it I think that kids would be better off leaving MTV alone from ages 12-18, or maybe just forever. Well, I'm going to go play NFL 2K1 now.