MTV’s newest installment of its long running Real World series, “The Real World Brooklyn,” seems to be bringing on the kind of substantive issues and strong cast members that it was traditionally known for when it first hit the airwaves.

 

 

 

 

 

The first episode brought on one of the most moving moments that have been shown in the series when post op transgender woman, Katelynn Cusanelli, comes out to gay cast mate, J.D., in the taxicab on the way to dinner. It was a very emotional scene and it capsulized the brave journey that Cusanelli had taken to make it to this point in her life.

 

 

Salt Lake Mormon, Chet Cannon, whose metro sexual persona, pigeonholes him as a closeted gay man, tries his hardest to overcome that stereotype.  He insists on his straight preference but exhibits such sexual curiosity especially about the gay lifestyle much to the chagrin of J.D.

 

Salt Lake born, but not Mormon, Baya Voce, finds more in common with her East Coast digs than what she ever found out West.  She is a DJ and an aspiring dancer.

 

There is a former Miss American Teen from Kansas City and a bisexual girl from San Francisco who just started dating men.

 

Ryan Conklin comes in as an Iraq veteran and has written a journal of his near death experiences there. He is also an aspiring musician.   He also is one of the first to notice that Katelynn is transgendered.

 

Scott Hermann is a personal trainer and is the hunk of the group. He is a fitness expert that has already appeared in Men’s Fitness Magazine.

 

This looks like a real banner year for the Real World. I hope it is the beginning of a new trend to get back to its roots to the kind of programming that made it the real trend setting program it is at its core.