Real World fans present problems for city police
by Byron Kho
The Summer Pennsylvanian
July 1, 2004
While the taping of MTV's The Real World Philadelphia has brought some much-sought-after attention to the city, the show itself is suffering from over-eager public participation beyond the norm from previous seasons.
Production of the 15th season of the popular show started in April, after a well-publicized labor dispute that almost made the show leave Philadelphia. Local city and labor officials were able to come to a settlement with Bunim-Murray Productions -- the show's producers -- following demonstrations by activist group Young Involved Philadelphia and other outraged citizens.
However, the national publicity garnered from the dispute revealed the location of the cast residence much earlier than usual, according to past statements from Bunim-Murray. The house is located in Old City, at the former Seamen's Church Institute on 3rd and Arch Streets.
This has caused problems, both for the cast and for the producers. During the show's first week on site, a few cast members were heckled by a drunken crowd and told to "kill yourselves" after they had exited a bar in Old City.
On May 8, a Philadelphia police officer detailed to The Real World house was assaulted by a group of five men -- including two off-duty police officers -- that allegedly wanted to gain access to a party at the house.
Most recently, police arrested Ahmadu Baari, a 37-year-old Austin, Texas, man, for breaking into the residence and taking pictures over Memorial Day weekend. Baari was charged with burglary, criminal trespass, defiant trespass and criminal mischief, but his case was dismissed for lack of evidence by Municipal Court Judge Gerald Koskinski.
One of the show's producers, Tracy Chaplin, testified in court that he couldn't be sure that Baari had not been invited in by one of the castmates. Guests are only allowed into the house when accompanied by a castmate and after a mandatory background check.
There was apparently little interest in prosecution, as no additional testimony was forthcoming. This decision adhered to the show's propensity for maintaining a low profile.
"Our approach is to shoot as invisibly as possible," said Todd Beck, president of Bunim/Murray's public relations firm. "In certain cases, this is more feasible than others."
Security for The Real World is provided by the Philadelphia police, with labor costs split by the City and the production company.
According to Francis Dougherty, special assistant to the managing director of the city of Philadelphia, both plainclothes and marked units are used to protect the cast from undue harassment.
"Plainclothesmen go with the cast when they go out clubbing, and a marked unit sits across the street from the house on weekends," Dougherty said. "They're not really needed on the weekdays, as that hasn't been a problem."
Though there is plenty of curiosity regarding the celebrity guests in town, most Philadelphia residents disapprove of the aggressive tactics some locals have used to get close to the set of The Real World.
"Personally, I'm a Real World fanatic, but I don't think going to those sorts of extremes is a good way to try and get on the show. It's disappointing to hear that the Philadelphia cast can't feel comfortable in this city," College senior Sylvia Indyk said.
To deal with others who are overzealously attempting to catch a glimpse of the cast members, the police department has increased training to let officers know what their mission is.
"Maybe they weren't so vigilant," Dougherty said.
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Reader Comments (unedited, from Fark.com):
http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.pl?IDLink=1022983
Note: I include these because the responses are amusing (also, I leave out their usernames). I hope I wrote a fair and balanced story, and also hope that these sometimes out-of-nowhere responses are really from out-of-nowhere. Also, I really disagree with some of these guys. Wisely, I will keep my trap shut.
1. As someone who lives in Philly here's the deal. Most people here don't take alot of shiat from anyone and are very blue-collar. These "Real World" kids come to town go to clubs/bars/etc and act like they are better than everyone else and want special treatment...that doesn't fly here. Remember, we booed Santa Claus and pelted him with snowballs so I'm pretty certain that some spoiled MTV rejects aren't gonna get special treatment from anyone.
2. Remember, we booed Santa Claus
Yeah, and you boo your own sports teams also. Always found that a bit strange.
3. I hope the cops get paid to look the other way the night these farks are gunned down in the streets of the City of Brotherly love, I might actually tune if for that episode. I've seen a group of high school girls watch this show. I was amazed to discover they not only find it enthralling, they think it's real. Made me weep for the future of this nation, cause their interest will keep this show on until at least The Real World 147, Chattanooga... Death to oxymoron "reality TV"!!!
4. " . . . a marked unit sits across the street from the house on weekends," Dougherty said. "They're not really needed on the weekdays, as that hasn't been a problem."
Aha! Thanks, now I know when I can safely stalk. OK, really now. I have only seen about four episodes of this obnoxious show in the last decade. I am not so interested in my own life that I would spend 30 minutes a day considering it, much less considering the staged lives of these air heads.
5. Whatever happened to the fact that someone got drugged and raped at the San Diego real world house?! Thats the only reason I watched, I was waiting for that episode, and they acted like it never happened.
6. Why does Philadelphia hate everyone?
7. We don't we just shoot the real world cast. Then there will be no need to protect them.
8. Real World - Surely this is the "Real World". Unless we are all living inside some matrix-type scenario. /Lives in England - Never seen it before
9. Philadelphia to the rest of the world: "Kill Yourselves" /my hometown!
10. Congrats and thank you Philadelphia! /why am I the first?
11. I actually enjoy this show. It's like college, I kept getting older, but the girls stayed the same age.
12. http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/article.asp?ArtID=7512
yeah, they have great security on the real world house
13. The city of brotherly love! YEA RIGHT! This city is and always was the armpit of America! During the NFL Strike, they were the only city that actually beat up fans who wanted to see a game. There are many more cases. This city needs an enema! Maybe the fire bombing wasn't such a bad idea after all!
14. I could never stand to watch that show. I tried it once, and managed to understand the basic premise, but the people are far too drama queen for my tastes. I have always wanted to be on a reality TV show though. For the very reasons I don't like them. I wouldn't play into their drama and would be a rather well adjusted acting person. Which of course is why I would never be able to get onto the show.
15. I found it funny how someone broke in to the house to take photos and was caught, but not charged due to lack of evidence. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't he break into a house full of cameras!?!
16. [According to Francis Dougherty, special assistant to the managing director of the city of Philadelphia, both plainclothes and marked units are used to protect the cast from undue harassment.] Translation: We'll protect you from the random weirdness that is philly and keep the street scum off your doorstep. Mouth off downtown or act like typical yuppie scum tho, and you might get a few bruises before we can get you out of trouble.
17. I hate them because they are overpriveledged. I hate them because they get too much attention. I hate them because they say stupid things. I hate them because they hate each other. I hate them because they are ignorant. I hate them because they are on tv. I hate them because they shoulda picked me for the show so I could rip them apart every day for every stupid thing they say and be the one small dose of reality in that unreal world they call mtv. fark your generation, fark wanting attention, fark being selected. fark the real world.
18. I'm just going to sit back and wait for the Penn & Teller: Bullshiat! expose on so-called "reality" television. jjp221: NJ wouldn't want them either. Luckily, we don't have any cities as exciting as Philly, so that helps.
19. I dunno why they would have to do that, being that the only thing that's "real" about Philly is that it's "real" boring. /NJ4life
Author's comment: Pfffffttttttttt hahahahaha. NJ4life. Oh, I wasn't supposed to talk. Sorry.
20. At my gym, they usually have MTV & Bloomberg TV on. So I get to watch The Real World all the time. And I have to say, it's really helpful... while lifting weights. I guess kickboxing would be another obvious choice. Damn, the blatant kind of stupidity and self-involvement the cast members show really makes me want to punch them in the face.
21. Hows come I don't have undercover cops protecting me? Unless I don't live in the real world....
22. Im gonna have to agree with --- on this one. I spent about 10 years at a little house on 6th and Sears in Philly (about 3 blocks from Pats and Genos, if you know what they are). He was perhaps being a bit understated when he said that most Philly people dont take a lot of shiat from anyone. More like any shiat from anyone. You will never get away with a snide comment on the blue coller streets of Philly, nor will you be treated with acclaim because of your monetary status. (Nearby Marion and Bryn Mawr areas are a different story.) One of these snot nose brats mouthin off in the bars of Philly is a disaster waiting to happen. However, this doesnt mean the the people of Philly are en masse belligerent or abusive. Just don't be an ass and no one will mess with you, but be an ass and act is if you are better then everyone else, and watch an entire room of people turn on you. Plus, Philly in my experience is mostly mob oriented. Almost everything is run by the mob. I can promise you though that waltzing into bars and clubs with those video cameras is going to make a lot of bar and clubowners very nervous, if they are allowed in at all. Most likely you will see footage of bars and clubs outside of the phiilly area, in Manayunk or some other nearby suburb of Philly. If they manage to get into some inner city large bars and clubs... keep an eye out on the footage for the big guy with his arms folded hovering nearby. I promise you there will be one in most the medium and wide shots.
23. Yeah, so i didnt read the comments, so this might be a repeat, but they go into the small clubs in philly and insult the regulars that patronize the bars (i.e. calling girls sluts and whores, getting in peoples faces). So they get what they ask for.
24. As if cops at all would prevent me from slapping one of those idiots were i unlucky enough to be graced with their stardom
25. Attention Crazy People: There is a problem with security for the cast of RW Philly, so for any psycho/stalker types who may have missed this..."The house is located in Old City, at the former Seamen's Church Institute on 3rd and Arch Streets." :rolleyes: