Knight-Ridder Tribune
CHICAGO - "I came into the house on uncertain grounds, and I leave on uncertain grounds," Kyle writes in a letter, oblivious to the cameraman peering over his shoulder.
That scene on the final day of shooting in the Wicker Park location wasn't the only uncertain moment. Shooting "The Real World" in Chicago this past summer and fall was a lesson in uncertainty:
There were protests surrounding the shooting of the MTV reality series as part of opposition to the Wicker Park neighborhood's overall gentrification.
There were reactions to the very real events of the terrorists attacks of Sept. 11 that were caught on tape and promise to provide a different kind of drama that hasn't been seen in the series' 11-season history.
Finally, there is the uncertainty that reality television in general is going through, with declining ratings, a glut in the genre and the real events of Sept. 11 overshadowing TV's make-believe reality.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Not that any of this is on Kyle's mind as he writes a letter to a fellow housemate - one that he shared a brief fling with. It is one of six letters that he is working on - one for each of the cast members. As he writes, several of the 33 cameras that are situated throughout the loft are capturing his moves on this, the last full day of taping.
"A lot of times there's just things I want to put on paper to give to people," Kyle, 22, explains later. "And I needed to write those letters as closure. I had a lot of things I needed to say and wrap up with each one of my roommates."
With cameras constantly whirring, little is ever private on "The Real World," which has its season premiere on Tuesday.
Because MTV agreed to allow the producers of the series to produce a season in the summer not long after the previous one in New York wrapped up - the series usually films during the latter part of winter - the series finally made it to Chicago several months ago.
"I think after our third season people started asking, 'When are you going to go to Chicago?'" says executive producer Jon Murray. "And we were stubborn about it because we really wanted to come to Chicago when the weather was nice. And finally MTV gave us this chance to shoot a season over the summer. I'm glad we waited because I really think this city does become the eighth roommate. It is spectacular looking."
Indeed, the season premiere includes all the things that say Chicago, including shots of elevated trains, shops along Michigan Avenue, the trendy clubs on the city's North Side, and views from the John Hancock Building.
"I'll be working here in Chicago for the next three or four months," says Chris, 24, another member of the house. "I have a job related to my career working with an artist on an exhibit. So it will be an amazing experience for me. Chicago's been wonderful."
But not all of Chicago. Some of the housemates' neighbors chose the series shoot as a rallying point for their cause.
"The protests seemed to be directly related to something that was specifically happening in this neighborhood," Murray explains, "which was there were a small group of artists who were concerned about gentrification.
"I guess I wasn't surprised because I've learned not to be surprised at anything. But ultimately, luckily, where the cast certainly had a week or two there where they were certainly bothered by it, and at times felt a little unsafe, ultimately in some ways it made them bond with each other."
Because of the protests and a double slaying that occurred nearby, security was tightened at the loft.
"In the beginning it was the safety issue, and we really dealt with that accordingly, like having a security guard here," says Anthony Dominici, who produced the Chicago filming. He wouldn't say if elements of the protests will be included in the series.
"There were some hard times," says 22-year-old housemate Cara. "Now I can look at it retrospectively and I can say it was great, it was fun. I think if you'd asked me (a few months ago) I would have been like, 'Get me out of here!'"
