Quasi-obligatory post about the Real World

I've instituted a policy when it comes to watching The Real World Austin. I'll Tivo it, but I'm fast-forwarding through all scenes in the house. That way, I won't have to watch all the "drama", yet and I can still see where they go in Austin. So far, they haven't ventured more than a mile from their converted warehouse except when they were introduced to their job: making a music documentary about South By Southwest.

It was quite odd to see them sitting in a meeting on the UT Campus with film professor Paul Stekler. I never had him while I was at UT the first time, but I've met him several times since and was interviewed on camera once for a political doc he was making. Thankfully, I didn't end up in the film. The real surprise was when Stekler introduced the cast to their sound tutor Jen Garrison, with whom I worked extensively many years ago at the campus radio station.

During SXSW, I saw the RW kids shooting at the convention center and at a few clubs. At the time, I couldn't imagine why they were taping Enon. I mean, I like them, but they're not what I think of as an MTV hype band. The Real World's first episode did show a bit of footage from the night the cast was at the Enon show so we'll see what ends up in their doc.

Anyway, I was intrigued from a medical standpoint when in the first episode, RWer Danny was punched hard enough to break his cheekbone and cave it in. I just watched the episode where he gets surgery to repair the injury and there was a quick shot of the name of the facility, Surgical Hospital of Austin. It's not a full-service hospital and not one with which I'm familiar.

With minimal effort, I found webpages for Danny's plastic surgeons Dr. Scott Haydon and Dr. Todd Shepler. Despite the surgery, he apparently still has blurry vision in one eye and is suing the guy who punched him.

In addition to that bit of news, The Austin Chronicle published this rather unsubstantial piece today. Not noted was the big No Trepassing signs posted all over the outside of the RW house while the cast was living there. The alley behind the house was closed off as well the few times I passed it.

Why am I expending energy writing about the frickin' Real World? Insomnia baby.


Technorati tags: Real World Austin, Danny's surgery