Ep 2. MTV & The Real World

Dark Side of the '90s returns with a second season exploring the murkier side of the decade that brought us grunge, hip-hop, and the rise of the internet. In episode 2, titled MTV & The Real World, the focus is turned towards two cultural phenomena that defined the era: the music television channel that changed the way we consumed music, MTV, and the reality show that changed the way we consumed television, The Real World.

The episode starts by exploring the early days of MTV, when it was a scrappy upstart that dared to play music videos 24/7. We see how MTV quickly became a cultural force, introducing us to the biggest stars of the era, from Madonna to Michael Jackson to Nirvana. But with success came controversy, and the episode examines the ways in which MTV was accused of promoting misogyny, racism, and consumerism. We see how videos like Guns N' Roses' "Don't Cry" and Madonna's "Justify My Love" pushed the boundaries of what was considered acceptable on TV, as well as the criticisms launched against the channel for not featuring enough artists of color.

From there, the episode shifts its focus to The Real World, the show that is credited with pioneering the reality TV genre. We see how the show's premise of putting a diverse group of strangers in a house and filming their every move captured the attention of audiences, and made stars of the participants. We see how the early seasons of the show tackled some weighty issues, such as racism, AIDS, and homophobia, and how it helped to push these conversations into the mainstream. But we also see how the show's producers manipulated and edited footage to create drama, and the toll that being on the show took on some of its stars.

As the episode progresses, we see how MTV and The Real World converged, with the latter becoming a fixture on the former. We see how the show became a platform for emerging musical acts, and how it helped to launch the careers of artists like the Beastie Boys and Tupac Shakur. But we also see how the show's relationship with MTV became increasingly strained as the channel moved away from playing music videos and embraced more sensationalistic programming.

The episode ends by examining the legacy of MTV and The Real World, and how they continue to influence popular culture to this day. We see how MTV's influence on music waned in the later years of the '90s, as the rise of file-sharing and digital downloads made it easier for fans to discover and consume music on their own terms. But we also see how MTV's legacy lives on in the way we consume media, from the way we interact with social media to the rise of short-form video platforms like TikTok.

Likewise, we see how The Real World's formula has been replicated countless times, from Survivor to Big Brother to The Bachelor. But we also see how the show's legacy is complicated by the way it helped to shape our expectations of reality TV, and the way it blurred the line between genuine drama and staged conflict. In the end, the episode presents a nuanced look at two of the most important cultural touchstones of the '90s, and the ways in which they both reflected and shaped the world around them.