It was like, "this is never
Gonna happen.
This is not going to happen.
They can't do this to seven
People."
At first I thought that they
Were gonna put us in, like, this
Little box, and it was gonna be
Like a nightmare.
This is the true story...
True story...
Of seven strangers...
Picked to live in a loft...
And have their lives taped...
To find out what happens...
What?
When people stop being
Polite...
Could you get the phone?
And start getting real.
The real world.
Hello, I'm julie,
And I'm from birmingham.
[Twangy country music]
♪
I just hope, when I go to
New york, I'll learn a lot
About myself.
My father wants me to be a
Computer operator.
[Upbeat dance music]
♪
♪ Hey, hey, hey, hey
♪
If the dance career doesn't
Make it, she needs something
Else to fall back on, so why not
Go on and get it at a young age?
[Solemn organ music]
♪
[Heavy rock music]
♪
All: lord god, heavenly king,
Almighty god, and father.
♪
The lord knows the way
Of the righteous.
You're free to live
Your life.
What do you think about that?
This is real life.
This ain't no party.
This ain't no disco.
This ain't no foolin' around.
That's real.
We are not a church of the
Establishment.
We are very alternative,
Very cutting edge here,
And you and I know it.
♪
Well, smile, julie.
I'm not real happy.
Well, darn if you don't
Look happy.
I don't think you realize
You're not going to see me for
A while.
We'll get to see you sooner
Than you think.
You know the fellow that checked
On you the last time, when you
Went up there?
I haven't called him yet.
He said he's got eight or ten
People that are working for him,
And business is not good in
New york, that he can check
Every day, and I think that's
What we're gonna do.
Well, julie, I hope that you
Really have a lot of fun, and if
You just stay in your little
Neighborhood, then it looks to
Me like everything would be--
Will work out great.
What time do you think would be
Good times for you to call me,
: In the morning
And : at night?
Tell me bye.
No, I don't want to.
Don't cry.
Just give me a hug.
Don't cry.
I won't.
It's gonna be okay.
Mother, it's all gonna be great.
Be happy.
This is so good.
Are you gonna kiss me
Good-bye?
You gonna call me tonight,
About :, huh?
If I feel like it.
Okay, well, I've got your
Number.
[Laughs]
Have a good trip, dear.
Bye.
And have a good time.
I believe I could shed a tear.
[Engine roaring]
Well, don't you--don't you think
We think alike?
No, I don't, at all.
Well, where do we differ?
I mean, they probably would like
To know.
Where we differ?
Yes.
I think that it's okay to
Wear whatever you want to wear
And not cut your hair and grow
It down to your butt, if you
Want to, whereas you don't think
That's okay.
When did you start saying
"Butt"?
And go ahead, what else is it
That you don't like about me?
I hate it that it took these
People to get here to make you
Listen to what anybody else had
To say about anything.
I just think it's very evident
In the way that we think that
There's a big age difference.
Well, I still care about
You, honey.
Oh, I know, dad, but you said
Flat out that you didn't care
About how I felt on things and
How my friends live.
I don't care how you feel
About things.
I could give a damn about you
Feel about things.
Well, that's--i don't agree
With that.
Well, I better drop that
Conversation, 'cause it ain't
Got anything to do with me, I
Don't think.
[Gritty rock music]
♪
May I have your attention,
Please?
Baggage service, please?
Do you know what luggage
This is?
♪
[Sirens wailing]
♪
Is this your first time
In new york?
There's a lot of people around
That, uh--there's criminals all
Over the place.
It's a shame.
Do you like doing what
You're doing?
It's a nuisance.
And then there's nowhere to go
To the bathroom.
God forbid, I mean--you're
Sitting in traffic, in the
Middle of the afternoon, and,
You know, you can't move,
It's bumper-to-bumper,
And there's , people trying
To get into your cab, and you
Got to go to the bathroom.
[Laughs]
I mean, what are you
Gonna do?
What do you do?
Um...whatever you can.
Whatever you can.
[Clock ticking]
[Bubbles gurgling]
Oh, my god.
Holy...
When I walked through the doors,
I saw a new world.
Holy [bleep].
I saw exciting things, weird
Things, furniture, kitchen,
Rooms, bathrooms.
It was like my house was just
Right here.
What?
Um, moved into the loft.
It's bad.
You have no idea.
I can't wait for you guys to
See this.
You're gonna die.
Dude, you guys are not gonna
Believe this.
You got to see this place.
I can't even begin to tell you.
It's sick.
[Keys rattling]
[Horn honking]
My first roommate walked in, and
Her name was becky.
Hi.
All I got to say is that
You're a queen, I'm a king, and
This is--i can't--just walk
Around.
This is where we live?
My next roommate was kevin.
[Laughs]
I almost fainted.
I was like, "my god, what is
This, fantasy island?"
This loft is incredible.
I've never seen anything
Like it.
Love and sex.
Yeah.
Norman.
This is totally insane.
[Dog snarls]
I thought they said no pets?
Heather is a rapper.
I'm heather.
Hi, heather.
I'm just running from the
Dog.
Andre.
The door opened, and I saw
Five other people nothing like
Me or most of the people that I
Hang out with.
Who doesn't smoke?
Somebody coming?
Hi.
Who's that?
It was just an incredible
Amount of relief just to see the
Other six people.
And everybody was really excited
And really friendly, and it was
Great, just a lot of relief.
So, kevin, start it off,
My man.
What are we talking about?
I don't know.
Yourself.
I'm so glad I like all y'all
So far, you know?
Y'all could have really sucked
Or something.
Okay, I study political
Science.
I thought I was gonna go to law
School, and then I said,
"Nah, I'd rather write."
[Typewriter keys clicking]
And then I moved to new york,
Like, in ', 'cause I really
Wanted to, like, pursue the
Writing.
'Cause I'm a poet, but I also
Do, like, news articles and
Reviews, music reviews and
Things like that, you know?
I moved here, and I went to
Nyu, and I went to film school,
But I went back to what I did
When I was little and grew up
With, which--i decided the only
Thing I love is music.
So I've been playing that for a
Long time.
I've been modeling for about
A year now, in new york, and
Just recently started to get
Into commercials and acting
And stuff.
So you make big money then,
Don't you?
[Chuckles]
Nah.
[Camera shutter clicks]
I left michigan in search
Of a painting career here in
New york.
Then I started working with a
Partner, and now we have a
Company called gouda
Named after our dog.
I'm with a major rap group
Now.
♪ Yo, you buggin', what? ♪
♪ Yo, what about respect?
♪ What about marriage?
♪ What about having children?
♪ Y'all bein' happy? ♪
I went on tour.
I went to arsenio.
I just did everything right in
The beginning, but now, starting
Back on my own, I have to start
All over again.
So that's about it.
I moved out here with my band
About a year ago.
Exactly a year ago today.
And we've been playing out here.
We play new york, and we play
New jersey.
So how old are you?
I'm .
!
[Cheering]
You're the baby.
I'm the baby?
Whoo!
You are.
I'm the youngest of seven.
I'm used to being the baby.
I'm the youngest too.
Now you're the youngest of
Seven also, once again.
I'll be the baby with you.
[Pager beeping]
Go heather, go heather.
Go heather, go heather.
What is that?
It's a beeper.
Do you sell drugs?
Why do you have a beeper?
[Laughter]
No, I haven't had a chance to
Speak with julie at all, and
I'm really--once she said the
Bit about the drug dealer, I
Really want to talk to her.
I really want to know what
She thinks.
Okay, so everybody's gonna be
Against me, 'cause I'm the only
Southerner.
I guess I would take offense
To that too, but I don't think
She was serious.
The beeper, I knew it.
[Laughs]
I just was hoping it wasn't
Going to be a series of
Comments, you know, like,
"Kevin, do you play basketball?"
You play ball around here?
I don't consider myself
r*cist in any way.
I don't even know how it ended
Up like that.
Well, I hated school, 'cause
When I went to high school, it
Was nothing--it was a black
High school, that's it.
Maybe--no, it was just a black
High school, that's it.
[Laughter]
You know, I can't even say
Maybe.
It was just a black high school.
So it was a different experience
For me, going to college,
Meeting people from here and
Speaking with people.
You know, it was different.
But I had the same thing,
'Cause I was way out
In the country.
Like, what you were talking
About, how you went to an
All-black high school, this was
Like as white as could be, you
Know, one culture there.
My town, in ocean township,
It's like all middle-class to,
Like, upper-class families, but
Then you can go jog, like, two
Miles, and you get into, like,
Asbury park, and that's, like,
Predominantly black.
There was a little racism, but a
Lot--most people understood,
You know?
Like you, I played a lot
Of sports.
I wanted to be
A baseball player.
I ran track and the whole nine,
You know?
And we were playing stickball on
The block, and this kid--i'll
Never forget, he was like, um,
"Yeah, donny, you and the n*gg*r
Do this."
And then he was like--it was
Like routine, and I was like,
"Yo, what's up?"
You know?
[Laughter]
You better watch out.
With women, it's different.
With females, it's different.
They just--if I go into a store,
They just follow me around.
No, they just follow me around.
I don't know what's gonna happen
In the next three months.
I just hope--i hope everyone
Gets along.
[Cat hissing]
[Dog barking]
[Jazzy rock music]
♪
Decisions, decisions.
All right, well, kevin and I
Said that we were gonna share a
Room together.
Kevin and eric decided that
They wanted their room, and that
Was it.
Nobody else was gonna have
A say.
You're definitely gonna take
The room in the hall?
I'm gonna sleep over there.
Well, that's where I'm
Sleeping too, me and eric.
I need my sleep.
Yeah, me too.
I really got to sleep.
Well, I need to sleep really
Soundly, or else I'm a mess.
Well, so do i, 'cause I got
To wake up early a lot.
Well, I sleep during the day.
So why don't we make a loud
Section and a quiet section?
I think we should get this
Straight, that if somebody's got
Something going on, and they got
To wake up in the morning, and
They're on this side, it's just
Out of respect not to play pool.
Of course.
Well, like I say, I stay up
All night, I mean, so...
All right, I'll room with
You, because you snore, and I
Snore, and we both stay up late.
I ended up with a male
Roommate, because andre's the
Only person that snores.
Well, that confessed that he
Snores, anyway.
Great.
If everyone can be happy.
[Upbeat rock music]
♪
"Have you ever been in love
With someone and yet never told
The person how you felt?"
Yes.
"Do you consider yourself
Sexually adventurous?"
No.
"What does being totally
Committed mean to you?"
At the basis of it, it's a
Fear of rejection, 'cause why
Else would you get involved in a
Relationship but to commit
Yourself?
So if you can't commit yourself,
You must be scared.
"If you could either double
Or halve the desire for sex,
Which would you do?"
I would double.
I think I'd maybe cut it
In half.
I would cut mine in half too.
Oh, here's one for us.
Okay.
"Would you rather suffer
A nerve injury that numbed your
Entire genital region or one
That made you completely deaf?"
Deaf.
[Laughs]
Really?
I don't know.
No, if I was deaf, I couldn't
Play music.
Do you remember
Your first kiss?
My first kiss...
I don't really...
Do you remember the girl?
Yeah.
Do you remember what she
Looked like and stuff?
Yep.
Like, I can remember the first
Girl I kissed when I was, like,
Seven years old.
Like, that had more--that meant
More to me than the first girl
That I had sex with.
What?
Yep, I can't remember--
I don't remember.
How old were you?
I mean, if I really, really
Thought about it and--
I don't even--i can't--
I don't remember.
I don't remember.
You've just been screwin'
All your life?
No, no, no.
And I don't even--
I don't know, I just don't
Remember.
Nighty-night.
What time is it?
Is it, like,
:.
[Gentle guitar strumming]
♪
[Funky rock music]
♪
[Telephone line trills]
Hello?
Hi, mom.
How are you?
Fine, how are you?
Okay.
Are you going to do the thing
Tonight, the gig?
Yeah.
Yeah?
Did you practice?
No, I have to go see adam,
And I have to get all the
Transcriptions for the band.
So I'm gonna practice today.
Yeah.
Yeah, it's gonna be funny.
Are you nervous?
Am I nervous?
Yeah.
Not right now.
I will be, though.
But, um, anyway.
Okay.
I love you.
I love you too, sweetheart.
I'll talk to you soon.
Okay, so I can call this
Number and request you?
Mom, it's just like any
Other place, okay?
Yeah.
All right, bye-bye.
Bye.
She's lost it.
♪
Before you do that--
That I do it right.
Yeah, just take it from
"Somewhere there must be" again.
Both: ♪ somewhere
♪ There must be
♪ More to me
Right, so you--
♪ More...
[Laughter]
I had to learn the song.
I knew one verse of it, and I
Didn't know any of the changes,
So I had to learn it all in
About--i don't know, I would say
A half an hour.
What'd you forget?
I'm forgetting my song.
I have to write it down now.
Oh, my god.
Have you been singing it
All day?
Um, yeah.
'Cause I get that.
[Gentle guitar strumming]
♪
[Laughs]
I was really scared.
Ugh!
And I just wasn't ready.
Whoo!
I've never played in front of
That many people before.
It's really tough.
The sound is strange
In the room.
The people are very demanding.
So now I had to eat my words,
And get up there and play.
And taking that--you know,
Those deep breaths, going,
"Oh, god, am I ever gonna get
Through this?"
So now we're gonna let
Somebody share some more good
Timing with you.
Rebecca!
[Cheers and applause]
[Cheers and applause]
[Folksy country music]
♪ Well, he tied her up
♪ Set her on fire
♪ Doused her in oil
♪ The crowd just went wild
♪ She's always all right ♪
♪ At the end of the night
♪ But somehow she felt
♪ Like she was just
♪ Half a woman
I wouldn't say that she was,
Like, the most impressive
Singer, for me, personally, but
She was, like, really honest,
And it came out, and it was
Beautiful.
It was really wonderful.
And it moved me.
♪ Just half a woman
♪
[Cheers and applause]
Thank you.
[Upbeat hip-hop music]
♪
What happened?
I want to see.
We saw all these people
Running, like, on the side of
The train, I'm like,
"What happened?"
I thought someone got shot,
'Cause we're in new york city.
I was like, "man, somebody must
Have gotten shot."
The guy's getting off the
Train, the door's closing, and
He left one foot in the door,
And the train just kept going
With him.
Damn.
Is he okay?
Yeah, he's out now.
[Pounding on doors]
Because the power's out, we
Can't even get out and get on
Another train.
I'm taking this down: car .
♪
So we just gave you--put a
Ticket in and didn't get to go
Anywhere?
New york city .
Julie.
Julie was like, "I want my token
Back," and I was like, "you're
Not getting your token back."
Break out.
Come on, let's go.
Thank you.
Have a good night.
[Laughs]
You should have said...mmm...
She's not from new york.
You are not from new york.
Racism is alive and well.
Do you think I'm prejudiced?
I think you are, against white
People.
Really?
Yeah, I think you're
Very bitter.
[Laughs]
Where did that come from?
No, I'm not bitter at all.
If I was bitter, I wouldn't be
In that house, now, would i?
You know, I was like, "I'm not
Bitter," but when I think about
It now, you know, I think I have
The right to be very angry, you
Know, and I'm not apologetic
About that.
You know, you're saying
You're prejudged.
I'm just as much prejudged.
By who?
I mean, did any of us say,
"Well, you know, she's from
Alabama, she must be a r*cist
Or something?"
I don't know what kind of
Encounters that julie's had in
The south, in alabama, but she
Did say to me that her father
Really doesn't like black
People, and, I mean, I don't
Know how much that's shaped her
Opinion of black people.
I don't think--i don't think
It's, like, shaped it in a
Negative way, 'cause she doesn't
Seem closed-minded.
She's very open, you know, to
Myself and heather.
For a black person to get
Ahead, where most black people
Are living that I know, you're
Either hustlin', you're trying
To get a--you're trying to sh**t
That jumper to get a
Scholarship, or you're just
Buggin'.
Straight up, you're filling out
Some papers for financial aid.
People don't understand that.
People might think I sell drugs.
People might think all that.
I don't care.
I don't care about none
Of that [bleep].
Heather got to do for heather,
And that's what I'm thinking
About first.
I don't hustle in the sense
Where I'm participating in
Destroying my own people.
I don't sell drugs.
You know, I don't rob and steal
And stuff like that, you know?
Even if I may have done it in
The past, you know?
We don't know, but I may have
Done it in the past.
I'm saying at some point in my
Life, I recognize that a large
Part of my history was denied
From me--
Your history is my history.
I agree.
We just don't realize it,
You know?
Who didn't realize that?
I just have things against
Ignorant people in general, and,
I mean, I could try as much as I
Can to try to deal with you and
See you for what you are, but
Ignorance is ignorance,
Stupidity is stupidity, and
That's it--black, white, green,
Purple, blue, whatever.
Yeah, everybody's really
Smart.
They're all very smart, and they
Have, you know, really solid
Opinions on about everything
You can think of.
So I felt, you know--just kind
Of wondering if was gonna be
Just the big screw-up of the
Loft.
Help!
[Motor whirring]
Just because you're in new
York and you're away from home
Doesn't mean that you
Necessarily have to change, but
Anybody who can come from
Alabama to new york has got to
Be tough.
Got to be.
She's a really open person.
She's really open to
Experiences.
[Upbeat rock music]
♪
Julie is really fascinating
To me.
I find her almost like the
Younger sister.
I'm really excited about her
Energy.
She's got like--things are so
New at her age, and everything
Was just so fascinating.
She's asked me if I've been
Mugged or any kind of like
Really scary experiences and
Stuff, and I think that, you
Know, she's being cautious about
Areas, and that's a really wise
Way to go about it, is that, you
Know, you want to be open to
Things, but you also want to
Protect yourself on the street.
You want to definitely be
Streetwise, 'cause this is a
Completely different
Environment.
Whoo!
Ow!
We spotted some of these
Really gorgeous harley bikes,
And they were in mint condition.
Is this one yours?
Well, this one guy had a really
Cool harley-davidson, and it
Was, like, kind of turquoise and
White.
It's not like I'm some gearhead
Or anything like that.
I just--you know, they're kind
Of interesting.
I felt like there was a good
Opportunity there for me to get
To ride one, so I just kind of
Beg and talk him into it.
I love julie.
I think she's really, really
Cool, and I think she definitely
Charmed everybody.
Definitely.
I--well, she charmed me.
[Laughs]
[Engine revving]
Hope she has birth control
With her.
On the next episode of
The real world...
Eric's, like, a young male.
So it was like, the music
Goes, and I'm, like, ripping off
Her clothes.
[Provocative dance music]
♪
Check this out.
It's :, :, and I wake up,
And she's laying next to me.