The cast of season 21 of The Real World: Brooklyn
spotlight
RAGE: The filming of your lives is a 24-hour process and only the most colorful fraction is really inspired to go back to the show’s roots—not only taking it back to New York
deemed palatable for TV. How fairly do you feel you were portrayed from what you’ve seen but also with truly genuine people who had a story to tell. We were all survivors.
so far?
J.D.: So far so good. I mean, on the second episode, I obviously went out RAGE: Your approach to get Katelynn to open up to you was great.
drinking. I was fed up with the pranks. Yeah, your life is on camera, but the Real J.D.: There’s another thing I want to say. I did not out Katelynn by any means.
World house is your house! I was intoxicated in the privacy of my own home. I was She says this later on, but I did not out Katelyn. She outed herself. And you’ll see in
venting to Baya and making fun of the lady at the drugstore, but it was between the next episodes, she does a few things she shouldn’t have done. That’s when I
me and Baya. Obviously millions of people are going to watch, but it’s still a con- start not respecting Katelynn that much—because it had nothing to do with her
versation. After a few days, you don’t realize that the cameras are there. You’re not sexual orientation or her identity. It had everything to do with her personality.
even supposed to acknowledge their presence. And Chet, as he’s said himself, is And she and I weren’t as close as we were in the beginning. I just felt like she be-
an attention whore. And he’ll go to great lengths to get attention. He had to butt trayed me. It will divide the guys vs. the girls. I don’t like how the girls told her that
into every conversation. I’d had a few drinks and I finally let him have a piece of my I told the guys that she was transgender when it wasn’t me, it was her. How does
mind. And that’s just what it is. But it’s stuff that you can’t take too seriously. At the she expect for the rest of the house not to know when she would go out drinking
end of the day, like I said, we’re the best of friends. and introduce herself to people out on the streets, “Oh, I’m a hot tranny mess,” you
know? For her to say I didn’t have a soul and I betrayed her by telling people she
RAGE: Your adoring public wants to know if you’re seeing someone special at the moment. was transgender, it’s totally not true. Instead of her coming to me, she would talk
Seriously, people have demanded that I ask you! to the girls and the house ended up dividing. She’s a woman. She wanted to hang
J.D.: [laughter] No, I’m not. One thing that you have to understand is that I’ve just out more with the girls than with the guys. It’s weird, I really wanted to reach out to
spent 3,000 hours of my life on camera. When I got home and after the guys left…I her and she just pushed me away. I don’t know. She’s just Katelynn. I think she has
didn’t become a recluse, but I needed time alone. I’m a very independent person a lot more issues than just her being transgender. I think you’ll see that later on.
and [The Real World] was nonstop, 24/7 being around people. It’s not just you and
seven other roommates. It’s you, your roommates and 80 million people who are RAGE: I’m sorry that didn’t work out better.
watching the show…and the production crew walking around with cameras, J.D.: That’s okay.
audio people, the producers… It’s very intense. I kind of wanted to be by myself.
RAGE: How crazy did things get with alcohol thrown into the equation?
RAGE: I remember that one of the first things you said about yourself was that some might J.D.: I think we all had times when we drank too much. You have to understand,
think you’re “a little arrogant.” Why is that? there’s nothing to do in that Real World house. None of us are alcoholics by any
J.D.: I think it’s because I’m extremely young and confident. You don’t usually means, but we went out at least two or three times a week because there’s no tele-
find that in someone so young. Sometimes that rubs people the wrong way and vision. There’s nothing to do. There’s not a single person in that house—except
they think I’m arrogant, but I’m not. As you saw in the first episode, I’m a very Chet—who didn’t get intoxicated. In four months, there is going to be a time
emotional, genuine person. when everybody has too much to drink. Nothing too crazy happened. The pranks,
I’ll tell ya, get way out of hand. Much worse than what you’ve seen. It’s gonna go
RAGE: You’ve also said that at age 22, you didn’t know who you were. Has this experience down in history. And that’s the thing. I don’t like being pranked. But I get to the
given you a clue as to who you’d like to become? point where I can’t take it anymore and I finally start pranking people. (laughter)
J.D.: I knew who I was, but you continue to develop as a person. I mean, at 22, And my pranks are not simple innocent pranks!
you’re not going to know who you are. At 30 you’re not going to know who you
are. At 40… life is an on-going thing and you learn from it, you change. Among RAGE: Your fan base is notably large here in San Diego, being that you’re openly gay and
the other roommates, I was really the only one with an established career, the Latino. What advice can you offer young guys who are in the difficult position of coming out
only person with a college degree. I love what I do for a living. I love training to a family with old-fashioned values?
whales and dolphins. I’m living my childhood dream, my bliss. I don’t think I’ve J.D.: There’s help. Get help. Just go out and be yourself. I’ve written blogs about
fulfilled my potential in life, but I would like to motivate young people. I’ve gotten it too. They’re on
MTV.com.
thousands and thousands of e-mails on MySpace, that I’ve inspired these kids to
come out. I had one kid who was 17 years old from South Dakota who said, “you RAGE: Thank you so much J.D.
gave me the inspiration to move out of my parents’ house and go get my GED.” J.D.: You’re welcome!
That’s why I did this experience. I think this season is amazing because they were
46 RAGE monthly | FEBRUARY 2009
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