This is the true story

It started with a loft in SoHo. There was an aspiring female rapper, a chiseled model, a southern charmer. But soon there was an AIDS patient in San Francisco, a menage-a-trois in Miami, an alcoholic in Hawaii, a wide-eyed Mormon in New Orleans, a casino penthouse in Vegas and a dare-devil spin-off touching all corners of the world. It sounds a bit extraordinary, but for a generation of MTV watchers it has been nothing but "The Real World."

 The show, along with sister "Road Rules," two years its younger, has marked our generation in a special way. It wasn't just the first reality TV show on the air--it was an unlikely introduction to outrageous and beautiful people, alternative lifestyles and, above all, youth.

 And there's no more telling sign of the show's impact than the sheer number of applicants who make their way to the open casting calls held by MTV all over the country several times a year. This past Saturday the casting crew made its way to Gillian's, a popular sports bar and night spot in downtown Raleigh near N.C. State for its latest foray into the Triangle area. Casting for the "Real World 15" and "Road Rules 13" (both with undisclosed locations) took place for seven arduous hours as hundreds of 18-24 year olds put themselves on the line. Senior Devin Finn wasn't surprised by the make-up of the aspiring reality stars. "Everyone was trying to dominate, to get a moment in the spotlight, playing their stereotyped role," she said. "I played the role of the Catholic school girl."

 The calls, which consist of a 1-page written application and a group interview, turn out between 12,000 and 15,000 auditioners each year, according to Casting Producer Sasha Alpert. Just two years ago, the open casting call made it as close to Duke as Brightleaf Square. The nearby location brought out a vast number of Duke students, many of whom advanced on to the next rounds. Bronwin Dickey, who graduated this past Spring, made it to the final round of 20, where she was flown out to Los Angeles for a final round of questioning; she eventually declined a fill-in spot on Road Rules: Campus Crawl.

 The shows, which look for a diverse cast to fill a variety of demographic niches, feature a wide array of characters. Still, when casting, producers look for certain types or individuals who, according to Alpert, "can't help but be themselves.

 "We always get people from casting calls, we really do. That's the best way to cast, to go out there," she said. "You look for people with a strong point of view who are very much themselves, not putting on a front... that is hard, but we hope we're right."