By cramming seven strangers of such diverse backgrounds into one house for weeks on end, and going so far as to catch all of the drama on film, the producers of MTV’s “The Real World” were just asking for trouble.

“The Real World,” currently holding open auditions for its 19th season, first aired in 1992. But what is it that attracted so many teens and young adults to the new concept of reality TV? Perhaps it is that “The Real World” and other shows like it are rooted in the one thing they never thought television would be able to correctly capture: reality.

Life comes in every shape and color imaginable; it’s only natural that people and their preferences are just as diverse.

For freshman Rachel Chasteen, it’s imperative that a show appeal to its viewers. “It’s fun to see the life experiences of others and how they handle themselves,” she said.

Chasteen added that, after seeing real people doing real things like breaking up with boyfriends or getting in trouble with their parents, she can use their experiences when she finds herself in similar situations. She sometimes thinks to herself, “What would they do?”

"Big Brother" Controversy

Still, the reality of life comes with heavy spoonfuls of controversy. In a recent scandal on the British reality show “Big Brother,” housemates Jade Goody, Danielle Lloyd and Jo O’Meara were the cause of thousands of complaints about racism.

The three women continually insulted an Indian housemate, Shilpa Shetty, by harassing her with their Indian stereotypes.

They refused to call her by her name, and instead called her “the Indian” or “Poppadom.”

Both O’Meara and Goode were evicted from the show, and viewers expressed their disapproval of the blatant racism by voting Shetty the winner of season six.

Producers' Motives

Most reality shows thrive on grouping diverse individuals together and having them discover for themselves their predisposed opinions about the other members. On every show, as in real life, there are those willing to accept change and those adamantly sticking to their old ways.

When producers create a movie or show, they concentrate on the audience who will be watching it: their beliefs and their probable responses to it. They tend to target larger audiences that will provide better ratings and a larger profit margin.

“During the day, you only see soap operas and toddler shows because the only people home are moms, elderly people and toddlers,” sociology teacher Brenda Scott said.

By using time to their advantage, Scott said, producers are able to get accurate reactions from their audiences.

However, Scott suggested that one of the best ways to ensure that viewers enjoy the end product is to use an actor with previous experience.

“People who’ve seen Will Ferrell in ‘Talladega Nights,’” she said, “will probably go see another movie he’s acted in.”

On the other hand, Scott added that this could also backfire if it is not done correctly.

“No one would go see a serious movie with Will Ferrell because after seeing his other movies, they probably wouldn’t believe he could be serious.”

Shows like “Black.White.,” which premiered on March 8, 2006, offer a different take on the usual target audiences. “Black.White.” swaps two families of opposite races, and through much makeup and artistry, hopes to reveal the still existent boundaries between blacks and whites.

“They swap races,” an AP story on the MSNBC Web site noted, “if not perspectives.”

Recent Movies

The recently released movie featuring Oscar-winning actress Hillary Swank, “Freedom Writers,” centers around a first-year high-school teacher, Erin Gruwell. Gruwell is given a class with students classified as “at risk and un-teachable” and introduces them to the works of Anne Frank to teach them about tolerance.

Gruwell requests that the students keep diaries of their lives and is shocked at the kinds of lives they lead. Together, they fight to overcome the labels given to them by society.

Television and movie entertainment has evolved from the eternally perfect outcome of the sitcom family and “Mary Poppins” to the perils of real life. “Dreamgirls” character Effie White said it best: “It’s about people paying their dues.”