And start getting real...

I suppose I come to this table with mixed feelings... I am a life-long resident of the District, and have witnessed first hand an almost unimaginable metamorphosis of commercial-development, racial-tolerance, and a whole host of other hyphenated trends that allow me to wander around outside without fear of arrest, theft of belongings, or an otherwise untimely demise.

And, full-disclosure, I have in the past been quite a fan of The Real World: Wherever. The first handful of seasons reinforced the values my family tried so hard to instill... People can meaningfully cohabitate, in spite of vast differences of opinion. Ethnic, religious, and gender "differences" exist only in so much as you allow them to.

In the same vein, I have also watched the insidious grasp gentrification has on a city that was formerly untouched by such things outside of Georgetown, and The Hill. The big boxes moved in, and entire families moved out... or worse, were forced out. I have waited decades to be proud of the District for reasons other than sprawling Monuments and parks named after dead people. We finally have the development, and lost the soul. And I'm still not proud.

So learning that TRW is coming to the District now, as opposed to even a decade ago, is quite fitting - if not just another nail in a coffin. The show hasn't been socially meaningful in at least that long, and seems quite content continuing to video-edit its way toward and beyond status quo. As much can be said for the District, which abandoned its citizens in a flurry of commercial acquisitions and tourism initiatives that seem to exist only to assure visitors that, "We don't shoot people anymore, I promise." So, rest assured residents of 2000 S St. NW, we don't shoot people anymore, we promise.