Andy Vs. The Real World

Infobox Mission Hill episode
episode_name = Andy vs. the Real World
episode_no = 4
aired_as = 9
Alt. Title = The Big-Ass Viacom Lawsuit


prod_code = S01E04
airdate = June 9, 2000
writer = Ben Kull
director = Christian Roman

"Andy Vs. The Real World" (or "The Big-Ass Viacom Lawsuit") was the fourth produced episode of "Mission Hill" (though it was the ninth to air). It originally aired on June 9, 2000. It was written by Ben Kull.

Plot summary

Kevin finds a box containing footage of MTV's "The Real World" during the show's Mission Hill season. The tenants of the apartment building watch gleefully as Andy embarrassingly recalls his distressing time on the show.

Initially making fun of the show and vowing to destroy it, the producers of the show ask Andy to join the cast after their previous "charismatic troublemaker" is injured. Andy agrees to join the show, thinking he can sabotage it from the inside and thwart the corporate take-over of his beloved Mission Hill, but he underestimates the seductive power of the MTV lifestyle. Soon, Andy's attitude changes dramatically and he transforms into another over-dramatic and whiny member of the MTV program. He loses the respect of his friends, including his closest drinking buddy Jim.

Andy's time on the show soon becomes depressing and he secretly begs for help from his friends. Jim receives Andy's message and organizes Andy's breakout from the "Real World" house. The mission is successfully conducted and Andy returns home a humbler man.

Parody of "The Real World"

While the entire episode is a satirical take on the dubious authenticity and overly melodramatic nature of "The Real World", several of the housemates in the "Mission Hill" parody are instantly recognizable as caricatures of their real-life counterparts:

*Leeann: This whiny, ditzy Asian-American girl with a shallow Valley Girl persona is almost certainly intended as a send-up of Janet Choi from ', which was broadcast in 1998, about a year before this episode was initially scheduled to air (due to the show's poor ratings, it was not shown until June 2000). Leeann's blond highlights also bring to mind the red-streaked hair of Pam Ling from ' (1994). Unlike Janet or the fictional character of Leeann, though, Pam exuded a serious, mature attitude, so the resemblance is only superficial.

*Earnest: This philosophical and articulate African-American hipster with a Rastafarian hat is an obvious spoof of Mohammed Bilal from "". Like Mohammed, Earnest is portrayed as calm, open-minded, and respectful of others' opinions but is not hesitant to voice his thoughts when another housemate is out of line. For instance, when Andy bounces a ball off of the wall in the MTV loft apartment, Earnest’s voice can be heard through the wall calmly (but forcefully) saying, “That’s disrespectful, man!”

*Clint: This young, naïve, blond cowboy is a clear reference to Jon Brennan of "" (1993). Like Jon, the character of Clint wears a denim button-down shirt, a cowboy hat, and speaks with a Southern twang. And as was the case with Janet Choi and Mohammed Bilal, Jon Brennan was probably lampooned by the "Mission Hill" creators due to his instant recognizability to viewers of "The Real World".

*Dakota: It is not clear who this self-centered and hypersensitive Caucasian girl with bangs and a ponytail is supposed to spoof, but one possibility is Beth Stolarczyk from "", who also wore bangs and exhibited some of the same personality traits, although it should be mentioned that Beth was a blonde rather than a redhead. It is also conceivable that the creators of "Mission Hill" intended for Dakota to be a composite sketch of several overly dramatic and egocentric female castmates who appeared during the eight seasons of "The Real World" that preceded this episode of "Mission Hill".

*The “charismatic troublemaker” with blond spiky hair who is replaced by Andy resembles Neil Forrester from "" (1995). Neil was a sarcastic, intellectual rebel and the lead singer of a punk band. During one of his performances, he responded to a heckler in the audience by French kissing him, resulting in part of his tongue getting bitten off. The scene in which Neil is carted into an ambulance and then rushed to a hospital is parodied in "Mission Hill" when the charismatic troublemaker is hit by a bus, placed on a stretcher, and then taken away in an ambulance.

* This episode also parodies David “Puck” Rainey from "". After the MTV executive tells Andy that being on "The Real World" will "be a steppingstone to a career in the entertainment industry", she turns to her gofer, Puck, who hands her a cup of coffee. The joke is that this "steppingstone" has led to nothing more than a low-level menial job for Puck, who was infamous as the "charismatic troublemaker" during his time on "The Real World" but apparently has not been able to parlay his notoriety into a successful career in the industry.

Music

*"Ape Self Prevails in Me Still" by Quasi is played during the montage of MTV interrupting the lives of the Mission Hill residents.
*"Everybody Hurts" by R.E.M. is played when the roommate from "The Real World" is taken away in an ambulance. It is also sung by the show's cast at the end of the episode.
*"Begin" by Lambchop is played as Andy, now a cast member, walks into the house to the rest of the cast talking about their feelings.
*"Who's Afraid of Elizabeth Taylor" by Joan of Arc was playing as Andy was in the confessional booth. You really can't hear it playing but it's there.

Trivia

*The alternate title alludes to MTV forcing the series name-change from "The Downtowners" to "Mission Hill" after it was discovered that MTV (which is owned by Viacom) was airing a show with a similar title called "Downtown".
*The DVD release of "Mission Hill" replaces much of its originally licensed music, including "Everybody Hurts" featured in this episode. However, at the end of the episode, the characters burst into a second rendition of the song, making the scene seem a bit out of place.