IMHO: "Real World: Brooklyn" (Ep. 8) "Cleaning the House"

For a while I was on the fence with how to react towards JD.  I knew that he was simply like any normal human being, showing he has faults just like the rest of us, but I also thought there was not enough behind that to suggest he deserved our sympathies.  Then I saw this episode, and how completely evil and hateful the girls were towards him, and I was right back on the JD bandwagon.  I completely loved it when he flipped the fuck out on the table and was screaming amen when he ripped the phone out of Devyn's hands.  I knew there was some repressed anger in this man's past and it showed just how bad it can get.  Unfortunately, I think it only drove the wedge between the guys and girl even further.  At the very end of the episode they were going on some re-donkulous extended metaphor about what kind of boats they were, and ended with called JD a garbage truck...  Just catty and tasteless in my opinion.  I just want to give the boy a hug and tell him we'll be his new family!

JD and the guys in the house definitely tried to address the housecleaning discrepancies properly as adults at first, which was met with complete childishness from the women. I actually don't blame Scott for treating them like children and playing hide the car keys when the women basically stuck their fingers in their ears saying loudly "La La La La La... I can't hear you!" JD chose to escalate the situation only when it was apparent that Devyn and Katelynn had no intention of behaving like adults and taking responsibility for themselves. After JD smashed the table, ripped the phone out of the wall, and herded Devyn into the living room for the discussion like a border collie herding an errant sheep back into the flock, all I could do was shake my head when Devyn's response was "All you had to do was talk to me like an adult, and I'd have participated in the discussion." Uh, no, you little diva-in-your-own-mind, that wasn't all the guys had to do - because that's what they did at first, and you repeatedly declined to participate in any discussion. And the name-calling isn't helping your case at all. The only one of the women I felt for was Sarah, who, even with her sending mixed messages, was at least adult enough to participate the group meeting, and was rewarded by taking the brunt of all the frustration from the guys (which I'm sure they would have preferred to direct at Devyn and Katelynn,)

JD was definitely naive to think that he was going to find the family he's always wanted by participating in a reality show. He's intelligent enough to have known that the first rule for most reality shows is that the more conflict and angst there is, the more popular it will be with the audience. JD's apparent expectation of building friendships and solving problems like well-adjusted adults would probably have met with yawns from the audience, or intervention by the MTV people to create drama and spice things up.

Any previous season of THE REAL WORLD would have seen JD evicted from the house for his behavior. I have nothing against a good argument, but he has clear anger management issues he needs to work through

Had it been Ryan who would have broken the table or pulled out the phone - and God forbid he would have done it to Katelynn - all hell would have broken loose here and now you're acting like JD's some sort of gay hero??? 

Sorry to say, but of all the cast members, JD is by FAR the most disappointing one. Not counting Baya, cause she's not really there.

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The Gays Of Daytime

 Seriously? You're calling that redemptive? There is no way I would continue living in a house with someone who behaved in that way. That was abusive behaviour, pure and simple. Of course it inspired a calm discussion! The girls are in shock, and may quite rightly be terrified of JD. I would be. He's clearly both physically strong and temperamentally unstable. Once someone starts breaking furniture, people get scared.

 Yes, the girls were behaving like pigs, but that does not justify violence. Calling that violence 'acts of frustration' or 'exaggerated acts' is far too coy. JD was out of control, and it's irresponsible to glorify his domestic rage just because he's 'one of us'.

Just like a couple of billion of us, JD is a human being with flaws, with definite and understandable issues.

His frustration was completely justifided and while his actions in that particular time might have been too much, well they were and that is something he would have to work on, it was probably the shake up the house needed.

One thing that stood out for me was JDs statement that he found the personalities and actions of the women, I think; were exactly what he had to deal with his family and the women have been dismisive and a litle bit demining to JD, in part of his own doing, which I think would have added another layers to his frustration. I am not condoning his behaivor but I understand it and Im certainly not going to throw him under the bus for it. I dont think there where gorunds for eviction becuase it was never his intention to harm anybody, the show and JD would be better served by helping him deal with his anger.

I dont know about redemption, but when it comes to his actions in this episode, before the incident, Im afraid I would have to him kudos too. He tried to deal with the problems like a grown up, only to be met by childish snicker and to be called a child by it. He hit a wall every time he tried to do the right thing.

I dont think there where grounds for eviction because it was never his intention to harm anybody, the show and JD would be better served by helping him deal with his anger.

 

I'm completly on JD's side on this. Could you imagine living in a house with 4 messy roomates who ignore you or yell at you when you want to have a serious discussion. The girls frequently did it to Scott, chet and ryan. After he broke the table the girls FINALLY sat down and talked ot the guys calmy. It pretty sad that JD had to break a table to be taken seriously by them.They had been trying to tell them nicely to clean for quite some time.

When people are angry or have prolbems with others they confront them and talk. What the hell does one do when they other person ignores you, says they dont care about or compeltly blows you off?

And the most ironic part it they fought at around 3 AM and JD cleans up his mess before going to sleep. What the money on the girl having done the same?