The Real World is een Amerikaanse realityserie van de zender MTV. De serie ging in première op 21 mei 1992.
The Real World gaat over zeven verschillende vreemden die samen voor een aantal maanden in een huis wonen, waarbij camera's hun leven registreren. Ieder seizoen verhuist het programma naar een andere stad binnen de Verenigde Staten. De enige vier seizoenen die zich buiten de Verenigde Staten afspeelden, waren The Real World Londen, The Real World Parijs, The Real World Sydney en The Real World Cancun. De introductie wordt elk seizoen door de zeven of acht huisgenoten voorgelezen:
"This is the true story, of seven strangers, picked to live in a house, work together and have their lives taped, to find out what happens, when people stop being polite, and start getting real. The Real World."
The cast is challenged to The Real World/Road Rules Aqua Games Competition on a cold, rainy day at Lake Washington. Mark and Kit, from Road Rules 1, are hosting the games. The kids are competing for $3,000. In the first event, the Raft-O-Rama, the teams must build a raft and complete a course. Both teams end up cheating, and no points are awarded. Next event is Dueling Tubes, as they're dragged across the lake by a boat. It's Rebecca the ""sacrificial lamb"" vs. Kefla. The southern gentleman kicks her in the head and sends her flying. Next, David and Shayne battle on the open water, and David sends Shayne into the icy abyss. For the Blind-Folded Canoe, Chad and Susie face off against David and Lindsay. Blindfolded, the teams paddle out and retrieve inflatable animals, guided only by their teammates yelling from shore. The race is tight until Lindsay and David tip over. In Extreme Fishing, teams of three on jet skis head out onto the lake, scooping up silver and golden