
Between giving back and blacking out, Real World New Orleans cast member McKenzie Coburn gave us viewers some unforgettable moments throughout her three month journey with seven other roommates. From the first night in the house, tensions were high and the drama level was even higher. Arriving in New Orleans just in time for Mardi Gras, the bar is set high for partying and the cast does not disappoint. Two years after we were introduced to the fun loving Florida girl, I had the chance to get in touch with McKenzie and see what she’s up to now and to reminisce about her time in the nola, baby.

What made you want to become a part of The Real World?
I think The Real World is a show that a lot of people watch and think “that could totally be me” or “that would be a blast” . I didn’t really put much thought into it before I applied, I was just looking for an adventure

Did you go to an open casting or send in a video? What did you think of the casting process and can you tell us a little bit about how it worked?
I was laying hungover in bed one random afternoon watching MTV and they said “If you want to be a part of the Real World, apply online!” So I copied and pasted my FB info and was later emailed a VIP pass to an open casting 3hrs away. I thought that was pretty exciting until I got to the casting and realized a lot of people had VIP passes, but it still helped a lot! There were people who had been waiting in line since 8am but I got to go right in. Not gonna lie though, I did take a few shots of Jack before my interview to help make me more comfortable.
How long after the casting did you know you were going to be a part of the show?
It was such a quick process. My first interview was in October and I knew by December. I barely had time to think about what I was getting myself into!

What did you think when you learned you were going to be living in New Orleans? Had you ever visited there before?
I was SOO excited! I had been to Bourbon Street once before on a Fraternity Formal and it was a blast so I had good thoughts of Nola already. I had wanted to go when Hurricane Katrina happened my Junior year of High school but hadn’t been able to so I was looking forward to being able to help out with all that. Also, I had JUST turned 21 so I was definitely ready to party.

First impressions of your roommates?
Knight: nervous.. his palms were so sweaty lol.
Jemmye: southern.. her accent is definitely the first thing you notice when you meet her
Preston: FUN.. he was wearing a purple sparkle bow tie and had a great attitude
Eric: Smooth.. his voice, his eyes, his skin
Ashley: TWIN.. we were the same height, same lip size, etc
Sahar: Beautiful.. She was so pretty and seemed a little overwhelmed so I stole her as my roommate
Ryan: Cute.. not gonna lie!! I thought he was pretty cute at first

Knight was the first person you met, did that in any way bond you to him in a different way than the other roomies?
I felt more comfortable around him at first but other than that not really..

Did you expect there to be so much drama between the roomies starting the first night?
Ah no!! I didnt expect most of the drama! I literally said the first day “we are all gonna be best friends!” because thats what I thought the experience would be like.. and it definitely was not.

At one point you tell a story about when you were a gypsy. That was hilarious and really freaked Ryan out. How did the gypsy story come about? How true was the story you told?
I made it up out of thin air to mess with him and be funny. He is pretty gullible but at the same time you really know nothing about your roommates - you’re just kind of learning as you go.

Early on in the season you addressed the fact you have a tendency to black out when drinking. Did that happen a lot during those 3 months? If so, was there anything you saw while watching that you didn’t actually remember happening?
Oh yeah.. I know there are lots of moments I don’t remember during those 3 months, luckily most of them didn’t make it onto TV! After the superbowl when Preston and I were arguing and when I got back to the house and was eating frozen vegetables (and talking non-sense) was the main blackout moment. Making out with Grant all over the house was pretty surprising to see also. I really tried not to blackout while there because I wanted to be accountable for my actions and it was an issue I’d been working on since before the show but its something I just cant help.

Can you tell us how your alter ego ‘Mary’ came about?
Mary is my first name (Mary McKenzie) I have no idea how Preston came up with calling me it as my drunk name! At first it would piss me off because they’d use it as a bad thing, but then it became funny and now people randomly call me it all the time when I’ve been drinking.

Now for the ‘question of the year’— what is wrong with Ryan? What was it like living with him? Was it as bad/awkward as it seemed? We saw him blow dry himself/touch earlobes/cuddle with everyone, was there any other weird things he did that they didn’t show?
The blow drying was probably the oddest thing. Sahar and I would just randomly hear him turn it on when we were sleeping at night..lol. Also the way he treated me was weird, one second we’d be acting really immature together singing in the back seat and acting funny and the next second he’d be soo mean to me, calling me stupid and putting me down. I didn’t understand him at all, he was definitely the most secretive of the roommates. He’d sleep til 2pm then ride his longboard around new orleans and never want to hangout with us.

What was your favorite part of the experience?
Being on the float for Mardi Gras! It was incredible. Being there for the superbowl was a close second though. Finishing our main Habitat for Humanity house was huge for me. Also, when Eric had his friends in town we had a great time celebrating St Patricks Day and going down to Frenchman for the music and then after partying at our house singing and playing the guitar.


Who did you get closest to during those three months?
Its hard to say because I had a different type of relationship with all of them. Sahar was my roommate and like a sister, but like sisters we would FIGHT! I got really close with Eric and Knight because we would do Habitat together everyday so we spent a lot more time together. And then Jemmye and I were party buddies.

Was there anything that you did that during the experience that you wish you hadn’t when watching it back?
I called my friends and family out by saying “they all black out, its something we all do” and they got some shit for me saying that, whoops!

Was there anything that happened during the three months you wish they would have showed more of?
I wish they’d showed more of Ryan being crazy so people wouldve understood better why we kicked him out and I wish they wouldve showed more of us volunteering because thats really what filled our days while we were there.

Did the editing of the show do justice to the experience?
Hmm.. kind of. There was definitely A LOT A LOT more drama then they showed. It was literally every day and every night. Also, people were constantly talking shit about eachother and lying to eachother. But for the most part the editing was on point.

How did your relationship with Grant continue after the show?
Grant and I stayed together a whole year doing long distance and it was a great relationship. He was someone I really needed in my life because he understood what I was going through when the show was airing and when I was dealing with my roommates and criticisms and traveling. He is an amazing person and we are still close, we just couldnt keep doing the distance.
Have you been back to New Orleans a lot since filming wrapped?
I was going back to New Orleans once a month to see Grant and to see the city for almost a year. It had truly captured my heart and I wasn’t ready to let it go. when the filming ended I actually stayed a whole week after and went to Jazz fest and saw more of the city I couldn’t see with the cameras around.

Are you watching the newest season of Real World? What do you think about it if you are?
I watched about half of Vegas and it looked insane - not sure I couldve handled it! I only saw the first two San Diego but I think I would have LOVED it! the cast and the house look amazing.

Are you still living in Florida? What have you been up to since your Real World experience? You were studying psychology in school, are you doing anything with that now?
I graduated on time with my Bachelors in Science and was really proud of myself. I’m now taking a year off before getting my Masters so I’m back in Jupiter just living the good life! I plan on getting my Masters in Developmental/Child Psych and working with children.

You are in a sorority (I am as well) do you think you could tell a little bit about what greek life means to you? Sororities/Fraternities can really get a bad rep and its always nice to hear the positive about being a part of the greek system.
Deciding to do the show was a really scary decision. I didnt know how it would go, what they would show, or how I’d be judged, but I knew no matter what I would have my sorority sisters there to support me and love me regardless. It sounds cheesy but its true. Being in a sorority means always having someone there no matter what time of day or night. I always knew someone in my classes and had people to study with and at the same time I always knew the bartenders and had people to party with. When I was in a long distance relationship there was about 10 other girls in my sorority going through the same thing and when we broke up I had girls who understood what I was going through. We were all very different so we were able to learn from each other but we still could find similarities to keep us bonded together. I would recommend a sorority to every single girl going to college. It made my 4 years as amazing as they were.


How would you say your life changed from being on a reality show?
My life is the same as before I went on but I have changed and grown as a person.

If given the opportunity would you be a part of another reality show? If you had to pick one that is currently on (Survivor, Real World, Big Brother, etc.) which would you choose?
I would definitely do it again because I understand it so much better now, I would actually know what I was getting myself into! I would love to do the Amazing Race because they get to experience such amazing things.

To keep up with McKenzie follow her on twitter @McKenzieCoburn or on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100001188687452

I’ve always been a huge fan of reality TV. From Real World to Big Brother and a lot in between I have always found something so fascinating about connecting with a person you see on TV and watching them grow or watching them as their life unfolds week after week. Tough Love was a show I was immediately drawn to. A show which revolved around girls who had issues when it came to relationships? Perfect! I thought if nothing else, maybe I’d learn a thing or two that could help me in future relationships. I loved every minute of season one and my college roommates and I were beyond excited when we heard it would be back for a second season. When the season kicked off I immediately liked Angel. She had some pretty rad tattoos and piercings with a personality to match, and as I got to see her throughout the season I realized I could relate to her on a personal level as well. We saw her grow from the weakest participant in the first challenge to the challenge winner in episode four. And by the end of the season Angel really seemed to come around full circle. So for all my fellow Tough Love fans I got the chance to ask Angel some questions about her life and relationships now. I hope you enjoy, as much as I did, hearing about how Angel came to be on the show, what she took away from it, and how Miss Closed off will be getting a new last name very soon!

What was the casting process like to become a part of Tough Love?
Casting for me was really strange. I wrote an essay and sent in a few pictures one night, just out of pure boredom and internet browsing. The next day, I got a phone call asking if I could come to Miami (I’m from Ohio) for a second round casting. All the other cities had already held castings so this was my only option. The next week, I flew to Miami and participated in a “group audition” with about 200 other girls. The casting agents walked around and spent about 52 seconds with each girl and at the end about 20 girls from the Miami casting were asked to stay another day and do an on-camera interview, so they could see how you look and interact on camera. After that I flew back to Ohio and kind of just forgot about the whole thing! I hadn’t heard anything back for over two months. Then one day I was shopping and got a phone call from a casting agent asking if I could pack for two months and be on a plane to Los Angeles by morning. I assumed at that point, since I was packing, I had made the show. When I got there I was thrown into high class lock down! I was put in a hotel room, with no key, so I couldn’t leave the room. I was told there was a girl on each floor of the hotel and we were to have zero contact with any of them, we couldn’t even look at each other! Any time we wanted to lay outside by the pool or go to the hotel gym, we would have to call a room and someone would come escort us and stay with us until we wanted to go back to our rooms. It was so crazy! They had walkie talkies and they would talk to the other people like “A is entering the pool area, hold L in elevator for 5 minutes until clear!” So later I found out that they had 16 girls in the hotel and they were still casting! Some of the girls (who had packed for 2 months) would be sent home! They kept us in the hotel for a week (sadly, my birthday week). They took our phones and computers…they even took my iPod because it had internet access. Finally, after doing a week’s worth of interviews and watching A LOT of television, I was told I had made the show and my adventure had (finally) begun.

Did the editing of the show do justice to the experience? Was there a lot that they didn’t show? Was being on the “hot seat” as uncomfortable as it seemed?
The editing process is interesting and really they only do it to develop story lines faster and to make it more understandable to audiences. I remember a couple times, watching the show back, I would hear myself commenting on something or someone and would realize that that comment was pulled from a totally different topic!
There was a lot of mischief that didn’t make the show…we played a lot of pranks on each other and Alicia and I would stay up EVERY NIGHT and do our own talk show to the confessional cameras, we called it AA Late Night. I remember once Alicia spent, like, 20 minutes preparing this beautiful salad, as SOON as she put it on the table, Liz and I grabbed the bowl and the whole kitchen broke out into a food fight. I grabbed a bottle of ranch and poured it over Liz’s head…we would try and hide with food and get each other unexpectedly but with 20 cameras on you and an audio man running right behind, it’s hard to pull off pranks. I wish they would have showed more of those days.
Being on the hot seat is reallllllly uncomfortable. You want so badly to make Steve proud and he is so intense when you let him down! He really goes there. A lot of times even before group, we would come down the steps and he would comment on our outfits or tell us if our makeup was too heavy. Gotta love Steve though! He’s always right!

How did your relationship with Adam continue after the show?
Adam and I had something really special but I think the thing that bonded us so much on the show was the same stuff great friendships are made out of. We were really silly and just wanted to have as much fun as we could and really take advantage of the whole experience. After the show was no different, it was more of a friendship. And in all actuality, I still lived in Ohio and he lived in LA. Even when I moved to California with Liz, I was in San Diego and that is a pretty long distance to be seriously dating from.

Are you currently dating anybody, if so do you still use advice that you got from the show to improve your relationship?
I am currently engaged! I can honestly say I took everything Steve said to heart! I was a mess before boot camp. Things in my past relationship and my lifestyle at the time had just really put me in a bad state of mind. I learned a lot about how to deal with those issues and really open up to someone. My fiancé is such an amazing man and I know he wouldn’t have put up with me pre-show. He demands respect and gives me the same treatment. Every quality Steve and JoAnn told me to look for in a man, I have found in Brandon. I’m not, by any means, saying I’m some sort of super-woman now, I very much still have flaws, but I think Steve gave me the foundation I needed to mold myself into someone I can be proud of.

Do you have any contact with the other girls from your season?
I keep in touch with most of them via facebook and phone. I lived with Liz in San Diego for a year, I have visited Alicia in Chicago and Sally has come to visit me in Ohio. The only person I have zero contact with is Taylor.

Where are you living and working now?
I live now in the same town (Hartville, Ohio) where I went to High School and am working in the same building! I work for the YMCA as a teen director. I have a core group of middle school and high school teens and our program is designed to mold them into strong leaders. I create programs and volunteer opportunities for them within the community and also take them on fun camp like experiences with other organizations.

What is your relationship like with your parents and your son Tucker?
My family is extremely close and Tucker has a strong bond with my parents. He is also incredibly attached to my fiancé, which always warms the heart I try and instill a strong sense of family values in Tucker, because at the end of the day, your family really is the most important. He has no knowledge of his mother and father ever being happy or even casually in the same room together, so creating the most stable home life for him is my number one priority.

Any big plans for the holiday coming up?
Not really! I just want to spend as much time with my family as I can and really just enjoy the season. Brandon and I had originally planned on getting married over the holidays but just didn’t plan as quickly as we should have! I want everything to be perfect and I don’t want to stress over it either. I just want to enjoy the whole process and right now it’s just being engaged!

How would you say your life changed from being on a reality show?
I feel like the biggest change has been having the chance to tell my story to a bigger audience! I can’t even explain how amazing it is to have girls write to me and tell me how my journey on the show has given them courage or inspiration. I have made a lot of mistakes. A lot. Helping other girls through my own mistakes and life battles makes it seem worth going through everything I’ve been through. The weirdest thing that has changed, however, has to be having complete strangers come up to me and talk about such personal things! But I wouldn’t change a thing!

If given the opportunity would you be a part of another reality show? If you had to pick one that is currently on which would you choose?
I really want to do Big Brother, it’s my favorite show!

**To keep up with Angel be sure to follow her on twitter at @VH1Angel**

Since were talking tween drama here, what better than to quote a tween movie. Cue in A Cinderella Story.. “You’re not very pretty, and you’re not very bright.” Those exact words need to be said to Mariah Yeater, the fame whore, I mean girl, who is relentlessly claiming that Justin Bieber is the father of her baby. Mariah claims that she stole little Biebs V-card in a bathroom after one of his concerts last year. Now wait a minute, not only is Mariah trying to tarnish JB’s reputation she has now also given false hope to every Belieber that someday they too may get a chance moan ‘baby, baby, baby’ to Justin while they get freaky after a show. This whole story just isn’t right. For now, Justin tweets that he is going to ‘ignore the rumors and focus on what is real’. And I think everyone else should do the same because if Justin honestly gave that girl the time of day, then hell, never say never just got a whole new meaning!

A mere seventy two days into the marriage that was being referred to as the ‘royal event of the US’, Kim Kardashian has filed for divorce from husband Kris Humphries citing irreconcilable differences. Kim and Kris began their whirlwind romance in late 2010, announced their engagement in May, and wed on August 20th. Kim issued a statement saying ‘“I hope everyone understands this was not an easy decision. I had hoped this marriage was forever but sometimes things don’t work out as planned.” Kris, playing up the victim role to TMZ said “I love my wife and am devastated to learn she filed for divorce … I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make it work.” Judging by those two statements, this divorce is looking like its going to be a little bit messy and perhaps over the top. But then again, when has anything a Kardashian done been low key? The next few weeks are sure to bring out more details regarding the divorce and I have a feeling E! cameras will be around to catch every moment of it. For now, I’ll giggle every time I see the Kardashian ‘fairytale wedding’ event being replayed and cringe in slight jealousy that those two are still being paid for the wedding that ended in anything but happily ever after.
Oh hey there Justin, whatcha got there in your hands?

Thoughts and prayers go out to one of my favorite TV personalities today, Giuliana Rancic, as this morning she revealed that she is in the early stages of breast cancer. For all Giuliana fans, we wait paitently for the 37 year old to reveal that her long struggle with becoming pregnant has ended, but on the Today Show her announcement was something completely unexpected. Giuliana found out about the breast cancer after her doctor insisted that she get a mammogram before going through with her third round of IVF treatments as pregnancy could accelerate the cancer. G went on to say “I will be okay, because I found it early. I’m doing surgery this coming week, and then I go to radiation for six and a half weeks.” And as for her always supporting husband Bill, she said “Bill is unbelievable,” “He lets me cry when I want to cry. He just lets me feel what I want to feel.” So with this recent news does that mean that baby plans are off? Not so fast. The two are not ready to throw the towel in yet and will continue to try and conceive once G’s medical issues are resolved. “I’m not gonna give up,” she said. When she does get pregnant, “That baby will have saved my life, there’s some master plan. Now I know that [God] was looking out for me.”

Teen mom, Farrah has been struggling with the decision whether to bring her daughter Sophia with her to her dream college in Florida or whether she should leave her back home in Iowa with her mother, Sophias grandmother, Debra. We saw an emotional Farrah in the last episode of Teen Mom when she was speaking to her mom about what would be best for her daughter and their lives in the long run. Well, it looks as if she made her decision and it is to leave baby Sophia at home while she travels to Florida to pursue her culinary dreams. Farrah says “I want her [Sophia’s grandmother] to be there for Sophia when I need to take care of my responsibilities,” . “[Such as] my education and earning an income for both of us.”
This couldn’t have been as easy decision for Farrah, but I think that she’s right in not uprooting her daughter completely. And as crazy as we’ve seen Debra shes never acted towards Sophia in any way other than loving so she will obviously be very well taken care of. And with those huge paychecks Teen Mom’s recieve I don’t think that traveling back and forth to visit her daughter will be any huge dent in her bank account. Best of luck to both of them!


It was a summer full of lying, crying, backstabbing, hooking up, and enough drama to last a lifetime (or at least two hours every week). This reality show proved that you don’t need to use an entire bottle of hair gel or fake tan until your practically the color of a tiger to hold your own in the ratings. Bachelor Pad returned for a second season and instantly became a summer favorite. Right off the bat Jake and Vienna tension consumed the infamous bachelor mansion.

Following close behind was the awkward sadness that was Michael and Holly caught in between a relationship and moving on with their lives.

Insert Melissa who cried enough tears to flood a small town and Erica who’s commentary and straight forward “I get what I want” attitude, both of which had me laughing out loud more times than I can count, and we’re already set for reality gold.


The season had its ups (Ames chasing after his new found love Jackie when she was eliminated) and downs (Poor Michael who had to watch his ex-finace fall in love with another man Blake) and I loved every minute of it. In the end it came down to Michelle and Graham versus Holly and Michael.


I would have been happy to see either of the two teams win, but in the end one of my new favorite reality stars Holly Durst and her beyond loveable ex-fiance Michael Stagliano took home the cash! They both chose to ‘share’ the money and walked away with $125,000 each. Oh, and did I mention Holly is taking that $125,000 back to her new home with fellow contestant and very controversial man in the house BLAKE! Yes, the two announced their engagement tonight on the reunion show of Bachelor Pad and in true Bachelor style the proposal was recorded and sealed with a Neil Lane diamond ring.

But it didn’t end there because immediately after we saw the proposal poor Michael found out from Holly in front of a live studio audience and the rest of America watching that the girl he wanted to spend the rest of his life with is now engaged to another man. Talk about heart wrenching! Somehow though I don’t see Michael being single for too long, he is a prize catch and has a heart of gold. Anyone who would still choose to share $250,000 with an ex-finace who just crushed their heart is good in my book! So now that the summer has come to an end we’re going to have to take a short hiatus off from the bachelor world. But no worries, the drama will resume on January 2nd starring the new bachelor Ben F. who got down on one knee and proposed to last seasons bachelorette Ashley Herbert only be rejected. Heres hoping that this time around Ben will find love, and if he doesnt, I feel Bachelor Pad season 3 calling his name!


Well, well, it looks like Nina Dobrev forgot to wear her vervain and let smoking hot vampire Ian Somerhalder into her head and heart! The two who have been trying to keep their romance as secret as the vampires keep their true identity to Mystic Falls, are finally speaking out about their relationship of more than a year. Ian said there’s “a milliion things” he loves about Nina at the CW’s Fall Premiere Party. “She truly enjoys life,” he continued “Her desire to experience and appreciate everything around her, and chuckle and enjoy it, is great.” But Nina didn’t let him do all the gushing, she added in “He always has a positive outlook and positive energy, and he’s always happy, he is a glass-half-full kind of guy, not half-empty.”
“I think that when you have intense feelings for someone, especially at that age, there are always embers that remain, just waiting for a whisper of oxygen to spark things again.” -Mark Schwahn
The VMA’s never fail to have some sort of crazy happen during them. Brit Brit’s awful ‘comeback’ performance a few years back, Kanye interrupting Taylor, and this year..GaGa’s alter ego Jo Calderone was out in full force and frankly creeping the shit out of me. The show opened to some tiny dark haired man walking with a swagger and taking drags off of a cigarette. I honest to God had no idea this ‘man’ was Lady GaGa until ‘he’ started talking. I then gave a wtf look at my tv and continued watching intrigued and freaked out. I’m sorry but this Jo character is weird as hell in my opinion. I understand Lady GaGa is SO different and unique and artsy..blah blah..whatever..I’m just not jumping on the alter ego train.

And if seeing the man version of Lady GaGa all night wasn’t weird enough..lets add in Nicki Minaj and Katy Perrys outfits and we reached another level of strange. To start..lets talk about Nicki..what the hell was she wearing?

For one, I couldn’t hear a word of her black carpet interview because of that stupid doctors mask that she was wearing. Since when did wearing medical peices become fashionable? I guess I missed that memo. And is it just me or did it look like she was wearing the Aggro Crag from Nickelodeons ‘GUTS’. Oh, and can’t forget the stuffed animal creature she had dragging behind her all night. #hotmess

And then we have Katy Perry who was sporting a large lego on her head. When she had to walk onto the stage to accept her award I was just waiting for that thing to fall off and squish poor little Justin Bieber. Maybe I just dont ‘get it’ and by ‘it’ I mean the whole dressing like a freak at awards shows. At least Bieber agrees with me. I still love what he said about Lady GaGa and her Grammy entrance.. “People say it’s artistic and stuff. I’m just like, ‘You’re an egg ” Amen little boy.
Now moving on to awkward VMA moments.
1) Lady Gaga, I mean …Jo Calderone saying that she touched herself to posters of Britney Spears

2) Jo trying to kiss Brit Brit which was 50 seconds of pure awkward bliss. Britneys poor lips were quivering when Jo was giving her the stare down. Granted I think shes had worse touch her lips if were being honest, but I’m glad she didn’t give us a repeat Madonna kiss because really going from Madonna to Jo is clearly a downgrade.
3) Chris Browns lip syncing. Enough Said.

4) Selena Gomez and Taylor Lautner presenting together (heh)

5) Mileybirds hideous dress

6) Taylor whatever or another winning best new artist. His tie die shirt, mom having a heart attack, and a speech you couldn’t understand because every other word was bleeped out. #classy
And because it wasn’t all bad here I’ll add in some things that I watched that didn’t make me cringe.
1) Pregnant Beyonce! And the adorable belly rubbing she did after her performance followed by the proud look from her man Jay-Z.

2) Adele..just amazing.
3) Britney tribute. Granted it was a bit short and Britney having to announce Beyonce at the end of her speech kind of took away from it all. But I loved it none the less.

4) Selena/Bieber PDA. #younglove
5) Pitbull laughing after he said ‘Linsday Lohan’ during his performance..I love it.

OMG hes drinking.

OMG hes eating.

OMG hes scratching his back.

OMG hes stretching.

OMG hes texting..Selena.

OMG he took his pants off.

OMG OMG OMG

OMG

*Note, please say OMG in your best tween girl voice at the highest pitch you can possibly imagine* If not this post just makes me seem like some sort of pervert.