There are more attention-seeking ASU students than anyone ever imagined.
Nearly 1,000 people waited in line for hours at Tempe's Acme Road House Saturday for a chance to be on MTV's The Real World and Road Rules.
The vast majority were ASU students, and the vast majority think the world needs them on television.
Some, however, just wanted a chance to get out of Arizona.
"It would be my ticket out of this giant hell," said Kyle Unfug, a broadcasting sophomore. "I wouldn't care what show they put me on or where they sent me, as long as it's not here."
Unfug wiped sweat off her face and wished she had brought sunblock. She said waiting in the hot sun for hours is worth it, though, for even the slightest chance of getting on MTV.
And it was a slight chance.
Of nearly 1,000 people, only 20 were called back, said Marlon Sanders, casting director supervisor.
Of those 20, it's possible none will actually be chosen to appear on The Real World or Road Rules. Locations and adventures were not disclosed.
Sanders said he was looking for a personality not yet represented on either of the shows, regardless of whether or not he likes the person.
"We let people know that just because (a casting person) doesn't personally like them, doesn't mean we won't let them on the show," he said. "Everyone has different tastes in people, so we just try to take people who would be interesting on their own and interacting with others. People always think we have a token character like, 'one black guy,' or 'one gay guy,' but we really don't. We look for people who will represent the real world. We're not gonna have a cookie-cutter cast."
If MTV did have a cookie-cutter cast, it probably wouldn't have seen such success in The Real World's 11-season run and Road Rules 10-season run.
Part of that success has been because of strong characters like Puck (of the third Real World in San Francisco), said Sean Rankine of Bunim Murray Productions.
Rankine is an ASU alum and personally wanted a Sun Devil represented on his shows.
Most Sun Devil's in attendance Saturday would be on either show if asked, but most, such as Tara Payne, a nursing senior, would prefer Road Rules.
"I just want a chance to travel and have someone else pay for it," Payne said.
For others, the chance to be famous was the only motivation.
"I would love to be on TV," said Matt Hoffman, a 23 year-old from Mesa. "The world needs me on TV. I could be pretty funny. I'm an interesting guy."
Eric Wilson, a computer information systems freshman, feels the world needs him on TV too, but for less self-promoting reasons.
"I've watched all the seasons and they always do a bad job representing black men," Wilson said. "They always have angry-black-man syndrome or they're always chasing around girls. I would show that not everyone is like that."
Sanders was one such woman-chasing black man, but he wasn't angry. In fact, he was quite happy and showed it by "being out and about all the time."
It got him his current job.
Sanders was spotted by Change of Heart casting directors last year when he was working the Los Angeles club scene.
"I was asked to be on it three times," Sanders said.
He was on the show, and then he got into the casting circuit for Bunim Murray Productions.
It's been a great job, he said.
"I wasn't meant for a desk job. I like being out there talking to people," he said.
Sanders interviewed applicants in groups of 15 and posed questions ranging from, "Are any of you homosexual?" to, "What do you think of reality TV?"
He has learned a lot from the show, particularly how to read people quickly.
So what did he read from ASU?
No one knows quite yet. Bunim Murray Productions interviewed nine Sun Devils on camera Sunday. They have to send in 10-minute tapes of themselves and then wait for word. It's a long process, said Cassy Dizon, a broadcasting senior who was one of the nine called back Sunday.
"The interview made me really tired," she said. "Whenever I do something, I really throw myself into it and give it my all. I think I would be a good character on the shows. I have a weird, dynamic personality. I'm goofy. I'm a bubbly little bouncy Asian girl. As a broadcast major who wants to be a newscaster, it's good to know that I stand out. I'm just glad I made it this far," she added.
