Look At MTV’s Positively Unreal Contract You HAVE To Sign To Be On “The Real World”

Its no secret that anybody who willingly participates in reality tv shows will have to sign some form of contract or waiver. And much of it is typical legal jargon and stuff indemnifying the producers from any accidental harm a person may incur. But the producers of MTV's "The Real World" have gone WAY too far with this. If this isn't modern day indentured servitude I don't know what is.

Recently, the Village Voice got its hands on the 30-page contract required of the people appearing on MTV‘s ‘Real World’ series and it’s extreme. The stipulations are so far gone I wonder if anybody actually read it first. (Probably not.)

Some of the Voice’s favorite highlights include (I highlighted my favorites in yellow):
You may die, lose limbs, and suffer nervous breakdowns.

If you undergo any medical procedures while involved in the show, they carry the risk of infection, disfigurement, death.

You may be humiliated and explicitly portrayed "in a false light."

Producers are under no obligation to conduct background checks on your fellow cast members.

If you contract AIDS or other sexually transmitted diseases while filming ["gonorrhea, herpes, syphilis, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), Chlamydia, scabies (crabs),'hepatitis, genital warts, and other communicable and sexually transmitted diseases or Pregnancy; etc"], MTV is not responsible.

Interacting with other cast members carries the risk of "non-consensual physical contact" and should you contract AIDS, etc. during such an interaction, MTV is not responsible.

You don't have STDs, but accept that other people on the show might.

You're not pregnant and you won't become pregnant before the show's done filming. If you do become pregnant, you'll tell the Producer immediately--and pregnancy is grounds for dismissal.

If you get kicked off the show, it will be filmed.

You can't change your physical appearance during filming, without the Producer's express permission.

You grant the Producer blanket rights to your life story.

The Producer can do pretty much anything they want with your life story, including misrepresent it.

Your email may be monitored during participation.

You promise not to hide from MTV cameras in establishments where they can't film.

You authorize the Producer to have total access to your school records, government forms, your credit history.

The production crew can show up at your personal house at any time to film and/or to take anything they want, as long as they return the objects once production has ended.

The Producer holds the authorship and copyright to every photograph, email, website, sound or video recording, documented performance created in relation to the program, on every medium imaginable.

And to add insult to injury-while you're on the show, you're responsible for all long-distance phone charges.

So, in sum: They can lie about you, touching one of your roomies could result in a communicable disease, one of your roommates could touch you WITHOUT your consent and they aren't responsible, and you’ll have zero privacy.

Sweet! Where do we sign up?

[via The Village Voice]