DC WRAP: April 23-24, 2016

BY DC CUEVA                           

> @DC408dxtr / @DC408dxnow

Quite the week this has been, hasn't it? It's been one of those weeks with so much that has happened. But the most notable story from a pop culture standpoint is the passing of one of music's greatest icons when Prince was found dead on Thursday in Minneapolis. Considering its proud musical heritage, it would've been uneasy for MTV to not recognize the great role he had played during his career on the day of his untimely death, but the channel made the right and respectful decision to postpone this week's episode of Real World Go Home or Go Home to next week.

   So with no episode airing in the Trifecta this week, what we're going to do here this weekend is, we'll have just a DC FORUM to offer thoughts on something that happened this week to a member of the Rivals III cast, and how it impacts the people affected by the scenario that's playing out right now. Then, we'll take an opportunity to look ahead a bit at what comes up here on this site as we enter a big stretch in the Trifecta. Join me after the break.

 DC FORUM 

ANOTHER BABY...

On Wednesday - one day before the world for those who follow music and wrestling was altered, there was a very big story that developed in the MTV Trifecta. That was of the news that came about that Real World Skeletons roommate and Rivals 3 competitor Tony Raines is becoming a father, again. This is the second time in eight months that we've told you this news: the first one, of course, was him and his love in Chicago, Madison, announcing the news to great joy in social world last August, and culminating just last month when Baby Harper was welcomed into the world.

   This time, the news was much different, and provided a direct flashback to when Tony had to face the music in Chicago. Last season's twist had people from the roommates' past spend a day or two in the house, and in Tony's case, he had not one but two of his ex-girlfriends visiting him, just as he was getting close with Maddy. One of those two "skeletons" was Alyssa, who was in a relationship with him and had known each other for a decade before he flew up to Chi-Town, but that didn't prevent them from staying in contact with one another. Of course, there was what happened with Tony on Bloodlines and what happened afterwards with them deciding to focus on just being parents and all that surrounded his behavior.

   So, it was on Wednesday that after a little teaser of sorts on his page, Tony and Alyssa announced on Instagram that they are expecting a child together with the newborn expected to come in November, and all sealed with a kiss of her sonogram. Madison captioned in her IG post afterwards, "In this life I believe that everything happens for a reason, Harper will be blessed to have a sibling in her life! Congratulations guys!!! #motherhood #family #anotherbundleofjoy."

   The younger brother we saw on Bloodlines, Shane, took it this way in a humorous pic of the Kardashian sisters: "How I feel about my bro @t_raines having another baby on the way. Me being an uncle 2X And everyone involved being happy with the situation, and being friends/one big family." And the lighthearted mood translated to his Rivals 3 partner Camila: "Can we talk about the fact that my partner is having another👶🏼?? How many kids am I gonna have 2explain #Rivals3 to @t_raines33?😉😚 #congrats. @TheShaneRaines congrats 2X uncle... U must be so happy!! 🎈✨💞"

When what happened last December took place, there was understandably a lot of social reaction to him hooking up with Christina and cheating on Madison before the baby news became public. Shane added to his IG post, "Please keep all negative comments to yourself. That stress isn't good for new pregnant mothers and could cause a lot of harm to the pregnancy. We are all happy that we are adding one more to the family and we all love each other. This in a weird way brought everyone together better than I would've ever expected. So please just respect this crazy beautiful journey that's taken place. It's all a blessing🙌🏻👼🏼 Thank you guys who support it, and are happy for our family😘😘 #UncleUncleShane 👶🏼👶🏼 #thenewnormal #themorethemerrier"

   At press time, there have been nearly 15,000 comments posted to the IG pictures posted by Tony, Madison and Shane relating to the former becoming a dad once again - 8,000+ alone in that picture that he posted with Alyssa. Overwhelmingly, it's being directed negatively towards Tony, and positively towards Madison, just as it was four-plus months ago. Most of the public became disgusted by the way Tony has been disrespecting Madison by not only cheating on her while he was on his first Challenge, then going back to her, then going back to his ex-girlfriend and then getting that skeleton he had in Chicago pregnant as well.
   It's unfortunate that people have such a short attention span and to use this wide platform of social media to go off on Tony for this behavior. When you read all of those comments, it really pains me to see everyone put him down and calling him names for this inconsistent pattern he has had in being obsessed with women wherever he goes. And on a day when everyone is supposed to be celebrating the pending arrival of his second kid, instead of doing what they did when news of Baby Harper was announced, most everyone is using this as a cheap way to bully him, and I'm sure that this is causing stress on the moms on this important day in their lives.
   Fellow Real World fan, and past DC Forum subject, Eric Cebellos, told me on Instagram upon posting a screen-cap of Tony from his RW season, "I have so much respect for him and how he handles all of the negativity coming his way... We were DM'ing each other for like an hour on Twitter and we had a really good talk about all of it." And I responded to him, "It's sad for so many to go off on him when were supposed to be celebrating him becoming a dad again. But he'll be okay. He's gonna have 2 kids and the most important thing is to be the best dad he can be to not only the baby he has now but also the one he will have later on."

   It's because of this that you know why that I'm a non-judgmental person when it comes to the actions of these people and that I don't take sides whenever something of a controversial nature takes place within the Trifecta. It's also why I don't tweet or send negative commentary towards anyone in social media land, other than for a brief rant I had here before. I would always want to give the negative commentary over to others, and anything that would happen to me is zero tolerant.

   But in the end, when you get all down to it, it is about one thing and one thing only: the baby. I side with Shane in asking everyone to refrain from sending any more negativity towards the new moms and to cause harm to what will be the biggest nine months they have ever gone through in their lives. The reward at the end of all this is the responsibility that will come with being a parent when the magic moment arrives for Alyssa later this year, and she will take on the same task that Madison gone through just fairly recently, though not as widely scrutinized as was the case for the first time Tony became a dad. 

   Daddy Raines, himself, has gone through a lot the past few years, and now as we prepare to enjoy his presence (and his smile) on our screens in more than a week from now, he is taking on a role of being a dad to not one, but two, kids, as well as now being forced to take on that task of trying to be the best father he can be to the both of them. It's something that my sister and brother in law have in common in taking care of my niece & nephew, and it's no easy task trying to take care of two instead of just one, and especially with the long commute between the state capitals of Louisiana and Texas.

   This is the latest in those kinds of stories that make the MTV Trifecta such an incredible thing. We've seen a popular Real World romance where so much happens both during their original season and then afterwards, headlined by the addition of a new baby. And now comes an even crazier twist to all this: his skeleton having a baby as well. What is coming up next? Stay tuned.

 DCBLOG HeadsUp 
WHAT'S AHEAD...

Now, with Episode 6 of Real World Go Big or Go Home being postponed to next week due to Prince's passing, it does buy us some valuable time in devoting our focus to our two preseason posts for The Challenge: Rivals III that, if i'm speedy enough, it may be up as soon as this weekend, but if not will be up early next week. We'll have an outlook on all of the teams competing this season, a look at what we can expect, our traditional introduction to the first-time competitors, and thoughts from our network of MTV insiders.

   The other preseason post is a unique look back at the first time The Challenge went into that territory of pairing up those despise one another. The latest DC ExtraTime Longform will provide a retrospective of the original Rivals Challenge and how a perfect storm set about what many say is the greatest Challenge season ever.

   When Real World does return next Thursday, it will also be the day when the cast of Are You The One? Season 4 is revealed for the first time. We'll have expanded SocialPulse diaries covering the launch of the new AYTO cast in addition to the new Real World episode and the surrounding hoopla. And it's also with next week's posts after this one very brief one that we will have a subtle but unique chance to this site as we prepare to eventually do a double shot of doing two episode Pulse diaries and a combined Wrap each week come next month. So, stay tuned for all that.


And while we take stock in this unscheduled week off in the Trifecta, take an opportunity to listen to a chat Sabrina from RW Go Big got to do with Reality Radio Podcast on Blog Talk Radio yesterday as they discussed everything that's gone on in Vegas a month in. Check out that podcast here, and follow them @RealityRadioPod, and hosts Andrew Kirk @CSUGradAKirk, Whitney McGriff @JanelMCG & Stefan Sanders @SandersCSS, and the Big Time Reality TV blog.
   With the big day next Thursday of not just Real World returning but also the revealing of the AYTO Season 4 cast and the countdown to Rivals III reaching the one-week mark, you'll want to bookmark DCBLOG for all your MTV Trifecta coverage. Also follow DCNOW @DC408DxNow for live episode tweets, plus tonight's fights in the UFC and boxing and The Dude Perfect Show that comes follows the main event, and the NBA Playoffs. And as always there's DC Instagram and @DC408Dxtr on Twitter too.
   Thanks for reading and until we talk to you on DCNOW early next week, have a good weekend.


- I AM DC