DC SocialPulse: Ex On The Beach S2 - "Revenge is Sweet" (Backtracked)

*** Advisory: DC SocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content & spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its length, take frequent eye breaks if you're reading this top to bottom. ***

BY DC CUEVA                      

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

It is the weekend, and as everyone knows by now it has been an eventful week in the MTV Reality world... we'll have the opening salvo of a new season of The Challenge and other matters covered ahead in the following days. But before we bring you all the action, reaction and interaction of a week that also included two queens making their returns and summer wrapping up by the Shore, we have things changing up a bit on Ex On The Beach.

In DCBLOG time, last we were in Malibu (last Sunday after the Super Bowl) the house had seen not one, but two exes get the boot when, after two tied rounds of Cut or Crush, Nelson gave Kareem and Cory Z. their marching orders. It was only the start of the kind of crazy that those who watch this show have come to know, as after Jozea's ex Rob came in to no surprise for our BB friend, things began to go to another level when a kiss Diandra had with Janelle's ex Darian saw her run down the stairs to confront him... and we nearly had another one with Farrah and Nurys.

As we rejoin matters for what is now Week 7 as we cover Season 2 (things are backed up due to our Challenge preseason coverage), if the two fights were an indication of what's to come, it pales in comparison to the next big twist to come to the house. Midway through last year, the exes were given a big task to send one of the originals home, and here this season's set of singles will eventually send one of the OG's home. And the girl who won a streaming-only Big Brother season - and who will have two shows to look forward to now - sees another ex come by, and one of her exes isn't having it.

After the jump, join us around the table for some cake, and the Pulse of Episode 7 of Ex On The Beach. Thanks for joining us here this Saturday night - National Pizza Day... dive in.

DC SocialPulse Extra: Lohan Beach Club EP4, and Before Ex On The Beach Week 7

*** Advisory: DC SocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content & spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its length, take frequent eye breaks if you're reading this top to bottom. ***

BY DC CUEVA                      

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

Hey there... glad you've came. If you know by now, this is a a packed week of MTV Reality, which last night saw its main course in the premiere of The Challenge: War of the Worlds. We'll have that opening salvo covered here during the coming Grammy's weekend along with one last wave by the shore, returns of a couple familiar faces and even a trip to the zoo. But before all that, we have some unfinished business to attend to.
   Our focus on covering the new Challenge season with our preseason preview and our traditional Who Are These Newbies? deep dive into the rookies (which took us two posts to do this time due to the large rookie field) saw us take a break from offering our usual weekly SocialPulse journals. But need not worry: we've already covered the episodes of two weeks ago as well as last week's Challenge launch special introducing the TV crowd to the rookie field in the lead up to this big week. Here and now, we'll have last week's episodes of Ex On The Beach and Floribama Shore covered ahead, and first up as part of this pre-diary - Episode 4 of Lindsay Lohan's Beach Club.
   When we last left Greece, the summer had just begun as far as the increasing number of guests rolling into Greece, and LiLo brought in two notable people - the soon to ubiquitous champagne gun and a new host in Mike's fellow co-worker Alex, who came to the beach with a solid work ethic to encourage everyone else to follow in his lead... while we saw the latest chapter in the Brent & Sara show. But when you have personalities that clash, as it often does in these shows, it's what happens with two girls with contrasting personas that cause things to boil over... And for our West Hollywood co-workers, there's the temptation to take their relationship beyond just work.

After the jump, it's Episode 4 of Beach Club, and the lead-up to Week 7 of Ex On The Beach, as we look back at last week in MTV Reality before we delve into an epic week just to come here.

DC ExtraTime: Catching Up with... Real World Austin's Johanna

From during The Challenge XXX in 2017, and reposted after her appearance on this week's Challenge Mania podcast, for which her ex is on the cast of War of the Worlds

BY DC CUEVA                      

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

With the always fascinating sight of a Kansas City entrepreneur and dog's dad with ginger hair about to take over The Challenge once again, seeing Wes on Champs vs. Stars in a few days along with a meeting that took place on Instagram this past week brings us to this "Catching Up With…". And this takes us across the pond to an unlikely place, and that's where we find.... the ex.

   The United Kingdom is a union of four nations: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is the epicenter of the British Commonwealth whose leader has been around before so many of us were born, as Queen Elizabeth's crowning moment came 65 years ago next summer. And Americans have always had a strong fascinating with the Brits: the Premier League, One Direction, Downton Abbey, and the Royal Family. And its capital is a city rooted in the past but whose feet are planted in the present and whose eyes are on the future in the vibrant city of London.
   And it was there eighty years ago that Edward R. Murrow moved from New York to London as head of CBS News' European operations. He traveled across the continent to gather a team of reporters called "Murrow's Boys" who helped to establish the tradition and standards of broadcast journalism, all during World War II. Though he never anchored the CBS Evening News, Murrow has had a greater impact than any other newsman of his time, and a highly sought-after TV and radio news award bears his namesake. And it leads us to another American living in jolly old England, and someone who those there refer to as a "presenter" rather than a TV broadcaster.

When we first saw Johanna Botta twelve years ago on The Real World Austin, she was a stunning and fiery Peruvian who had moved to the U.S. when she was 11. Along with her looks, her intellect, motivation and her manner of being opinionated and augmentative made her ready to enter that warehouse that hosted that memorable season. When she moved in, she was first attracted to Bostonian Danny, but ultimately she would become attracted to that ginger man.

   The relationship of Jo and Wes had us glued to that season, but it wasn't the only person she got to see: a local guy named Leo was also in her sights in Texas too, but ultimately settled for Wes in the end. Plus, there was that time when she was on a night out and she stole a rose from a homeless man, and they get a call that she was cuffed up for public intoxication… one of two scenarios of the Austin cast having run-ins with the law.

   Jo and Wes were still a couple when they made it to their first Challenge: Fresh Meat I in Australia and she then went to The Gauntlet III by herself, as part of that Rookie team that made it to the end they were, of course, gifted with the ultimate stunner: the title of champions in that Big Easy final along with castmates Nehemiah and Rachel. In fact, she & Wes were engaged, but when she went to The Island, Jo went there single after breaking up with him.

   And it didn't take long for her to get cozy with the one who would become his arch enemy. Yes, that would be Kenny, and their hookup in Panama was one of the big stories that emerged out of Mr. Beautiful winning that season with Bananas, Derrick and Evelyn. And though Kenny and Jo didn't really work out in the end, it more than fueled that now famous rivalry between him and Wes. That turned out to be the last time we would see her on these shows, and a career in the real real world awaited Jo.

   That career has seen her stay on camera, but in a different capacity than just competing or just making out on camera: Johanna has become a TV broadcaster, or as the Brits call her, a "presenter," much like what they would refer to someone like NBC Premier League host Rebecca Lowe. She has gone on to a career that has seen her handle anything from news reporting to lifestyle hosting and presenting like a pro. Below are some of her work from her YouTube channel.

Last year, Johanna became a new mom, and just this past week while he was in Europe handling songwriting duties - and in the same country that gave the world one of those he got to interview before stardom in Ellie Goulding, Davis Mallory from Real World Denver ran into Johanna in the streets, and we've embedded their meeting below here too.

View this post on Instagram

Hanging out in London today with my @MTV Real World co-star @johannabotta (go follow her), she's done super cool things since the show: she's now a mommy and has a thriving career as a host and actress in Europe #Goals

A post shared by baby d (@davismallory) on Nov 14, 2017 at 4:26am PST

- I AM DC
#DCBLOG

DC SocialPulse Extra: Welcome To The Challenge - War of the Worlds

*** Advisory: DC SocialPulse contains adult language and objectionable content. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its long length, take frequent eye breaks if you're reading this top to bottom. ***

BY DC CUEVA                      

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

Well tonight, it all begins again. It was 78 days ago tonight -- two days before Thanksgiving -- that the year's most-talked about MTV Challenge moment went down: Ashley M. pulling a Bananas in taking all the $1 million of the total prize pool when she and Hunter won a much maligned last act of Final Reckoning. That moment is still very much on everyone's mind as we begin this new year fresh -- many hoping that they can forget the past three seasons of the trilogy & the long nature of the most recent season -- but with some high hopes for Season 33, War of the Worlds. And when it debuts in anywhere from nine to twelve hours from now as this post goes up this Wednesday February 6th, it's smack dab in the middle of a big MTV week with Kailah invading Lindsay Lohan's Beach Club, an OG returning to Ex On The Beach and summer's last blast down by the Floribama Shore.

If you are scrolling this on your phone, it's likely you have a Twitter app and an account to that social media platform... and seeing what goes with the interaction of the cast during that one fresh hour of TV each week -- and what happens before and after those episodes air -- is just as delicious as the episodes themselves. That's what those of you who interact and occasionally spar with the MTV Reality community do, and DC SocialPulse has been your ticket to everything that happens there ever since we started this journey back in summer 2013.
   Back six years ago, social media had just begun to help bridge the gap between the cast and the fans who now have a direct line to them to tell them how they feel about what happened on TV, and the cast have used social media to a greater extent. And although it hasn't always been for positive reasons - and my good friend Andrew Kirk has decreed that it has helped in dumbing down this thing including igniting many a beef that seemed to be tailor made for the digital age, social media has also brought a sense of intimacy and interactivity to this show which wasn't the case when the MTV Reality story began with Real World in 1992 - which coincidentally moves to Facebook this year.

It's with this in mind that, once again, we at DCBLOG will task ourselves with the responsibility of compiling all the action, reaction and interaction from cast, from their fellow alumni across the entire reality spectrum and from fans like you from Twitter land for posts like these for your enjoyment & pleasure... something you'll only see here at this site. The 'Pulse will have every big moment covered from the episodes and from the week that was, and will appear here as part of our weekly MTV coverage for those who watch the episodes live and want to relive the interaction again, and those of you who just rely on streaming & over-the-top services who sometimes have to wait for those shows to be posted after they air. It's with the ladder in mind that, unlike other sites, we delay posting our top-class content until the weekend, and once you catch up on the episodes we'll be here to bring the Pulse to your mobile & desktop along with traditional episode coverage and original storytelling.
   We begin our Challenge Pulse diaries here with how the road to tonight began, when the first tease of this season debuted back on January 15th during Episode 2 of the Lohan Beach Club, and the cast reveal a day later along with the first look at the season shortly after. And it culminates with last week's reveal of an expanded "red look" trailer and the launch special that, just as we did here on this site, introduced viewers to the eighteen prospects/rookies of this season.  And of course, we'll have all the episodes and the pre- and post-show buzz covered from the social sphere each week.
   After the jump, the Road to War of the Worlds begins. Enjoy friends...

DC SocialPulse: Floribama Shore S2 - "Newsworthy" (Backtracked)

*** Advisory: DC SocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content & spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its length, take frequent eye breaks if you're reading this top to bottom. ***

BY DC CUEVA                      

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

Hey there folks, we're at the beginning of fight week of sorts in MTV Reality --  a week that will reach its zenith with a new season of The Challenge in less than 48 hours from now, among other things. And one of those who'll be heading to The Challenge is one who is winding down his summer in Floribama Shore, and Gus will get to spend a few more weeks at least there on War of the Worlds in a day or so.

When we last left him and our friends in Panama City Beach a couple weeks ago, we've seen Kortni in just about every single stranger situation we've been able to see in PCB, but it didn't prepare us for her latest moment: kissing an elderly lady while at the bar. We also had the latest visit by parents of one of the roommates when Codi's mom and dad rolled into Florida from South Carolina for a weekend visit. And their visit once again saw Gus struggle with the feelings that stirred up from pondering what life may have been if he had a good relationship with his parents.

The visit of the Butts' also gave Codi encouragement to do what he didn't get to convert the attempt to go on a date with Candace, and this time as the summer is reaching its golden hour they will finally have the opportunity to enjoy the night by themselves on the town. But they have no idea of what is taking place outside that date, as a rough night for the rest of the group leads to yet another brush with the law, and a dust-up at a bar leading to big consequences for whoever finds themselves handcuffed. And there's another musical moment to remember from Florida.

After the jump, it's the Pulse of Episode 10 of the winter half of Season 2 of Floribama Shore, as we welcome you to a big week in MTV Reality at DCBLOG.

DC SocialPulse: Ex On The Beach S2 - "Low Blows" (Backtracked)

*** Advisory: DC SocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content & spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its length, take frequent eye breaks if you're reading this top to bottom. ***

BY DC CUEVA                      

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

Hello and welcome back... we've just witnessed an uneventful Super Bowl with a familiar result in the Patriots now just winning #6. Due to our focus on our just completed preseason posts on The Challenge: War of the Worlds, we're just now starting to catch up on covering the episodes of the past two weeks in MTV Reality. But, we have a more than upbeat roundup to this Super Sunday: the 'Pulse of what is the most explosive episode yet of Ex On The Beach U.S.

When we last left Malibu, the house greeted Farrah after a court date temporarily gave her reason to exit the house. There was also a big revelation when an intimate truth involving the love triangle of Corey, Morgan and Jay led to fireworks by the pool. And in a repeat of what happened last season on the show, there was a double elimination when a Young Buck, Nelson, decided to send both Janelle's ex Kareem and Murray's ex Cory Z. home.

For what the house will have to deal with next, the exes who are coming in Week 6 in Cali will offer an ex who will do nothing more than to break up a relationship between cuddle buddies. But that is relative calm compared to what goes down with the other ex who will roll into town and in turn will spare a battle royale, not just with one pair of simmering tensions but with another taking place when our mom finds herself getting into others' business and causing chaos of her own.

After the jump, it's a backtracked edition of SocialPulse covering Episode 6 of Ex On The Beach Season 2... plus, we'll spill some tea about what's to come next in MTV Reality. Dive in, friends...

DC SocialPulse Extra: Before Ex On The Beach EP5 & Lohan Beach Club EP3 (Backtracked)

*** Advisory: DC SocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content & spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its length, take frequent eye breaks if you're reading this top to bottom. ***

BY DC CUEVA                      

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

Hey there folks, we're glad you're here with us again. Our preseason coverage of The Challenge: War of the Worlds -- three posts in all -- has wrapped up, and as we count down to that new season come Wednesday now we're turning our focus to getting caught up on two weeks' worth of the episode interaction and social activity in the MTV Reality universe that we have not covered yet because of our Challenge focus, but thanks to the archives we're now starting to get caught up on it all.
   For Lindsay Lohan's Beach Club, from the producers of The Challenge and Real World, a fact to share here is that its director of photography, Jason "Ninja" Williams, is a longtime veteran camera op for those shows... Bunim-Murray Productions also handles the Kardashians franchise, too. And as the group's first week in paradise lacked in effort but excelled in drama in one Brent, Episode 3 saw LiLo spice things up a bit as she brings in a new host with a solid work ethic and common work credentials with one of the guys to paradise to help to accelerate the summer crowd about to invade Mykonos.
   With all that went down in Greece and in Florida, we've decided to let the Tuesday offerings of January 22nd have their own post to start things off. All the action, reaction and interaction of Episode 3 of Lohan Beach Club and the rest of the interaction before Episode 5 of Ex On The Beach is below, with coverage of the ladder to come here later tonight after the Super Bowl.... enjoy.

Who Are These Newbies? - The Challenge: War of the Worlds: International

 *** DISCLAIMER: Certain Videos Embedded in This Post Contain Adult Language and Situations. Parental Guidance is Suggested. *** 

EXTENDED POST - 28 Mins.
BY DC CUEVA                      

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

This Wednesday night, MTV's The Challenge returns for its 33rd season with a fresh new start and a bold new era about to commence. This time, it will go down in the country of Namibia as Challenge icons Bananas, Wes, CT and Cara Maria, as well as recent stars like Ashley M., Nany, Jenna and Zach, will collide with a group of reality superstars from both in and outside the MTV system as they compete on War Of The Worlds. Show host TJ Lavin has been touting this season as the biggest one yet, and judging by what we've seen in the prelude to Wednesday's premiere and the accompanying trailers it may be exactly that.
   While this has been an MTV U.S. staple for two decades and part of an MTV Reality story that began in 1992 with The Real World which returns this spring, this new Challenge season will be different from others of years gone by. For the first time in its 20-year history, a show considered to be the "fifth major pro sport" in the United States will have an international feel of an Olympic Games or a World Cup: those from overseas countries taking part in the heat of competition that will see them go up against big name vets, with a $1 million prize fund awaiting those who survive all the way to the final at season's end.

The roots of this global Challenge season were planted at this time a year ago in Spain with a British invasion of five newcomers from the United Kingdom to Vendettas. Kayleigh Morris, Joss Mooney, Melissa Reeves and Rogan O'Connor competed on Season 31 -- their debuts in America, and in turn offered a bridge to the American arrival of their original show, MTV's international format Ex On The Beach. Also with them was Kyle Christie of the UK's Geordie Shore adaptation, who accompanied the return of the Shore franchise to the U.S., and serving as halftime entertainment of sorts in between Season 1 of Floribama Shore and the Jersey OG's Family Vacation.
   Now, it's time for a few of those with English accents who got to star with them on those two MTV international formats to follow in their footsteps from a country about to exit the European Union to being the next Brits to take over the States and The Challenge, along with one from Australia who got to rage with the Geordie gang. Also with them are two alumni of what is the biggest buzz series of the moment in the global reality TV landscape as Love Island prepares to come to the U.S. this summer. And in between, there's competitors from South America and the Middle East who will also join them to compete down in Africa.

In Part 1 of Who Are These Newbies? - War of the Worlds before this past week's season launch special last Wednesday, we profiled eight first-time challengers hailing from the United States, Canada and Mexico. Now, Part 2 will turn the focus to those outside North America, as five rookies from Britain, and one each from Australia, Brazil and Turkey, will are set for their American closeup. And after the jump, we'll begin with who is the most notorious of the new international Challenge competitors, and the one who has already had a solid reality TV career as he enters American airways for the very first time.