Utah duo exits 'Real World'

Tonight marks the end of "The Real World: Brooklyn" (11 p.m., MTV), and viewers have learned something from the two Salt Lakers on the show that future cast members will probably want to keep in mind.

If you are a calm, reasonable person who doesn't act immaturely, doesn't get involved in too much of the drama and just lives a pretty normal life, you won't get too much face time on "The Real World."

That's the lesson we learned from 21-year-old Baya Voce-Hoffman.

If, however, you act like a 13-year-old, play pranks, fight with your roommates, dress like Orville Redenbacher and generally play the part of the resident goofball, you'll get a lot of face time on "The Real World." A whole lot.

That's the lesson we learned from 23-year-old Chet Cannon.

It certainly didn't hurt that, while he was obviously cast as the clown, Cannon was also articulate and funny. Sometimes intentionally, sometimes unintentionally.

And, given that his life's desire is to interview celebrities and achieve fame in his own right, Cannon's goofball-osity just might be a smart career move.

The truth is that the Utah man hasn't done anything that hasn't been done umpteen times before. And, as much as he managed to embarrass himself at times, Cannon is nowhere near the top of that list in the "Real World" Hall of Shame.

"The Real World" is now what it's always been. It's about young people — late teens to mid-20s — who are put together in the hopes that fireworks will result. Because seven people (eight this season) who get along would make for some very boring television.

As a matter of fact, the big criticism of this season in some quarters has been that there were far too few fireworks.

Let's face it, young adults are full of themselves. They're under the impression that they know all the answers. That they're more important than they really are. That what's happening is important because it's happening to them.

And that's not criticism. We were all like that. I know I certainly was.

If my behavior as a 23-year-old had been captured on camera, I'd still be cringing about it today. As Cannon will be cringing some day.