BOMBING GIVES TIRED SERIES MUCH-NEEDED CACHET
BAGHDAD - MTV admits that its attempt to inject heightened drama into the tired "Real World" series by rooming seven early-20-somethings together in what promotional literature billed as a "cool loft in Baghdad" probably was a mistake. An insurgent's bomb ripped through the loft this morning, killing four of the angst-ridden roommates. MTV has temporarily pulled the plug on the series while it seeks to relocate the surviving cast to Anaheim. An MTV official, speaking on condition of anonymity, conceded that the publicity from the bombing could give the moribund series much-needed cachet.
"Darius [Clayton] and Gina [Marumbaa] had just hooked up," said survivor of the bombing Sharmaine Wilson, 20. "They were, like, so in love. I am just, like, so sad."
At 8 a.m. Baghdad time this morning, Gina was candidly pouring out her soul directly into the camera. The chilling transcript of the broadcast leading up to the attack reads as follows:
GINA: "Like, Darius and I are, like, such soul-mates, it's unbelievable. Sharmaine and the others are like totally jealous because, like, we keep it real while they have all these issues, and --"
At this point, a terrific explosion tore through the house, and the screen went blank. Gina Marumbaa was killed instantly. Also killed in an adjoining room were Darius Clayton, 22, who was playing pool shirtless with Brian Wheedon, 21, and Jack Schmidt, 23, both of whom were also shirtless. None of the young men were discussing their feelings at the time of the blast but rather were smirking about their respective conquests at a Baghdad nightclub last night.
