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Melissas fans saw the best of themselves in her while yearning to somehow be sucked into her orbit.
But at the time, Beck (then Howard) had her detractors as well.
She joined the cast ofGirls Behaving Badly,married Glassjaws Justin Beck, and had a few kids.
And then, 20-odd years later, MTV came calling again.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
So when I got that call, I was like,Itll never happen.
My poor husband was like, Oh gosh, do we have to talk aboutThe Real Worldagain?
I was like, You dont understand!
Its going to be life-changing!
I have been so comfortable in my suburban anonymity.
But as it turns out, peoplearewatching.
It has resonated with those same young people that watched it in 2000.
I had a lot of trepidation going into it, and I prepared the completely wrong way.
I prepared for all the ways in which it can go wrong, and it went really right.
So I understood that.
I did not watch the show again.
Ive only watched the show one time and that was in the year 2000 when it came out.
I really did not want to revisit that because its like listening to your voice on an answering machine.
But it was fine.
I stayed inside my body as best I could and got the work done.
Did you end up watchingHomecoming, or did you shy away?Oh my God, of course.
In the old-school days, they would send us a VHS tape in a padded yellow bubble envelope.
I watched it in real time with everybody else.
We werent yet at the level of full-on hot-tub orgy.Thats one of the things!
Im now 45 years old, and Im still Melissa fromThe Real World.
Throughout the years, the recognition has waned, but it ebbs and flows.
Thats something we were really not prepared for.
We were at the tail end of that era.
So I do feel like our season was special in that we didnt have that.
We could still be kind of real.
I wasnt going to do the show and then sell you a tea to make you lose weight.
Homecominghas been so validating for people like Kevin in New York or Tami in Los Angeles.
She seems like shed be a good friend.
There was also, Wow, that Melissa girl is so annoying.
All she ever does is talk about race.
I was completely disliked on one side because I called out racism for what it was.
But I also felt very respected in my conversations with the production people before going intoHomecoming.
And I do think they got it right.
Those are not conversations 20-year-olds in 2000 would necessarily understand how to have.One hundred percent.
The conversations that Danny and Matt were having were literally about trying to separate the personal from the global.
Dannys ultimate message has always been acceptance regardless of religious dogma, and also that religion should teach acceptance.
It should not even be a conversation.
So I think there was some frustration trying to get to that.
But theres really so much value in staying in your lane.
I think that youre a nice guy.
I think youre a great dad.
But homophobia is not awesome.
There are three different layers, really.
But for me, personally, I think that its pretty close.
I really feel this way.
I want you to be able to feel safe talking about whatever it is.
He was just like, No, no, I get it.
Or were they making fun of it then, but now they really love it?
Thats what Come On Be My Baby Tonight is.
Its a skill set to make multiple earworms off the top of your head.
If you just listened to the opening chords of Come On Be My Baby Tonight, theyre beautiful.
And I just wanted to say to him, I have always believed in your talent as a musician.
If you dont believe it, Im telling you.
You mentioned Dont Be Tardy and Money Cant Buy You Class on the show.
Are you aReal Housewivesfan?I fell off recently, but I am aHousewivesperson.
I have watched them all.
Obviously I loveAtlanta,but I started withOrange County.
Im talking about when Gretchen was still with the old guy.
Im talking about when Slade was still with Jo.
I also read Dave Quinns bookNot All Diamonds and Rose.
