the real world is a show on MTV. they take 6 or 7 people with personalities/ideologies that conflict as much as possible and put them in a fancy house for 6 months. they tape them 24/7.
road rules is similar but they are in a winnebago and have to complete stunts/projects while going from point A to point B.
these shows are one of the reasons why we must suffer with shows like "suvivor", "big brother" and "the bachelor".