‘Real World’ cast member visits KSU

Ryan Haidet

David “Puck” Rainey, who starred in season 3 of MTV’s “The Real World,” talks to junior Spanish major Mike Fuller.

Credit: Steve Schirra

Students can get their photo taken at the Water Street Tavern with Dave Puck from the “Real World: San Francisco” tonight from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

The Water Street Tavern just got a new photo sticker booth and Puck is there to celebrate the “Sticker Booth Kickoff.”

“We got a sticker booth because we thought it’d be fun,” Mike Beder, the owner of the Water Street Tavern said. “It’s $3 to get your photo taken in the booth. There are around 36 backgrounds that people can pick when getting their pictures.”

The finished product is a sheet of 16 stickers with the chosen background and everybody from the picture.

“There are some funny backgrounds to pick from too,” Beder said. “There’s one that makes it look like you’re driving a car. There’s also one with a rainbow and a unicorn.”

Everybody is invited to come and meet Puck.

“It costs $3 to get your picture in the booth with Puck,” Beder said. “There’s no charge to get in to meet him, and autographs are free. If people want a picture with Puck that’s not in the sticker booth, they can bring their own camera too.”

This promotion is part of National Lampoon’s Reality Bar Crawl, where reality stars go from campus to campus and party with students and get in touch with fans. According to the Reality Bar Crawl Web site, an event like this gives people the chance to see the side of reality stars they will never seen on television.

A representative from the Reality Bar Crawl will be filming the events for a DVD.

Puck said others should join him at the party for some fun.

“Bring a designated driver because you’ll be tanked,” Puck said. “Everybody’s gonna be pickled like hot Amish eggs.”

Beder had other reasons for people to attend.

“Puck’s one of those characters people grew up with on television,” Beder said. “It will be cool for people to come out and meet him.”

Puck agreed to the event immediately following the cancellation of two other reality stars who were supposed to attend.

Jenna Lewis from “Survivor: Borneo,” “Survivor: All-Stars” and “Kill Reality” and Steven Hill from the “Real World: Las Vegas” and “Kill Reality” canceled at the last minute because of personal reasons.

Puck said he is famous and remembered by fans for sticking his finger in some peanut butter.

“There was a guy in the house that had AIDS and was germ sensitive,” Puck said.

The other house guests were upset by this and made a big deal out of it.

“People bring me jars of peanut butter to sign all of the time,” he said.

Although he was on the show, Puck has some advice for those who want to be on the “Real World.”

“Don’t go on it,” he said. “A show like that is designed to break you down. The producers focus on the things that bother you.”

Why did he do the show then?

“Getting free rent was the sole reason I did this show,” Puck said.

Puck has moved on since the show and started his own family.

He currently lives in California in the San Fernando Valley with his wife, Betty, and his 4-year-old son Bogart. He sells conceptual ideas for television shows and fishes for swordfish.

“I have a pilot’s license and I fly over the ocean to spot swordfish,” Puck said. “They look like purple corn dogs from in the plane.”

Then Puck lets somebody in a fishing boat know where the swordfish are.

“It’s the greatest job in the world,” he said.

Puck has also been on several other television shows, including the “Real World/Road Rules Battle of the Sexes” in 2003, “Cribs” and “The Weakest Link.”

Fans can expect several television shows and a movie from Puck in the future.

For more information about the Reality Bar Crawl, visit the Web site at www.realitybarcrawl.com.

Contact health reporter Ryan Haidet at [email protected].