On August 13th, Ryan Conklin tweeted that he was getting close to having 5000 followers on Twitter, being less than a hundred away. As the day wore on, the number inched closer to the milestone. By the evening, Ryan tweeted that with only 57 more to go, the 5000th would be “the lucky winner”. This of course started a contest among the several levels of fans, from the occasionals to the die-hards.
I knew it was just silliness, but it seemed like something where the odds weren’t too bad, such that I could possibly “win”. Also, being hopefully in at least the top ten of Ryan fans (not counting his family and friends) I sort of felt like I was expected to participate to prove my bona fides.
I was too tired to keep watching the numbers all the way to the end, so I went to sleep and sent my alarm for 1:30am, figuring the rate of addition would make the total pretty close by that time. I woke up at that time and saw it was about 15 away. Slowly it crept higher until it was only a few away. Then the number started going both down and up, as people tried to game the system by unfollowing in anticipation of re-following at the last second. I won’t reveal my own strategy, but all that needs to be said is that I was unsuccessful. Someone who did not appear to be one of the long-term super-fans hit the mark a little before 2am.
I guess it would have been cool to have won, but I really didn’t care. The “prize” I am most looking forward to, the one that keeps me going sometimes, is the interview that Ryan told me via email he would do for me at some point. It’s been a little while, but I trust his word. I had sent questions before, but I think I would want to update them to take into account newer information.
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Posts Tagged ‘Ryan Conklin’
Ryan Conklin 5000th Follower
Ryan Conklin On Fan Reaction To Iraq Recall
There has finally been some comments from Ryan Conklin about the airing of the episode where he receives notification of being called back to Iraq. On MTV’s website, he blogged that he was grateful for the responses he has seen from people about the episode. He indicated that he was glad that many of them are words of encouragement and not just of pity. It inspires him.
He also stated that he is hoping to do a website where he can post updates about his time in Iraq.
I was happy to see any update from him at all just to know how he was feeling.
I don’t often leave any comment over there because I don’t like to over due it, but under the circumstances I felt like the time was appropriate. Here is what I wrote there:
I guess I may have made a comment in different places that could be categorized as one of ‘pity’, but it was never from lack of confidence in your ability to succeed in an adverse situation. I wouldn’t say as much as I do were it not for the faith in who you are as a person.
The whole season has had an air of melancholy, with the background music and the video of autumnal scenes. It was all leading up to the gut punch. As would be expected there was a lot of emotion attached to that.
Now the new chapter begins. I look forward to reading that book of yours. You said that no one could really understand you unless they understood your military experience. So it has become required reading. I didn’t expect that there would be a volume 2 in the works before volume 1 was published, but so it goes.
I’ll try to do my part to keep the home fires burning.”
Ryan Conklin Returning To Iraq
The Real World Brooklyn’s Ryan Conklin is going back to Iraq. There had been a number of clues about this, like the comments on MySpace and then the statement by the friend who works at The Pike restaurant in Gettysburg.
At first I was deeply distressed. It’s such a horrible and cruel twist of fate. To pluck Ryan out of the literal real world just when he was on the verge of capitalizing on his television notoriety and being able to productively pursue any of the several career paths he is capable of; it’s just unbelievable.
I admit I have been sucked into the fandom of Ryan Conklin, and in the process have foregone any consideration of him as a “character” and see him as the real and vulnerable flesh-and-blood person that I and others have grown to care about. Though he be a stranger, the one-way glass of the television screen has given me some sort of affection for the man and when he faces an uncertain and grievous circumstance, it hurts.
But now I have faith. I am confident in James 5:16: “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” I believe Ryan Conklin will return to us and we will enjoy his wit and talent far into the future.
As a mobilized IRR soldier, Ryan would first receive refresher training in the United States. Then he will be redeployed to Iraq, leaving on April 15th. That’s just two weeks after his 24th birthday on April 1st.
Ryan Conklin of Real World Brooklyn Blog
I took the plunge into creating a blog specifically about Ryan Conklin, star of MTV’s Real World Brooklyn. It’s a Blogger blog, appropriately called “Ryan Conklin“.
I’ve previously done specific web pages about some reality TV stars I’ve been interested in, but never a whole site focused on one individual. Usually there wouldn’t be enough material to warrant having a blog specializing in one reality star. There might be if you want to just reuse the same public info everyone else does, or if you want to try to steal other people’s work, but if you have read any of my stuff, you know I use almost exclusively my own commentary. Since that’s a lot of work to write sufficient material, at least for a non-writer like me, creating a new blog is a big deal.
Fortunately, MTV has been generous in providing fans a lot of content to comment on. Their Real World “dailies” videos are a big source of information. There are so many of them, and so many that have Ryan as a central figure, it will take awhile to remark on all of the relevant ones.
There is also my other Ryan Conklin page.
Ryan Conklin of Real World Brooklyn
I finally have a reason to watch The Real World again. Ryan of Real World Brooklyn (at right) has made the show something to look forward to each week. He’s an interesting character that has more than a few facets to him. He’s a small town military boy that has a creative side that is wanting to be heard. Besides a momentary stint at learning how to pole dance, Real World Ryan spends time analyzing his roommates and singing songs that he has written.
He would probably be better off not being his own lyricist, but his melodies and singing are heartfelt.
Ryan is complex enough to need a number of episodes to be aired before he can be figured out. It’s refreshing to find a person on reality television that takes awhile to understand. Too many people on reality TV are like cardboard cutouts. On some shows that doesn’t matter and I don’t mind watching some fluff, but with a personality driven show like The Real World, I expect to see some personality. Ryan Conklin has brought it.
Did I mention that he’s hot also? (again, see photo)
