As we noted recently, the MTV reality series Run’s House made an unexpected appearance on our weekly Top Ten List of Fan Popularity Rankings. This was a rare showing for a cable show without a lot of publicity. Since it’s no longer the novelty it once was to see the behind-the-scenes world of a celebrity family, what’s the big draw for a show like Run’s House?

For one thing, there’s Run himself. Much like Ozzy Osborne on his reality show, it’s a big part of his role to be the beleaguered patriarch in the middle of a rambunctious family. However, he’s still entertaining in his own right. After all, he might be an ordained reverend now, but his career started as DJ Run in the spotlight in the seminal hip hop act Run DMC, and he’s still got the same charisma that made him a rap legend in the first place. He’s a bit of a ham and seems to put his deadpan humorous spin on every interaction, from warning his daughters not to hire an expensive personal trainer to being a bit – ahem – free with his body’s noises during a yoga class his brother, Russell Simmons (co-founder of Def Jam records and creator of Phat Farm) drags him to.

Then there is the rest of the family, with each member just as entertaining in his or her own right.

His oldest daughters from a previous marriage, Angela Simmons and Vanessa Simmons, bicker plenty, but are also sweetly close with one another. They also well represent the odd in-between world of the intersection of celebrity and spirituality in which the family lives. Vanessa was named one of Maxim’s Hottest Celebrities, but the risky photo shoot caused concern for her, her little voice of conscience Angela, and her protective dad. While the two could easily just be yet more spoiled celebrity offspring, they do seem to have more humility and even possibly a little bit of a work ethic. When they can’t find any sneakers they like, they actually pitch a pretty cute series of shoes to their father’s athletic shoe company.

JoJo Simmons, the eldest son, and daughter of Run’s current wife, Justine Simmons, is going through much of the usual teenage process of separating himself from the family while still having to live under their roof and rules. However, he still bonds with his dad through his love of hip hop, and even works to make his own tracks in the recording studio in the house.

Daniel Simmons, or Diggy, is the middle son and is just starting the teen years. He’s a little fashion plate – obsessed with having the right suit for the right occasion, and clearly, as the message boards on his BuddyTV profile indicate, quite popular with the young ladies.

Russell, “Russy,” Simmons, the youngest, is actually one of the more fascinating characters on the show despite his young age. He’s had a couple unique periods of acting out – one when he continued to break his video games out of anger, and another when he kept stealing and hiding various items belonging to other family members. But despite that, he’s still a sweet and endearing kid; when his mom leaves for a night of relaxation in a hotel with herself and Run, he’s upset to be without her for the night and seems to miss her terribly. Also, while JoJo might be following in his father’s musical footsteps, Russy seems focused on becoming a “mini-mogul” like his namesake Uncle Russell Simmons. He loves his money and happily stages a successful garage sale to make more.

Beyond the humorous day-by-day events, the show really does make an attempt to show Rev Run’s and Justine’s efforts to raise their family well. Each episode closes with Rev typing out a quick life lesson on his Blackberry while he reclines in a bubble bath. Granted, any life lesson delivered via Blackberry isn’t going to be extremely in-depth, but there is more going on in them than simple affirmations or easy clichés.

After an episode in which Rev tried to act (unsuccessfully) as a Food Cop to a dieting Justine, resulting in tension between the normally cheerful partners, he came to a realization. He told her later that all of the energy he was directing at improving her was really about himself. When he’s unhappy with what she’s eating, it really reflect his dissatisfaction with his own image. So moving forward, he tells her, he’s going to put that energy into improving herself and let her do her own thing. As he later put it via Blackberry, “Do you strive for perfection in your family members? Remember that what we think is helpful can sometimes be hurtful. Learn to accept your loved ones, faults and all. Because love isn't about being perfect, it's all about respect.” For anyone that’s ever put a lot of fruitless energy into trying to change their mate (or been on the receiving end of that effort and dug their heels in obstinately to not change), there’s quite a bit of pragmatic and useful wisdom in what he wrote.

And the family had to deal with possibly one of the most difficult situations of all: the loss of a child. After bringing a very happily-anticipated baby through the entire pregnancy, Run and Justine lost their daughter during childbirth. While it’s difficult to watch, and you can see the pain in all of the family’s faces, they decided to continue with the show as part of their efforts to help other families learn how to get through such an incredibly painful process.

The show is currently in re-runs on MTV, and no word yet as to the next season starting. However, if you’re not yet a fan, and happen to stumble across one of the MTV marathons of the show, don’t be surprised to find yourself spending more time than you planned with the sweet family at the center of Run’s House.

- Leslie Seaton, BuddyTV Staff Columnist

(Image courtesy of MTV)