Synopsis

Bon Jovi's "Real Life" video connects the band to the world of EDtv, the 1999 film for which the song was recorded. Scenes from the movie are intercut with footage of Bon Jovi performing inside television screens placed around different settings. The visual concept reflects the song's tension between romantic fantasy and emotional reality, while the film excerpts extend its theme of life being watched, packaged, and turned into entertainment.

Factoids & Trivia

• "Real Life" was recorded for the soundtrack to EDtv and released as a single in March 1999.

• The song marked Bon Jovi's return after a period of inactivity following the These Days era. Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora had spent part of the interim working on solo projects.

• David Bryan does not appear as a regular performer in the video because he was recovering from a serious hand injury. The video acknowledges his absence with a cardboard cutout of Bryan, carried through one sequence by drummer Tico Torres.

• The video uses television screens as a visual bridge between the band and EDtv's story, in which the central character's life is broadcast continuously.

• Promotional posters visible in the video use "Sex Sells," an early working title associated with the Bon Jovi album that was eventually released as Crush in 2000.