World of Jenks | A

Andrew Jenks is a good-looking suburban white guy. He is also a documentary filmmaker, who has partnered with MTV to bring another socially conscious show called World of Jenks — perhaps one of MTV's best shows in the past decade.

Every week Jenks moves in with a different person in order to experience something that he would not normally experience. It also gives him the opportunity to see how they conduct their daily lives and the adversity they face.

Jenks understands that it's impossible to walk a mile in a person's shoes without physically being in their shoes, so he moves in with them to really get to know them. Take for instance one of the first episodes aired, in which Jenks wants to know what it's like to live the life of a rapper. He moves in with rapper Maino and gains a deeper understanding of what life is like as Maino the person, not just the rapper.

In the second episode Jenks lives with Chad, a 20-year-old with autism. Jenks learns how difficult it can be to be autistic as he observes Chad overcoming the cruelty of others. Jenks is not showcasing people because he wants the world to be sympathetic. He is looking for people to show empathy. More importantly Jenks wants to understand people and understand their lives, and by living with them and entering their respective domains, he does just that.

As the season progresses we will find Jenks in all kinds of situations. He will live with an MMA cage fighter, an NFL cheerleader, a poker player and a homeless woman among others. As with each of his stories, Jenks forms a bond with each subject that is profoundly moving.

It's hard to believe that a 24-year-old can possess such a deep understanding of human beings. Jenks is best known for his documentary Andrew Jenks, Room 335 which was picked up by HBO when he was only 20. World of Jenks is deeply committed to understanding people. One thing Jenks certainly understands is that if you take the time to learn, it can be a rewarding situation in more than one way.