Always Unscripted
FanSided

The Challenge OG's fire back at Paulie Calafiore over his comments about much of the cast of Season 40

In a resurfaced video, The Challenge star Paulie Calafiore bashes many of his cast mates from the upcoming season.

By Perry Carpenter

The Challenge star Paulie Calafiore 2018 US Weekly Most Stylish New Yorkers
The Challenge star Paulie Calafiore 2018 US Weekly Most Stylish New Yorkers / Michael Stewart/GettyImages
facebooktwitterreddit

The MTV universe is buzzing once again as a throwback video of Paulie Calafiore lambasting the seasoned pros of The Challenge made the rounds online. 

Shared by the Instagram account @challengetea911, this footage showed Paulie, originally from Big Brother and later a four-time competitor on The Challenge, bluntly declaring that the show’s veteran stars should step aside. 

"It’s time for the OGs to know their place, which is on All-Stars or anything else that possibly gets going, and the main show needs to go to the new hungry people," he argued.

Paulie's tirade continued with some particularly cutting remarks about his fellow competitors.

"We all know you wanna be famous, you’re a little upset that back when you were in your prime it wasn’t happening, but like, ain’t nobody trying to see old, overweight people still competing. Come on, get out of here," he said.

This unsolicited blast from the past has not only reignited old feuds but has also prompted a robust response from The Challenge stalwarts. Especially poignant was the timing of this video’s resurgence.

The clip coincided with a fan poll that highlighted a lukewarm reception for Paulie's own era in the upcoming season, The Challenge 40: Battle of the Eras.

The Challenge veterans clap back against Paulie Calafiore

Some original Challenge cast members didn't take Paulie’s dismissive comments lying down. Aneesa Ferreira pointed out that although the video was old, its sentiments were still harmful. 

Meanwhile, Tina Barta, an Era 1 competitor in Battle of the Eras, used humor and a touch of sarcasm to make her point: "Such as, 'We wouldn’t have to come back if you could hold ratings.' But, who am I to be talking?" Her playful jab hinted at the ongoing relevance and necessity of the veteran players in keeping the show's appeal alive.

KellyAnne Judd from Era 2 recalled the early days of The Challenge, which featured a diverse range of participants, not all of whom were peak athletes. "Yeah, so wrong," she commented. "Also, it started off with young overweight, unhealthy people. That was fun! I think we like fun." 

KellyAnne’s response highlighted the show's initial charm and the inclusive, entertaining nature it strived to maintain over the years.

The criticisms even touched close to home for Paulie, as his girlfriend Cara Maria Sorbello, a long-time competitor on The Challenge, was indirectly affected by his harsh words. Veronica Portillo summed up the feelings of many OGs, criticizing Paulie for the very fame-chasing he derided in them: 

"He should stick to hosting swinger events & documenting them for [OnlyFans]," she suggested sharply.

The Challenge 40: Battle of the Eras kicks off August 14 on MTV.