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I Want My MTV Back
12/09/2008 Growing up in the boy band-riddled, teenybopper heaven of the late 90’s doesn’t exactly arm me with the nostalgic credibility to say this, but I’m going to anyway. What the hell happened to MTV? What was once an engaging showcase for the deliciously shocking musical trends of the 80’s and 90’s has been traded in for hours of mindless “reality” shows. A viewer can now expect about two hours of actual music videos to at least 20 hours of catty, female-objectifying reality program and coma-inducing reruns. I know, I know. My Britney Spears-emulating, Napster-loving generation is partially to blame for the downfall of a once organic music industry. But even the ever-obnoxious Total Request Live is headed for airwave extinction in favor of Paris Hilton’s quest for a new “BFF.” Give me a break. At least 90 percent of this stuff has absolutely nothing to do with music at all, and that’s only half the problem. There was a time when MTV was a place where music, pop culture, and social commentary met in equal ratios. It reflected an era full of young people wholeheartedly interested in disbanding the conventional ideals of prior generations, and pissing off the FCC as much as possible. And, honestly, when was the last time you heard the term “VJ?” There was a time when “The Real World” focused on real-life issues like racism and AIDS, and less on hot tub parties and drunken hookups. And maybe “Beavis and Butt-head” wasn’t exactly designed for Mensa, but it exuded more intellect than “The Hills.” So is this simply the final attempts of a dying network to appeal to a new generation of teens, or is this an adequate portrayal of the rising youth culture? I’m sincerely hoping it isn’t the latter. As a college student and still- but barely- part of MTV’s target age bracket, I’m offended at the content put forth by the once great television giant. Pages of parenting magazines and blogs have blasted my generation for being overindulged, oversexed, and apathetic - and programs like “My Super Sweet 16” and “Next” confirm just that. And promiscuous internet-celebrity Tila Tequila’s “A Shot at Love” couldn’t have done much for accurate representation of the gay, lesbian, and bisexual community either. MTV is like an aging movie star resorting to porno roles for attention. Maybe it’s time for Viacom to cut the dead weight and put the poor thing out of its misery. Comments [post a comment]Comments are closed |
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Thursday, February 09, 2012
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Mtv, Viacom, Reality, Music, Television