Video and shitty programming killed the radio star.
I was born in 1982, one year after MTV, a.k.a Music Television (nobody ever said this channel was original and creative), was introduced to the world. Therefore, I am a member of the MTV generation, which sucks, if you ask me. I don't completely hate the channel, it's had some decent, not great mind you, decent programming on throughout its 20-odd year run. "Beavis & Butthead," "Daria," and a very select few of the reality shows they've run into the ground are the only ones I can think of.
I find it ironic that when this channel was created, and its general idea was to show music videos, it came at a time in which there were literally very few videos to show.
Fast forward a few years, and musicians are realizing the best way to be seen and heard is on MTV, and now more and more musicians are producing videos.
In fact, for MTV, from it's 1981 inception to about 1988, MTV was the pinnacle of what it set out too be. "Old School MTV," as it were, was cutting edge, it was harsh, it was creative and bold and daring! It was created to show the Establishment of television that there was a new wave of producers and execs, a wave that wanted to show the kids music. Loud, abusive tunes, which was also ironic, since the only videos they had in 1981 were Duran Duran and Rod Stewart, wherein loud and abusive tunes weren't the norm.
But by the time 1989 rolled around, MTV had become what it is today, and that is a soft, bland teeny-bopper's image of the whore that is the music industry. It began to become filled with insipid programming, boring veejays that were always dressed to the nines in swimsuits, sandals and no shirts if they were men. The women were in bikinis, or very little else. The videos were no longer picked by the lovers of rock or rap, but by the pretty, rich, white surburban that mostly hailed from Long Island, because the videos made by the Beastie Boys and NKOTB spoke to them and helped them get through the rough patch in their life, the rough patch being mommy and daddy taking away their allowance after the little bastard child called up some 1-900 number so they could hear the recorded voices of the pop stars they so desperately wanted to be like. Never mind the fact that they owned 80 albums by the same group, they needed to hear those recorded voices.
I can agree to the fact that music can help through rough patches in one's life, but these people never knew true hardship. It's an insult and a slap in the face to those that truly know shitty times to claim that N*SYNC and the Backstreet Boys helped some Manhattan-ite teeny-bopping cunt through some tough time.
In 1989, MTV became more about what they thought was hip and cool TV shows. The reason being was because by this time, 8 years since conception, anybody who watched MTV was considered cool, and the coveted table in the cafeteria was always filled with the kids who had seen the latest Micheal Jackson video or had seen Madonna simulate fucking in front of a shocked audience. Awards shows began popping up, as did original programming that involved game shows, reality shows, sitcoms, movies, and the occasional music video.
And since so many kids watched MTV, the music industry couldn't help but take notice. They had to follow suit in order to make the almighty buck. And unfortunately for some of us, that trend led to the boy bands and bubble gum pop princesses of today, even though that trend has worn off by a considerable amount in the past few years. Clones of each other and clones of an earlier generation of the pop idols, the one hit wonders who would never be seen or heard from again.
By the time 1993 had rolled around, MTV had become more television than music. It's said that they did this because they were in a downward spiral in the ratings, and as such, sold themselves to Viacom, a media super giant that owns Blockbuster, Nickelodeon, TNN, and Showtime, just to name a few of the channels. But one could say that MTV sold out (indirectly, really) to the TV Establishment that they originally never wanted to be like.
Now, I don't have a problem with them showing all TV shows and very little music videos, persay. Especially considering that they now have MTV2, which is strictly music videos. No, my problem with them having strict TV shows and very little music videos is that they take an idea, any decent idea, and run it into the ground. Don't believe me? I present the evidence to you in the form of each genre, wherein the title of the show that got the ball rolling, and the titles of the shows that are thinly-veiled carbon copies.
Reality Shows: "The Real World," a show that had 7 people living together in a house they could never fucking afford to show what happens when people stop being polite and start being real. "Road Rules," the same concept, only in a Winnebago, and they do wacky, exciting challenges that test the endurance and strength of the losers they picked. If you watch the shows, you'll notice that the residents living in the houses and the Winnie are pretty much the same stereotypes of the rich, white, surburban audience that watches the channel. Puck, from the Real World, and Pedro, also from the Real World, were the two most realistic people on either show.
"The Osbournes" begat "The Newlyweds," who begat "The Ashlee Simpson Show" who begat...you get the picture.
Hidden Camera Shows: "Buzzkill" was the grandfather of "Punk'd," which had such success, they now have a show called "Boiling Point," which is essence, the exact same show that "Buzzkill" was, albeit with a different title.
White People Acting Like They Can Dance, And They Really Can't: Pretty much the majority of their programming, even though one specific show got that ball rolling.
The hidden camera shows are the worst, since apparently, there's a group of people on this planet that enjoy watching people on hidden cameras. My friend Sarah said this could be a controversial post. I asked her why, but she said she didn't know. I know why. Because people don't like it when it's pointed out to them that they are nothing more thank fucking sheep, sheep who watch what they're told to watch, sheep that think it's still hip and cool to watch MTV. But it's not. Nowadays, the less MTV you watch, the cooler you are to the morons who watch the channel religiously. And it's not to say that MTV sucks complete and total ass.
I just really wish I weren't part of the MTV generation.
I find it ironic that when this channel was created, and its general idea was to show music videos, it came at a time in which there were literally very few videos to show.
Fast forward a few years, and musicians are realizing the best way to be seen and heard is on MTV, and now more and more musicians are producing videos.
In fact, for MTV, from it's 1981 inception to about 1988, MTV was the pinnacle of what it set out too be. "Old School MTV," as it were, was cutting edge, it was harsh, it was creative and bold and daring! It was created to show the Establishment of television that there was a new wave of producers and execs, a wave that wanted to show the kids music. Loud, abusive tunes, which was also ironic, since the only videos they had in 1981 were Duran Duran and Rod Stewart, wherein loud and abusive tunes weren't the norm.
But by the time 1989 rolled around, MTV had become what it is today, and that is a soft, bland teeny-bopper's image of the whore that is the music industry. It began to become filled with insipid programming, boring veejays that were always dressed to the nines in swimsuits, sandals and no shirts if they were men. The women were in bikinis, or very little else. The videos were no longer picked by the lovers of rock or rap, but by the pretty, rich, white surburban that mostly hailed from Long Island, because the videos made by the Beastie Boys and NKOTB spoke to them and helped them get through the rough patch in their life, the rough patch being mommy and daddy taking away their allowance after the little bastard child called up some 1-900 number so they could hear the recorded voices of the pop stars they so desperately wanted to be like. Never mind the fact that they owned 80 albums by the same group, they needed to hear those recorded voices.
I can agree to the fact that music can help through rough patches in one's life, but these people never knew true hardship. It's an insult and a slap in the face to those that truly know shitty times to claim that N*SYNC and the Backstreet Boys helped some Manhattan-ite teeny-bopping cunt through some tough time.
In 1989, MTV became more about what they thought was hip and cool TV shows. The reason being was because by this time, 8 years since conception, anybody who watched MTV was considered cool, and the coveted table in the cafeteria was always filled with the kids who had seen the latest Micheal Jackson video or had seen Madonna simulate fucking in front of a shocked audience. Awards shows began popping up, as did original programming that involved game shows, reality shows, sitcoms, movies, and the occasional music video.
And since so many kids watched MTV, the music industry couldn't help but take notice. They had to follow suit in order to make the almighty buck. And unfortunately for some of us, that trend led to the boy bands and bubble gum pop princesses of today, even though that trend has worn off by a considerable amount in the past few years. Clones of each other and clones of an earlier generation of the pop idols, the one hit wonders who would never be seen or heard from again.
By the time 1993 had rolled around, MTV had become more television than music. It's said that they did this because they were in a downward spiral in the ratings, and as such, sold themselves to Viacom, a media super giant that owns Blockbuster, Nickelodeon, TNN, and Showtime, just to name a few of the channels. But one could say that MTV sold out (indirectly, really) to the TV Establishment that they originally never wanted to be like.
Now, I don't have a problem with them showing all TV shows and very little music videos, persay. Especially considering that they now have MTV2, which is strictly music videos. No, my problem with them having strict TV shows and very little music videos is that they take an idea, any decent idea, and run it into the ground. Don't believe me? I present the evidence to you in the form of each genre, wherein the title of the show that got the ball rolling, and the titles of the shows that are thinly-veiled carbon copies.
Reality Shows: "The Real World," a show that had 7 people living together in a house they could never fucking afford to show what happens when people stop being polite and start being real. "Road Rules," the same concept, only in a Winnebago, and they do wacky, exciting challenges that test the endurance and strength of the losers they picked. If you watch the shows, you'll notice that the residents living in the houses and the Winnie are pretty much the same stereotypes of the rich, white, surburban audience that watches the channel. Puck, from the Real World, and Pedro, also from the Real World, were the two most realistic people on either show.
"The Osbournes" begat "The Newlyweds," who begat "The Ashlee Simpson Show" who begat...you get the picture.
Hidden Camera Shows: "Buzzkill" was the grandfather of "Punk'd," which had such success, they now have a show called "Boiling Point," which is essence, the exact same show that "Buzzkill" was, albeit with a different title.
White People Acting Like They Can Dance, And They Really Can't: Pretty much the majority of their programming, even though one specific show got that ball rolling.
The hidden camera shows are the worst, since apparently, there's a group of people on this planet that enjoy watching people on hidden cameras. My friend Sarah said this could be a controversial post. I asked her why, but she said she didn't know. I know why. Because people don't like it when it's pointed out to them that they are nothing more thank fucking sheep, sheep who watch what they're told to watch, sheep that think it's still hip and cool to watch MTV. But it's not. Nowadays, the less MTV you watch, the cooler you are to the morons who watch the channel religiously. And it's not to say that MTV sucks complete and total ass.
I just really wish I weren't part of the MTV generation.
posted by Adam at
12:42 PM
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