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Davis: Videos replaced by reality drivel
Continued from page 5
The network started out with continu
ous showings of videos, differing from
other networks that focused on half
hour or hourlong programs.
The network started out by airing
"Video Killed the Radio Star" by The
Buggies. Indeed, MTV transformed
the music industry by changing the
way music stars were born. The
three-minute clips helped mold the
popularity of Duran Duran, Michael
Jackson, Madonna and Prince. The
network even employed video jock
eys, or VJs, taking on the likes of radio
disc jockeys.
When Viacom bought MTV in 1985,
the network showed a narrow range
of rock and pop, but soon branched
outto other genres, such as heavy
metal with "Headbangers' Ball" and
rap with "Yo! MTV Raps."
In 1985 MTV launched VH1, a sta
tion similar in format that kept its fo
cus on soft rock. Soon international
MTV spin-offs started in Europe
and Asia while MTV began to air
news, sports, sitcoms, documen
taries, cartoons, game shows and
reality TV shows.
Viewers today are lucky to catch
any music videos at all on MTV. The
best bet is Total Request Live, which
airs clips less than 30 seconds long
and has viewers requesting songs
while the video plays.
MTV isn't too worried a bout the
music — it's all aboutthe money. The
network has a tough time sticking to
its initial devotion to music as it must
cook up something new each season
in orderto attractthe elusive 12-to-34
year-old market.
"It's difficult for MTV to target the
teen market which is very fluid,"
Horizon Media Senior Vice President
of Research Brad Adgate said in May.
"Once something becomes too popu
lar, it goes out of vogue with teens.
MTV always has to reinvent a new
programming genre."
MTV has continued to recreate and
recycle old shows by replacing them
with similar shows and characters.
"Homewrecker" came from "Viva La
Bam," which came from "Jackass,"
which came from "The Tom Green
Show." Examples that stretch further
into MTV history include dating shows
from "Singled Out" to "NEXT" and
makeover shows from "Becoming"
to "MADE."
More recently, reality shows re
volving around celebrities and their
families bombarded the network
with shows like "The Osbournes,"
"Newlyweds," "The Ashlee Simp
son Show" and "MeetThe Barkers."
Complaints concerning MTV's
lack of music videos began in the
mid-1990s and continue into the
21 st Century as MTV shifts even
further away from music. "Beavis
and Butthead" in the '90s at least
played videos like Radiohead's
"Fake Plastic Trees" while the duo
offered their asinine commentary.
While MTV has abandoned its
original mission, the question is:
Does it really matter?
The approach has worked as MTV
has become one of the most prof
itable networks in television and is
one of the few mediums to reach
young audiences (the average MTV
viewer is 20). Viewers—87 million to
be exact— have proved they want
mindless television. "Real World: Las
Vegas," anyone?
However, for those who want
music, options exist. Launched just
two years ago, Fuse TV came out
with the goal of playing "more mu
sic, less crappy TV" — an obvious
bash against MTV. Fuse, which is
not currently available on basic ca
ble, now has 37 million viewers.
MTV has launched its own series
of offshoot networks like MTV2 —
the real competition for Fuse —
that focus more on music videos
and music-related shows.
If MTV suddenly played a variety
of music videos all the time, view
ers and bands would still find time
to complain. Being played on MTV
means a band or singer has
achieved the ultimate conquest in
reaching stardom. Would bands in
certain genres such as punk really
want to be on MTV? (Cough, cough,
Green Day.)
The future does not look bright.
MTV's Web site includes casting
calls for "Room Raiders" and for
new shows asking: "Is it your
dream to be a beauty queen?" or,
"Guys, do your friends think your
sister is beyond hot?"
Viewers will have to turn to other
sources such as Fuse for music
videos. Music fans can also turn to
other mediums for music videos
such as the Internet, with sites like
MySpace, and MP3 players, with
the newest iPod capable of storing
up to 150 hours of video.
These technologies will prove
what MTV did in the '80s and '90s:
Music stars can be born in new
ways thanks to new mediums.
While the complaints will contin
ue over MTV, it will continue to
evolve into a less music-oriented
network that should take the "
Music" part out of their title.
But ah, who cares? Just be a good
viewer and watch Dunn turn some
one's room into a sweaty locker room.
tdavis@dailyemerald.com