August 1, 1981 was a pretty amazing day. I was stoked to be lucky enough to have cable television and it was launch date of Music Television, all music 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Having only had the joy of USA Networks Night Flight, I was thrilled to think that those late night hoverings around the TV would no longer be needed. Hell, I'd just flip the switch, grab the cable box (attached to the TV with a wire, that damn thing tripped me more time than I care to admit)grab some Doritos and watch TV.
The Buggles, Van Halen, REO Speedwagon, ok ok they weren't bands I liked but it was music and it was visual and it was the 80's and as a freshman in high school I couldn't have been more cool. These were the days that the radio got less action, it was MTV all the way and if you weren't sporting MTv gear you were dressing like Cindy Lauper cuz you damn well could. I loved when they would pop on something 'good'. The Clash or even something as squeel worthy as Lena Lovich, it happened, it was rare but it was orgasmic. Drop everything- and watch.
Suddenly everything you did felt like a music video, people walked different, things got louder, brighter more sensory and I credit MTv for giving music a face, even if it was Bob Segars. Remember Bruce Springsteen hoisting up Courtney Cox in the "Dancing in The Dark" video? Yeah that was staged but no one thought so at the time. But they were innocent and virgin days. Damn life was fun.
Time moved on and we got things like Beavis and Butthead. I, to this day love this show and I have a Beavis and Butthead t-shirt. Catch me on a good day and I'll do the laugh. I'm cool like that. But there was still music. The series 120 minutes gave me a glimpse of bands I would grow to love it was so fresh, so new so alive.
What now?
Now MTv is a joke. Its pregnant teenagers and Jersey whores and its sorta like weekday soap operas for the under 20 set. But its non stop. All bulshit all the time. Im old but I still have a great immaturity. Ask Iman, he'll tell you. So its not as if MTv is young and hip and I just got old and dull. Mtv got old and dull. It gave up and went on auto tune programming. Why bother coordinating 4 minute songs when you can pop a advertising packed 30 min lifestyle show in that slot instead? Mo money, less effort. Win Win.
Well not for the music fan. MTv is now just a lifestyle network and not even an accurate. In a world of ADHD medicated teens we have programming showing belligerent painted drunks and call it 'average', its not- its fucked up.
Now we have the attempts to bring in British television and Americanize it. We want it one better though. As controversial as Skins was it was believable it was entertaining and it was fantastic entertainment. US Skins- pathetic. The reason being is we're just too jaded and too stupid to actually think that could translate here. We need more flash, we can't think that hard. We can't follow a plot line. We need 'wam bam thank you mam' entertainment. Now "The Inbetweeners'? That is the biggest toss in the dark yet, do you really think American teens can handle another comedy about teenagers in high school? Give me a break this is doomed before it begins.
I would love to say that independents have picked up where MTv bailed out but they haven't. Fuse is lame there are about 8 MTv's so if you want Latino or Soul crap you're all set.
But there is nothing inspirational or exciting. MTv leaves you feeling used and covered in soda tainted slobber like a bad date. Feeling used and disoriented, wondering if thats how 'real' kids are living. Again, they aren't. Mtv forged a path to a brand new world of entertainment and innovation, ran out of gas and left us all in a trailer park in the Ozarks fucking our cousins and smoking Lucky Strikes.
Lets forget any attempt at bringing over European television, we're just going to embarrass ourselves with our lack of cool.