The Rise and Demise of MTV

By adaus2011

How MTV and the Media Are Now More Uncool than Ever.

It is tough for me to describe the disappointment I have in MTV and most media outlets because at one point I was a fan of these networks. However, it is important to examine the flaws in current forms of media and pray for a return to the basics that these formidable networks were built upon.

The first and most obvious of the network disappointments is MTV. Although I have only been alive for 22 of the 30 years of MTV's existence, I am extremely disappointed in the shift in content. As a child, I remembered racing home to catch TRL or watching multiple shows that centered just around showing music videos. Seeing the creativity of the artists through their song and performance captivated me and helped me aspire to one day express my own thoughts to the world (hence writing this article). But alas Music Television has gone through some changes, and some executives somewhere thought that MTV would be better without the music. I understand in part why the network could not be all music all of the time, and even enjoyed some of the original programming such as Jacka$$, Beavis an Butthead (which I watched despite my mother's objections), Celebrity Deathmatch, and even Punk'd (for a little while). One of the key differences between shows like the ones just mentioned and the current programming is that these are all outrageously funny and added a little of the MTV rebelliousness to the channel. Current shows such as Teen Mom, Jersey Shore, Made, Awkward, True Life, Disaster Date (which is a COMPLETE RIPOFF of BET's Hell Date), and Teen Wolf are all vapid and pointless shows that promote promiscuity, abandoning responsibilities, and whining about your problems to become famous. You mean there are other people out there, who were picked on in high school or have had obstacles in their lives too? [Cry me a river] If I wanted to watch some senior citizens that get drunk and sleep with skanks all the time to avoid the meaninglessness of their existence (Jersey Shore) or see some teen mom unable to keep her legs shut or have one brain cell fire to tell her partner to use protection, then I could turn off the tv and just people watch in the park. People don't watch tv to see reality or some crude stereotype of normal life, they watch it to escape reality and see something outrageous and unique. MTV without the M is just TV, and the channel is slowly slipping into obscurity and becoming the antithesis of the cool, influential, and inspiring forum that it once was. Hopefully, MTV can snap out of this midlife crisis and maybe engineer a way out of their self-created predicament.

The next network is NBC and, for this article, due to the fact that SNL is now the least funny program in all of television. This is maybe the hardest thing to admit because I remember watching this show every Saturday with my father and laughing so hard that I was in tears every weekend. Aside from the fact that Tina Fey is not funny and the program relied too heavily on just her writing style, the show has taken a severely Democratic stance and is not fun to watch. Call me stupid for reminiscing, but SNL of my childhood were equal opportunity with respect to bashing people for being stupid. Laughing at Darrel Hammond doing a Clinton, Gore, or McCain impersonation, Will Ferrell as G W Bush or Janet Reno, and so many others makes me realize how sad it is now that all SNL does is bash Republicans. I am an Independent, but it is not funny to just bash one side more than the other side. The show turns into a sermon or a Democratic rally rather than a comedy show on the weekends, and I feel that I can write and perform better material in my basement half the time. Shame on you NBC and Loren Michaels for ruining what was one of the funniest shows of all time.

The last networks that have me all fired up about their content are Disney and Nickelodeon. Nick used to have a variety of original animated shows, sketch comedy (All That), and sitcoms that were truly entertaining for all ages and inspired creativity from the children watching the programs. Disney had a lot of the same types of programming but used to have classic cartoons also to immortalize the heritage of the Disney company. The sad thing about these networks now is that they are crammed hour to hour with these new crappy teen drama sitcoms and rarely have any original ideas in the programming lineup. It makes no sense to me that these networks would ignore the cartoons that inspired generations and made them famous in the first place. All of the creativity, passion, uniqueness, and genuine comedy seems to be a thing of the past at these networks. Disney should weep at the fact that only 1/10 children know who Mickey Mouse is, and I would personally slap the CEO myself if given the opportunity.

Call me old fashioned, but I just don't understand the concept that everything that is new is always better. Often times I watch re-runs of The Twilight Zone, and I am in awe at the quality of entertainment, plot, and cinematography used to inspire and captivate millions. Now, it is suddenly becoming popular that late at night, once a month, on a full moon, in months ending with "T", after a full harvest, before a 7,291+ stock market jump that Nick and Disney have started showing re-runs of the cartoons and shows their foundations were built upon. All exaggerations aside, these late night re-runs are a decent start to getting quality programming back on television for all to enjoy. Maybe I too can recapture a little piece of my childhood in the near future by jumping in fright again while watching Are You Afraid of the Dark, sailing away to a more simple time with Steamboat Willie, laughing so much that I can't catch my breath throughout an entire SNL episode, or even just appreciating the music and vision of others on Music Television. And hopefully some day the same quality programming that I grew up with can inspire my children in the future to be creative, witty, funny, and respectful of all that constitutes their heritage and person.