VMA's Not Hot
As a pop cultist, I've had long love affairs with various shows, even when it's become obvious they've jumped the shark. Last year VMA's disappointed to levels that astounded from the what were they thinking unshown performances to the agressive directive to get fans to also watch the show online. Yeah, because we pay $160 a month for cable to have an online experience.
This year, I returned in hopes they redeemed themselves. That in their effort to remain ahead of the curve, MTV would realize that, even without overhauling, the VMAs have always been ahead of the curve in comparison to other award shows, simply because it remained true to the original formula - lots of performances, spontaneous moments likely elicited from the attendees alcohol excess and excited musicians aware that the Moonman's prestige was tied to its counterculture symbolism.
Last night was as boring and tame as a Grammy's show. OMG, have the VMAs become the Grammys?
Maybe, because MTV doesn't seem to get get it. This year's VMA performances were over produced. True to its Hollywood location, the performances were heavy on sound stage theatrics instead of live band purities.
The Jonas Brothers looked like they were performing on Sesame Street. T.I. nearly got lost in his performance because there were so many extras and rooms to go through. I guess Rihanna's opening was okay, though admiteddly I'm a bit tired of her.
This year's show, as last year's, once again rewarded the studio audience with side performances, that the viewing audiences received only peeks of.
Hey MTV - why on earth wouldn't the viewers like to see full-on performances by Katy Perry who has one of the hottest songs out right now? Or Lupe Fiasco who is changing hip hop with his skater boy style and lyrics? I don't get it.
The biggest 'huh?!' for me was MTV pushing Britany Spears as if she were truly significant any longer beyond her ability to generate tab headlines. Three? Three Moonmen?!
Video of the year?!
Is it 1998 or 2008?
I'm not sure why the media thinks we still care about Britany. Don't get me wrong, if she makes a hot song right now I'll nod to it. But until she does, I could care less about what she's doing and at this point in her career I'm baffled at three awards - not with pop music competition as tight as it is.
Not sure if the open bar at these shows have been banned, but they need to be brought back. The audience looked as bored as I felt. As they did last year. At least if they were sauced, they'd make some excitement.
Last, I'm not a fan of having it in Hollywood. Leave Hollywood to the film and TV stars. New York is music! Apparently when things are held in Hollywood the production becomes more about, well production - about making a spectacle of red carpet entrances and making use of Hollywood sound stages.
When it's in New York, the limited space means it has to be about what happens inside the show. It has to be about music, not celebrities. It has to be about live performances, not lip synching.
I felt like I was looking at a very bad, low-budget version of The Grammy's last night. And that could be an insult to the Grammy's as they've tried their best in the last few years to get a little swag.
MTV, you've tried it for two years and it hasn't worked. When bloggers are using words like "tame" to describe the show, that's a problem.
Go back to the original formula:
New York + Open bar+Performances focused on music not props+Courting today's hottest artists (not yesterday's) = Hot VMAs.
Go back about three years (oh, but not the year it was in South Beach) and simply repeat.
And just in case my pop culture addiction isn't enough cred to make my opinion important to the ever-youthful network, I watched the VMAs with my 14 year old and she willingly went to bed in the middle of the show.
Proof enough?!
This year, I returned in hopes they redeemed themselves. That in their effort to remain ahead of the curve, MTV would realize that, even without overhauling, the VMAs have always been ahead of the curve in comparison to other award shows, simply because it remained true to the original formula - lots of performances, spontaneous moments likely elicited from the attendees alcohol excess and excited musicians aware that the Moonman's prestige was tied to its counterculture symbolism.
Last night was as boring and tame as a Grammy's show. OMG, have the VMAs become the Grammys?
Maybe, because MTV doesn't seem to get get it. This year's VMA performances were over produced. True to its Hollywood location, the performances were heavy on sound stage theatrics instead of live band purities.
The Jonas Brothers looked like they were performing on Sesame Street. T.I. nearly got lost in his performance because there were so many extras and rooms to go through. I guess Rihanna's opening was okay, though admiteddly I'm a bit tired of her.
This year's show, as last year's, once again rewarded the studio audience with side performances, that the viewing audiences received only peeks of.
Hey MTV - why on earth wouldn't the viewers like to see full-on performances by Katy Perry who has one of the hottest songs out right now? Or Lupe Fiasco who is changing hip hop with his skater boy style and lyrics? I don't get it.
The biggest 'huh?!' for me was MTV pushing Britany Spears as if she were truly significant any longer beyond her ability to generate tab headlines. Three? Three Moonmen?!
Video of the year?!
Is it 1998 or 2008?
I'm not sure why the media thinks we still care about Britany. Don't get me wrong, if she makes a hot song right now I'll nod to it. But until she does, I could care less about what she's doing and at this point in her career I'm baffled at three awards - not with pop music competition as tight as it is.
Not sure if the open bar at these shows have been banned, but they need to be brought back. The audience looked as bored as I felt. As they did last year. At least if they were sauced, they'd make some excitement.
Last, I'm not a fan of having it in Hollywood. Leave Hollywood to the film and TV stars. New York is music! Apparently when things are held in Hollywood the production becomes more about, well production - about making a spectacle of red carpet entrances and making use of Hollywood sound stages.
When it's in New York, the limited space means it has to be about what happens inside the show. It has to be about music, not celebrities. It has to be about live performances, not lip synching.
I felt like I was looking at a very bad, low-budget version of The Grammy's last night. And that could be an insult to the Grammy's as they've tried their best in the last few years to get a little swag.
MTV, you've tried it for two years and it hasn't worked. When bloggers are using words like "tame" to describe the show, that's a problem.
Go back to the original formula:
New York + Open bar+Performances focused on music not props+Courting today's hottest artists (not yesterday's) = Hot VMAs.
Go back about three years (oh, but not the year it was in South Beach) and simply repeat.
And just in case my pop culture addiction isn't enough cred to make my opinion important to the ever-youthful network, I watched the VMAs with my 14 year old and she willingly went to bed in the middle of the show.
Proof enough?!
posted by Paula at 8:23 AM
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