Pop Goes the Culture
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AprillBrandon - > Pop Goes the Culture -> My MTV Boycott
My MTV Boycott

That's it, I'm done with them. I thought I'd stick it out for a little while longer, but I just simply can't take it any more.

I am boycotting MTV.

I'm pretty sure the last straw for me came in the form of "A Shot of Love with Tila Tequila," a reality show featuring some random bisexual who has men and women compete for her affection. Or maybe it was the Laguna Beach/Hills phenomenon, which features a bunch of white, blonde rich kids with personalities of a brick wall (typical conversation: Girl #1: "Hi." Boy #1: "Hey." ...long pause...Girl #2: "Hey guys, what's going on?").

I'm actually a little sad it has to come to this, considering I used to love the channel back in the day. I was a huge fan of Beavis and Butthead, Daria, the old days of the MTV Movie Awards and oh, yeah, music videos (back when they actually played them and had more on rotation than just the top six).

I even loved the early days of "The Real World" when it actually was a social experiment and not seven, whiny brats giving all young people a bad name.

But now, the channel has absolutely nothing to do with not only music, but real young people such as myself. Watching MTV today, one could easily come to the conclusion that everyone aged 15-25 is a drunken, spoiled, airhead that has more notches on their bedpost than the members of KISS combined.

When MTV started, it was a revolution. It was in-your-face, irreverent, and completely belonging to the younger generations. It was our music, our attitude.

But now, with shows like "My Super Sweet Sixteen" and "Date My Mom," MTV has turned into simply another corporation looking to exploit young people in order to make money. Not to mention that the only good music you hear is...oh wait, you don't hear any good music anymore.

And so, I am boycotting it. And while I fully realize that this will do nothing to change MTV, at least I will no longer feel a crushing depression after watching yet another one of their "reality" shows because I can't believe my generation has really turned out that way.

Tags: MTV, boycott, reality shows, the real world
posted by AprillBrandon on Friday, November 23, 2007 at 11:09 AM
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posted by kgohmert on Dec 4, 2007 at 11:04 AM

While all my friends had cable, alas, I was--and still am--too far in the sticks to receive cable during the tender ages of childhood.  (Thank God for Satellite Providers!)  While I may have missed out on some Major Pop-Culture Phenomena, I did have a best friend who would record MTV's greatest for me on a VHS tape as gifts for Christmas and Birthday.  God Bless You, Megan Dueker!  And, thanks for all of the Pop-Up-Video and Beavis & Butthead!

Now that I have access to the "cable" channels, I can't help but feel terribly let down.  MTV, VH1 and even CMT have become reality TV channels. Has the industry lost all form of creativity?  Can no one write anymore?  Why are writer's striking when all we see is "reality" TV?  I mean writer's aren't doing anything anyway since it's "real" right?  Why ask for more money? 

So many movies are being remade or sequelled nowadays that it makes me wonder if any form of creativity is left in this world.  Rambo 27 is about to come out.  Joy.  Shoot me.

Rather than watching regular TV I find myself watching TMC and AMC.  Why?  Because that's when originality was admired.  Why watch the rip off of a movie, when you can watch the movie the way it was intended? 

posted by BillyMau on Nov 24, 2007 at 09:35 PM
Congrats Aprill, you are now officially a boring old person. You'll find your future somewhere between the arthritis cream and lotto tickets. Please remember that while driving 17 miles per hour down the highway that you are now required to leave your left blinker on.
posted by shawn on Nov 24, 2007 at 01:52 AM
Can't leave out Headbanger's Ball - something actually worth watching back in the day.
posted by maryann on Nov 23, 2007 at 10:19 PM

Aprill, I agree with you, and Sugar Magnolia too.

I can remember back in the late 70s or early 80s when we first got MTV on our cable. It was GRAND!  George Michael was SO HOT! What happened to those old videos that left some things up to the imagination?

Ultimately, it'll come down to their not having sponsors. Everything on t.v. seems to run its course, but as they keep playing to the lowest common denominator since the last 25 yrs. they keep finding more viewers. I wonder if they'll run out????  We'll see.

posted by SugarMagnolia on Nov 23, 2007 at 09:27 PM
OK, so full disclosure here - I am of course old enough to remember the DAY MTV debuted. I thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. We had just moved out to the sticks from Houston, but that day I was visiting my best friend in Houston, who got this new thing called cable, just so we both could watch the debut of this amazing new channel. WOW. So, cut to present. Or, rather, more than a decade ago, when the last thing I watched on MTV was Beavis and Butthead. Heh, heh, yea, that's cool....I said, "Butt!" HEH HEH. Anyhoo, that was the last program that was watchable to me on MTV.  Everything else has been pure trash since then. MUSIC Television seems to have forgetten to dance with who brung 'em. Oh, well. At least I get VH-1 Classic. Of course MTV will always be a part of my life with many fond memories, but its time is OVER. Bravo to you, Aprill, for giving them the snub. Just an echo of what I did so many years ago. God, I miss Beavis and Butthead, but thank goodness for DVD! heh,heh,  that's cool!
posted by JimiDollar on Nov 23, 2007 at 06:43 PM
MTV has been garbage for some time now. Hey, at least you can watch Beavis and Butt-Head on DVD!
posted by AllisonMiles on Nov 23, 2007 at 11:14 AM
I agree that a lot of MTV's shows aren't that great, but I'm addicted to The Real World. It doesn't matter which season it is or where they're located, I have to watch those seven dysfunctional strangers "picked to live in a house and have their lives taped." And when they have Real World marathons? Forget it. I'm ordering in and glued to the TV all day. It's a sickness.
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