[templeboy]

Today is the 20th Anniversary for MTV, which IMHO is one of the major sources causing the degradation of music nowadays. People start to see instead of 100% listen. Therefore sex appear seems being more important for some succussful recording "artists" than their Donald Duck voices.

I know my opinion won't be popular w/ young readers but let's vote.

 

[Budgie]

Once upon a time,long ago, MTV was a good thing. They have definatly become a big money grubbing corporation with no morals and only concern for the bottom line. The McDonalds of the music industry. They could care less about the music. They only seem to offer pure Crap now, spiced with blatent sexuality. They have Nothing left, to offer the music lover.

 

[arnett]

yeah, but it's been like that since madonna broke in 1983. it has only gotten worse.

i was wathching all those old videos on the mtv today and thought "wow, they haven't played so many good videos in a row since...well...since 1983!"

i remember when mtv was really cool.

i mean really, really cool. now it's a joke. well, not if you like commercials.

 

[Flumpus]

Personally, I can't stand MTV...

I stronly agree that it is bad for music in that it promotes image over musical talent.

 

[mbriant]

The only music videos I've ever liked are actual footage of a band playing live. The "themed" videos kill my own personal imagery of a song.

 

[MacDEF]

The sad truth about MTV is captured perfectly in this quote about TV in general from, of all people, Steve Jobs:

Quote:

When you're young, you look at television and think, "There's a conspiracy. The networks have conspired to dumb us down." But when you get a little older, you realize that's not true. The networks are in business to give people exactly what they want. That's a far more depressing thought.

MTV is what it is today because it's what the target audience wants... no, *demands.* That's sad, IMO, but not to a lot of 10-25-year-olds.

 

[markl]

"Once upon a time,long ago, MTV was a good thing. They have definatly become a big money grubbing corporation with no morals and only concern for the bottom line. The McDonalds of the music industry. They could care less about the music.

Is MTV holding guns to the heads of teenagers and forcing them to watch their channel and buy that crap? You have the theory of supply and demand backwards. Supply shows up after demand.

We have met the enemy and it is us. A large chunk of the music-buying public seems to like this stuff. It's not like other music is being cruelly "surpressed"-- there are plenty of great musicians/songwriters/bands out there and its not that hard to find them.

Capitalism is as adept at killing these pre-fabricated bands as it is in creating them. There is a massive BACKLASH right around the corner that will simply make the bottom drop out of the boy-band market and the whole creepy weird TRL culture they spawned. People are sick of it. The whole industry knows this. See, they lock into what they think is the "magic formula" and then over-produce it to the point that no-one wants it anymore. Voila! Poof goes Britney Spears. Buh-bye! Next!

It will be a great time for experimental music, and there will be an in-rush of new bands/artists.

However, bear in mind that the excitement of seeing new and different things on MTV will not last. They have not suddenly become music lovers-- they are merely trying to figure out what the heck the people want next. They will be scrambling to play all kinds of weird stuff just to see what will sell.

Eventually, the industry will lock in to the next "magic" formula (whatever that turns out to be), mass produce it, over produce it, burn people out on it, repeating the cycle on into infinity.

markl
Former indie-rock boy

 

[mbriant]

I think you're all turning into your parents.

Schlocky music and schlockier video have been around for a long time now. Songs like Bloody Red Baron, Monster Mash, and many equally as bad never held much hope for the future of music either.

And let's not forget the grandaddys of the factory bands, the Monkees from my generation........ popular with the younger crowd and either panned or ignored by the older crowd.

The Monkees had their own television show. Jimi Hendrix didn't.

It's the way of things.

There is always good music being played and produced. You just have to find it.

You're right though. It's sad to think MTV's giving the public what they want.

I vote "somewhat agree".

 

[rickcr42]

Some classic MTV cuts

Peter Gabriel-Sledgehammer (Genesis was way more interesting with this man)

Dire Straights-Money For Nothing (those lyrics alone will not fly on TV these days)

Michael Jackson-Thriller (when he still had some talent/color)

I want my,I want my, I want My MTVEEEE

No watchie for me in the last three years

 

[coolvij]

Quote:

Michael Jackson-Thriller (when he still had some talent/color)

Don't you mean she?

Just kidding.

I voted somewhat agree - i bet their have been good things to come out of MTV - i just don't know about them....

 

[Voyager]

I voted strongly agree. Watching TV detracts from the listening experience. Now insted of "Wow, that sounds good" it's "Wow, that video was cool". Plus, speakers in TVs are generally really bad, and compared to the TVs speakers, my Getto Boomcar Dum!-Bass Mini-system sounds good, and people no longer demand Audiophile quality sound.

 

[ai0tron]

DOES MADONNA JUST KEEP GETTING SEXIER OR WHAT????

I would have to strongly agree. MTV is a load of trash. In fact, I have banned every tv show and in the case of MTV the entire network, that has in some way attempted to boost the career of P.Diddy, aka Puff Daddy, aka dumb ****, aka the person whom if I ever meet in the street I will shoot in the leg because apparently shooting someone just isn't a crime anymore. Sorry LETTERMAN, and whomever elses show I spot P. Diddy on I was a fan but I am no longer. Besides, Letterman just isn't all that funny anymore.

 

[Neruda]

Dire straits on MTV...those days are gone.

(We should have a disgusted smilie on this forum! The one with teh tounge sticking out should look disgusted, dammit!)

 

[sackley]

The funny thing about MTV is that they barely play any videos at all anymore and when they actually do on TRL, they don't even show the whole video. They have totally gone away from their roots as a music station and become one obsessed with trendiness and style.

 

[neil]

What I just love are the videos with these bands that have this semi-metal sound, and they try to look so damn tough.. but they're kinda regressing into the make-up and costume styles of the 80s.. only thing different in today's "hard-core" look is the nipple rings.

Anyhow, these bands get up there, shove their faces right in the camera, showing how tough they are, making their tough facial expressions, and their music just sucks. It's all about presentation, and they can't even get that part right. I don't want to see some video with a dramatic reinactment of an argument with a girlfriend, and I don't want to a some pseudo-tough band act tough. Particularly when the lead singers face is made up in white cover-up and the lead guitarist is wearing a leather srong/wrap-dress.

I'm with mbriant in that I like to see the phreakin band do their thing: just playing... if you're going to show the band at all. Be it live, or be it like Alice in Chains : Would. From that side of the spectrum, or to the other, to bands like Tool, where you do not see the band at all (they use animation/claymation).

MTV is the pits.