Zoneboy
07-28-2011, 07:46 PM
Link (http://www.amny.com/urbanite-1.812039/mtv-at-30-1.3059496)
Imagine a world without reality TV, the cult of Madonna, and — dare we say it — “Beavis and Butt-Head.”
As the groundbreaking network turns 30 Monday, people want their MTV more than ever.
But today’s MTV is a far cry from the one that jolted the nation and quickly transformed the look and feel of television after it went live on Aug. 1, 1981. Long gone are the VJs, concerts, cutting-edge music shows and — unless you’re up early in the morning — the videos.
“When we are talking about MTV, we’re really not talking about music anymore, are we?” said original VJ Mark Goodman, adding that MTV’s current viewers don’t bemoan the disappearance of videos as its original core audience does. “It’s not sad for people who are watching it now — for them it’s great,” said Goodman, who’s now a host on Sirius radio.
After all, in 1981, there was no other outlet to see music stars in action 24/7.
These days, the endlessly morphing network is a reality-show machine, enjoying its highest ratings ever thanks to shows such as “Jersey Shore” and “Teen Mom.”
“MTV invented reality shows and that’s something that people really don’t talk about,” said Daniel Manu, site director of TelevisionWithoutPity.com. “ ‘Real World’ started 19 years ago, [with] the idea of not doing it as a documentary — actually casting people, contriving the action. That was the template for reality TV.”
MTV President Stephen Friedman, 41, said the goal is to keep the network as “the cultural home of the youth generation.”
“It’s about entertaining them, engaging them, and being an advocate for them,” he said, adding that it’s important the channel “represents them better than any other music vehicle out there.”
“Our shows are getting higher ratings now than in the history of MTV,” he said. “What’s fascinating, we found a couple of years ago when [viewers] started getting tired of certain things we were doing that every generation seems to demand its own MTV.”
Even if you’ve never seen a music video or watched “The Hills,” MTV’s imprint is on virtually everything you watch.
“The way it communicated changed television, the way ‘Sesame Street’ did 10 years before,” said Ron Simon, curator of television and radio at the Paley Center for Media. “In the early ‘80s, it certainly changed the look and grammar of television. Those early videos changed the look and pace of all television.”
Goodman added, “The story that I love is that ‘Miami Vice’ was pitched to networks as ‘MTV Cops.’”
MTV airs videos from 3-9 a.m. on most days, but that’s not enough for some New Yorkers.
“It’s definitely changed weirdly over the years,” said Ingrid Echavarria, 31, of midtown. “It’s somewhat entertaining but nothing like the ‘80s and ‘90s MTV.”
For the 58-year-old Goodman, though — he admits he’s now 30 years older than MTV’s demo — not having music on the channel just makes sense.
“MTV as it was conceived in 1981 is just not necessary anymore,” because videos are all over the web, he said.
MTV, which is celebrating its birthday with a three-day marathon starting Saturday on VH-1 Classic, hasn’t completely disinherited its past.
This October, “Beavis and Butt-Head” returns and “120 Minutes,” the alternative rock staple that ran from 1986-2000, re-emerges Saturday with host Matt Pinfield.
Imagine a world without reality TV, the cult of Madonna, and — dare we say it — “Beavis and Butt-Head.”
As the groundbreaking network turns 30 Monday, people want their MTV more than ever.
But today’s MTV is a far cry from the one that jolted the nation and quickly transformed the look and feel of television after it went live on Aug. 1, 1981. Long gone are the VJs, concerts, cutting-edge music shows and — unless you’re up early in the morning — the videos.
“When we are talking about MTV, we’re really not talking about music anymore, are we?” said original VJ Mark Goodman, adding that MTV’s current viewers don’t bemoan the disappearance of videos as its original core audience does. “It’s not sad for people who are watching it now — for them it’s great,” said Goodman, who’s now a host on Sirius radio.
After all, in 1981, there was no other outlet to see music stars in action 24/7.
These days, the endlessly morphing network is a reality-show machine, enjoying its highest ratings ever thanks to shows such as “Jersey Shore” and “Teen Mom.”
“MTV invented reality shows and that’s something that people really don’t talk about,” said Daniel Manu, site director of TelevisionWithoutPity.com. “ ‘Real World’ started 19 years ago, [with] the idea of not doing it as a documentary — actually casting people, contriving the action. That was the template for reality TV.”
MTV President Stephen Friedman, 41, said the goal is to keep the network as “the cultural home of the youth generation.”
“It’s about entertaining them, engaging them, and being an advocate for them,” he said, adding that it’s important the channel “represents them better than any other music vehicle out there.”
“Our shows are getting higher ratings now than in the history of MTV,” he said. “What’s fascinating, we found a couple of years ago when [viewers] started getting tired of certain things we were doing that every generation seems to demand its own MTV.”
Even if you’ve never seen a music video or watched “The Hills,” MTV’s imprint is on virtually everything you watch.
“The way it communicated changed television, the way ‘Sesame Street’ did 10 years before,” said Ron Simon, curator of television and radio at the Paley Center for Media. “In the early ‘80s, it certainly changed the look and grammar of television. Those early videos changed the look and pace of all television.”
Goodman added, “The story that I love is that ‘Miami Vice’ was pitched to networks as ‘MTV Cops.’”
MTV airs videos from 3-9 a.m. on most days, but that’s not enough for some New Yorkers.
“It’s definitely changed weirdly over the years,” said Ingrid Echavarria, 31, of midtown. “It’s somewhat entertaining but nothing like the ‘80s and ‘90s MTV.”
For the 58-year-old Goodman, though — he admits he’s now 30 years older than MTV’s demo — not having music on the channel just makes sense.
“MTV as it was conceived in 1981 is just not necessary anymore,” because videos are all over the web, he said.
MTV, which is celebrating its birthday with a three-day marathon starting Saturday on VH-1 Classic, hasn’t completely disinherited its past.
This October, “Beavis and Butt-Head” returns and “120 Minutes,” the alternative rock staple that ran from 1986-2000, re-emerges Saturday with host Matt Pinfield.