Money for Nothing

With all of the hoopla over MTV turning 25, I felt like I had to post something about the network that introduced me (when I was a mere tween) to the wonders of Pat Benatar, Loverboy and John Cougar Mellancamp (he used Cougar back then). It's interesting that one of the things that made MTV cool in its early days is what has finally become cool en masse. I'm talking about MTV's Basement Tapes. This was the show where bands could make their own music video and submit it to the network. Sound familiar? Without even knowing it, MTV was giving us all a glimpse into the future, where DIY media would soon permeate our entire media landscape.

MTV also chose its original hosts based on their knowledge and passion for music. If you look at who the WSJ anointed as new media moguls, they are not shiny happy "talent" who would necessarily "test well" with mass audiences. It's ironic that some of the early traits of MTV are now being celebrated and rewarded online. 120 Minutes + Basement Tapes = Stereogum, Garagaband and Pure Volume.

After watching the Merchants of Cool way back when, I remember thinking, is it the chicken or the egg? Is MTV creating pop culture for teens or is it reflecting the reality of what teens are really doing? I think MTV does both — now that it's a commercial juggernaut, it has a vested interest in creating aspirational programming saturated with stuff teens will want to buy and celebrities teens want to be. It still does True Life and other doc-style reflections of teen life exceptionally well. And when it [albeit rarely] takes on real issues like HIV/AIDS or the elections, nobody does it better for this audience. I think the channel's commercial success, corporate ownership and advertisers have inevitably crushed the initial exuberance of the moon man and the independent spirit MTV used to have. I also think FOX is quickly doing this to MySpace right now…Maybe we'll reach a moment where brands and corporations realize that real authenticity is cool and that they can support it without crowding it and twisting it into something unrecognizable. Or maybe that's just too much of a utopian vision. It will be interesting to see how MTV reinvents itself in the Internet/ugc age. They are obviously taking some cues from us at Current TV, which, by the way, is also celebrating a birthday today. We launched August 1 last year.

Related reflections on MTV's anniversary:
25 Years Down the Tube (Washington Post, reg. required)
The Ever-Changing Eternal Youth of MTV, Now 25 Going on 11 (New York Times, reg. required)

P.S. MTV has renewed "Laguna" spin-off "The Hills" for a second season. (Reality Blurred)

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