I Want My MTV, back...

This story has been written a million times, by a million people and I questioned whether I should write this at all, but as a Gen X'er who can remember actual videos on MTV, I felt it was my obligation to at least touch on the subject.

I can remember the very first video I ever saw on MTV. I don't think my hometown got the channel until maybe 1984, but my first taste of the music channel was Bruce Springsteen's ass against an American flag in "Born in the USA." Mom and Dad were entertaining friends, playing cards, and my older brother and I were in our pajamas enjoying the fact that we weren't being yelled at because we were up past our bedtime. As we flipped through the channels (no remote) my brother noticed a channel that had moveable images, but was still fuzzy. He turned a couple knobs and viola! Bruce Springsteen's ass. We hooted and hollered and acted like lunatics! It was the most exciting day of our lives! We. Had MTV...

Fast forward 29 years and MTV, which no longer means Music Television, isn't even remotely close to the network I fell in love with that fateful night. Reality TV has taken over. And it's not going away. I guess maybe I'm guilty of buying into the hype. I watched The Real World for the first nine years! But after awhile, even that started to feel dirty.

After reading a book penned by the original five VJs, I actually missed MTV. To be fair, when MTV first started out I liked most of the music videos they aired. I am not sure I could say the same if the network still played videos of artists in 2013. But one of the cool things about getting older is that you get to cling to all the wonderful things from your childhood and for me, that includes an MTV that played videos 24/7.

MTV First Day Saturday August  1st, 1981 12:01... by Dale0823

MTV Video Music Awards 2013

I was taught, if you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all. That can be applied to 95% of last night's awards ceremony. The remaining 5% to be praised included performances by Justin Timberlake and 'N Sync, Kanye West and Bruno Mars. As I was watching the show, as well as my Twitter feed, something occurred to me. I'm no longer their demographic. And let's be honest, I haven't been for 15 years. But it could not be more clear than watching Miley...doing whatever it was that she was doing. Or the fact that One Direction won for Best Song of the Summer. The song is fine. I have no problem with the song or even the lads in 1D. But the issue staring me right in the face is this is now an irrelevant showcase of talent for me and my tastes at 35.

The videos below are a perfect example of what defined the VMAs for me. It made sense to me, I got it. It was my music, I cared about the performance, about their message. A message I clearly don't understand anymore.

The VMAs are dead, MTV is dead. A network that played videos 24 hours a day is now consumed with reality shows about teen moms and a plethora of things I just don't get. Why we still care about the awards this network hands out, is beyond me, but I guess as long as people (including myself) keep talking, it remains relevant. I sort of feel like how my parents must have felt 29 years ago and it's an eerie feeling I am not at all comfortable with, but one that will only get worse, instead of better.

Remembering the VMAs:

Whitney Houston - 1986

Paula Abdul - 1989

Madonna - 1990

Nirvana - 1992

Puff Daddy - 1997