roddiekay said:

i love maria mena!

lyecry said:

i agree,120mins lasted a lot longer than other shows on mtv. then when it moved to mtv2 it took a turn for the worst.

minneapolisgenius said:

Thank God someone commented on that...If something does happen, I don't want to be held accountable

Smooches;)

I wish there was a way to get in contact with Viacom. I looked at their website and I couldn't find an address or phone number. Does anyone here know any info for them?

You know, MTV actually does give in and play music videos late at night/early in the morning....the problem? Basically, the same 10 or so videos on a loop. I stayed up one night flipping through the stations and MTV played the Bow Wow/Omarain, Mariah Carey and Kayne West/Jamie Fox songs at least twice in a few hours! Come on!

superspaceboy said:

Right on as always. I was thinking about the weekly countdown. VH1 sure does it dispite the fact that their original programming is so mindless and repetitve (yeah, we liked "I Love the 80s" but don't build everything around amatuer comics commenting on celebrities/enteratiment).

The MTV Weekly Countdown used to (and this was maybe in the late ninties) play Friday Night/Saturday Morning at 4AM or something crazy like that. I never stayed up to watch it but always saw it listed and wanted to watch it/ It would be kind of pointless now since MTV doesn't even have that many videos in routation. At least VH1 when they play music try to have some vareity. I've seen the excellent video for Garbage's "Bleed Like Me" twice. I gotta buy that disc (and their one before that).

MsMisha319 said:

Well most everyone would know it was me anyway.

thesexofit said:

Question, sexofit and other Europeans/non-Americans...what is MTV like there. I'm pretty sure they are much more music video oreinated since there seems to be some battle over the singles chart (in the UK at least). I remember when I was in Europe and MTV was on they were playing music videos. I'm sure they run shows but not to the excess that MTV America does.

Well, consider this: MTV is more than a network. It's a format (non-musical programming and all) that simultaneously mirrors and reinforces a conspicuous-consumption culture to that most prized of consumers (affluent, young white people perpetually influenced by less-affluent, darker young people).

In that regard, MTV had to become more than Music Television, in order to extend its influence within the marketplace. Consider the tie-ins it used to do with the release of films targeting the aforementioned demographic. Why was it so important to have an Under the Cherry Moon release party? And one for Purple Rain? Because doing so extended MTV's brand.

The same applies for MTV's various-artist CD's, which it began releasing in the early 1990's, I believe. These represented the multimedia reach of the network. Consider also the movie production the network also does, as well as its DVD's for such series as The Real World.

The non-musical programming we lament is praised by teenagers and Viacom executives alike. For the former, MTV represents a barometer of all things cool (in the same way it did for us 1980's teens). For the latter, it means an assurance of phat profit margins and a perpetual say in what gets consumed by the young and restlessly affluent.

VinnyM27 said:

Well we used to just have MTV Europe which was brilliant. All the VJs were of different nationalities and they'd cater to all different types of music simultaneously. And we had Ray Cokes with MTV's Most Wanted, the greatest goddamn live TV show ever, not just on MTV or cable, but EVER It was like the original TRL but not contrived at all - at the end when the stars actually started coming on they were just there to have a good time instead of promoting a product:

Then sometime in the late 90s it all split up and in the UK at least, we got our own MTV and it just became really boring with a really limited playlist. But when Digital TV took over a fww years ago they were split up even more so you've got regular MTV which is mainly the non-music shows, MTV Hits which is all current music videos, MTV Base (R&B & Hip Hop), MTV2 (Heavy Metal & Alternative) and MTV Dance (self-explanatory).

Then there's all the VH-1 stations and a handful of the 'The Box' style jukebox channels.
[Edited 8/21/05 5:14am]

I don't really follow you. How can we be disappointed with MTV ? What are you expecting ? Perhaps it was fun at the beginning as we were younger to have a channel with musical videos. But it was never something else as non stop promotion : commercials and videos for artists whose only talent was to have sign with a powerful label that can use MTV for propaganda.
All this without speaking about the poorness of the videos itself and their stupid "message".
If you have the choice between Christine Aguielera's Dirrty video or Dating with My Mom, I will advise to do something else as watching TV.

namepeace said:

My mother thought madonna was talentless white chick who couldn't dance and sing...lol

Its generational. To be honest, having a teen myself, she really doesn't watch much MTV mostly because they don't play videos. She'll go to yahoo launch to catch up on videos.

The previous generation alway likes to shit on the upcoming....we want to hold on to the past and what we thought was great. My daughter will do the same with her kids.

MTV was innovative back then because it was new and was trying to break down doors....NOW its is corporate...it has a different focus.

Bring back the The Box


I like VH-1 soul though.

Christopher said:

I don't really see any difference. It still specializes in non-mainstream artists. In the past few months I've seen interviews with Tegan And Sara, Saul Williams, Regina Spektor, Ben Lee, etc. It sounds like you have more of a problem with the state of alternative music. That's not really the show's fault.

sextonseven said:

i just think it was a more exciting show then. when they moved it they shorten the time and there was less of a chance to see shit i wouldnt normally get to hear about.

I must say on the MTV Europe front... it's BOLLOCKS .

MTV Europe became MTV UK & Ireland in the latter part of the 90's and from there on it was a sinking ship.
At least with MTV Europe you could also see bands from different places. without MTV Europe I would never have heard of Die Fantistichen wier, Alliance Ethnik et al.

Now we got this faggy channel which rarely shows any videos at all and a bunch of programmes presented by little girls who obviously group sucked a runner to get the job as they have no presenting skills at all!

MTV have Xhibit doing "Pimp My Ride" - and us Brits thinking we have 2 live up to this give us Tim Westwood? PISS OFF!

I'm with Ellie re. MTV's Most Wanted - arguably one of the best shows ever on MTV Europe. TRL - WTF?!

Sorry I saw a Bill Hicks tribute at the weekend so this is my rant!

okay here's my legendary MTV show rundown (in no particular order) ...


1. Most Wanted - See Ellie's post
2. PartyZone - The longest running show when the rest died, made Friday nights worth staying in and partying for
3. Music Non-Stop - As it says on the tin
4. First Look - Davina McCall's embryonic stages with videos that may never have been seen again (see "Stillness In Time" - Jamiroquai)
5. The Soul Of MTV - former UK DJ/producer Richie Rich giving you an hour every Saturday night of early MTV Base. This guy was so candid he should have been the Trevor McDonald of Urban Music VJ's!
6. European Top 20 - Pip Dann educating minds on what else there is in the European Union - CELINE DION FREE ZONE (she's Canadian anyway, what the hell was she doin' representin' Sweden?)
7. Greatest Hits -Paul King giving us a taste of an expanding VH-1
8. Yo! MTV raps -arguably the ONLY show exported from the US at the time (as opposed to the tons we have now) Friday nights with Ed Lover and Doctor Dre, Saturday Nights with Fab Five Freddy - if this programme was still around now, people like Slum Village and Q-tip's alter Ego Kamal would have a home!

TRL?

and whatever happened to Rebecca De Ruvo and Steve Blame?!

'dre

Ellie said:

Thanks, Ellie. Yeah, all those Digital Cable channels are here as well (possibly they are the same ones in Europe and America). I think MTV2 came out right when MTV stopped playing the videos in favor for "The Real World" and bullshit. Maybe that was always the master plan?

The American "Most Wanted" was very simple and good as well, to see what people were requesting. I think it was just one VJ introducing the videos....A VJ and a simple set....is that so much to ask for. I guess you have to have digital cable to have it.

I loved it on 'Most Wanted' when people would send in their stories of broken hearts along with a gift from their ex for Ray to destroy in a totally OTT comedy way.

Some of the stories were so bizarre I swear they were all made up. I remember him running over a mug with a double decker bus, and because it was in Camden studios there was one with a really elaborate Mousetrap style device to incinerate a fluffy toy and blast it into the canal