"Video Killed The Radio Star" (1981).........Reality Star Killed The Music Video Star? (2010)In our last class discussion, we briefly discussed the new programming that MTV has been using for awhile now, which consists of mainly reality shows and less music...which is confusing because doesn't MTV mean Music Television???
Anyways, what started off as a great discussion of Jhally's article about control and ownership, I wanted to allow everyone to voice their thoughts, opinions, memories, about this new programming that MTV is showing their audiences. Speaking of audiences, how do we control this new programming. I find it odd that people are constantly complaining about how MTV is not how it used to be and how no one watches it anymore, but someone has to watch Jersey Shore a lot in order for the show to pop up when I Googled "MTV culture" ($10,000 per episode, really?). If we are going to talk about the relationship the between ownership of a particular culture and the audience, we have to think about what makes popular culture...what is considered cool?
Although a group of people may dislike the new programming on MTV, we must remember that MTV shaped an entire culture as a result of their shows that pre-dated Jersey Shore (Real World, TRL, Yo! MTV Raps, Cribs). This goes along with who really owns the media/MTV?? I hypothesize that WE own the media, and media outlets like MTV are reliant on what WE want to watch and how WE own and produce our own culture.
Take a trip with me down memory lane...MTV then, MTV now..feel free to post some more videos so we can all reminiscence about the MTV that we love in your comments
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VVvK7pNgYY&feature=related (MTV First Launch)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=np8ibfgtzFs (Yo! MTV Raps)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BavJVe3tC6g (The Real World intros)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lduXQjJlqpQ (Total Request Live)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysXIZLslKzM&feature=PlayList&p=5314FDC514EEB25D&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=9 (Mariah Carey's closet on Cribs)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EG5cn-NRJkQ (The Hills)
...and last but not least...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRrOD5L3as8 (Jersey Shore)
I WANT MY MTV BACK....or do we????
I think it's funny how we now view ourselves as owners of the culture and the things that MTV produces, however just as Jhally stated, not only are we now the consumers, but we are also part of the sneaky little cycle that used who we are to supposedly give us more of what we want to see. The bad part is that half of the time we don't even realize it (myself included). I watch The Real World and find it partly amusing, party entertaining, however, I never really watched MTV when there weren't as many reality shows. People enjoy drama and the ability to simply watch someone else's life on television, yet we claim that this is what we desire to see according to MTV. Moreover, I think it would be funny to see what happens if we voice that we are not in accord with what's on MTV? I'm pretty sure it wouldn't matter as they are probably currently showing 25% consumer desire and 75% economic gain.
ReplyDeleteI think that MTV's transformation over the years has been truly fascinating. I do think that the Jhally article definitely has a lot to do with this transformation because the questions we can ask ourselves here is, "are the viewers and consumers responsible for this change?" or "is it the big corporations/MTV who decide that this influx of reality shows would sell?
ReplyDeleteI remember when MTV was all about music, whether it be a show hosted by a singer or whether it be a show that lets you take a peak into the houses of the musicians we see.
I myself have been guilty of watching these reality shows on MTV...most of them are entertaining and funny. Lately though, I haven't really liked MTV too much because of their transformation to more serious and personal reality shows that I feel can be debated if they should be played on TV or not.
I'm definitely just ranting here. But to answer your question, I do want my MTV back.
The Jhally article talks about the media being a "consciousness industry" where the producers of the media seek to induce a certain way of thinking into the consumers that will benefit their interests. I think that this is most apparent through reality television. Because networks have tried so long to get the American public to believe that reality television is the new standard of good programming, people take what they are given. Reality television is extremely cheap to make and does not require a lot of thought. I think that this is the main reason that MTV has switched to this. It's a shame MTV used to be really cool, but now they look like any other channel. They used to produce their own creative cartoons like Beavis and Butthead, now they have to use a Comedy Central show, South Park, to fill that gap. It's all about market interests.
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ReplyDeleteMTV nostalgic?!?!
ReplyDeleteGenerations change... and so demands in the market...
I do remember one program I really despised = I WANT A FAMOUS FACE.. Does anyone remember this one? Were people would undergo surgery to have the face of Britney Spears, or I don't know who else.
I'm not a mtv fan... but from what I can see realty shows sell identities and lifestyles. The audience watch the shows, the advertisers get their audience... and the music industry? Well as Jahlly points out popular music and its intersection with cultural commodity "sets the limits within which peopole can dream-- a very powerful influence upon culture" (Jhally 58)
Reality shows offer an other reality, one that the audience crave for, and might be willing to invest in... maybe music videos do not serve that purpose anymore... even though there's still power (influence) in them.
MTV is giving us exactly what we want. We control and own the culture because we watch it. By watching it we are allowing them to think this is what we want to see. These shows represent different races and gender and embody U.S culture identity. MTV send out surveys to certain demographic to see what we want so doesn’t that mean we own it???
ReplyDeleteI agree with the above blogs because MTV is hybrid culture it includes all races. This how commodification should be targeted. MTV is setup for people to watch and be entertained to continue to watch. The market number will eventually go up to obtain capital. Can we truly say we own it??? Or they own our thoughts??
ReplyDeletePopular culture is a funny thing because in some ways it seems as if the content is our doing and reflects our desires. But I don't necessarily think that it's that simple. , and I also think from a political-economic perspective media content is not something WE want/need (well, and anyway who is we?).
ReplyDeleteI tend to sympathize with the McChesney line of argument that says that media content is trivial and garbage because it keeps the public uninformed, and it fosters a culture of consumerism rather than political participation. This is not a conspiracy theory by any means, and in fact MTV does do surveys and thus it seems like the public WANTS reality television programming. But maybe want and need are two different things entirely. Though, no one can tell us what we need right?
I personally do not think that MTV needs to go back to the basics of what it was created for, a network about music. This network could be used for a great cause than what it is today. I feel like the station could be a gateway for musical artistic history, exposure, and expression. As Jhally, discusses in the article how we as citizens are the consumer as well as the perpetrators who influence what is distributed for consumption. Reality TV is just a easy way for MTV to make money, make individuals overnight celebrities, and commodify entertainment avenues.
ReplyDeleteAt first I thought that an important factor might be that reality shows are cheap to produce, which COULD explain their proliferation in recent years... except when you begin to factor in the exorbitant amounts paid to reality stars, and playing music videos is certainly not an expensive programming option either. VH1 definitely has been completely transformed to a reality show platform, and I personally miss the days of the overly dramatic Behind The Music bio show. Both MTV and VH1 are both owned by Viacom, so I guess they've found a formula that the think works, and it happens to be a lineup of shows that is selling the carefree narcissistic lifestyle. (Although ratings have been dropping for a while now: http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/CompanyFocus/does-anyone-still-want-mtv-or-viacom.aspx). This article argues that more music-seekers are turning to the internet, so Viacom has upped the reality shows while other channels such as TLC have simultaneously provided competition.
ReplyDeleteYes. What ever happened to traditional music videos like this. I mean this is very important to understand. However, we must first look at the fact that my MTV could mean my MTV to a few other people as well and still be differently associated.
ReplyDeleteMy first thoughts were along the lines of Olivia. Jhally does point out that more money is typically spent on advertising than on programming. Since the old mtv formatting was more like constant advertising, the amount of money spent on the music videos was more than the amount of money they brought in. The change in formatting would then be due to the lower cost of creating the new programming (even with the ridiculous amount the people get paid to be jack asses).
ReplyDeleteProfessor Valdivia pointed out that the answer could be as simple as the fact that more people watch the new programming, so the rate at which the station may charge advertisers rises.
I agree first handly with Bola and Tichinna. I think MTV is giving us exactly what we want. Although we feel as if we own it and that they should play what we want to watch. But we watch what they put on tv. I for one was a fan of the Hills. Although I have sat and wondered why all of a sudden many music channels have neglected the idea of actually showcasing music videos and have now leaned towards more reality tv shows. This wouldn’t be a problem if we did not watch it. But sometimes I feel that us, as individuals do not want to watch music videos because we can’t relate to the spilling champagne glasses over flowing, and all the diamonds and cars. But we can relate to the drunken party girl, the pregnant teenager, the misunderstood outcast and anything else that relates more to life that we encounter as individuals.
ReplyDeleteAlso, we are the consumers in which they have turned us into the people being not only the audience but the actual characters in the show. We are the props in which we watch. The need for realness and "reality" in our own lives has led us to want and need more truth in the society because the world is so deceptive. This station has been a portal to mainstream for those who are marginalized and considered outcast as you stated Lola. If you watch "Brown Sugar" which is a great movie, you would see that even hip-hop participants and foundations have become upset as well and feel that the world needs to see more of what we had. The whole idea of making the personal political is heavily hitting society making this the need and the desire even if communities aren't ready for the exposure. So, i think this is more about this "the personal is political" and the private is no longer acceptable to be public anymore ordeal makes these shows accessible and according to the creators of these dingy television shows, entertaining.
ReplyDeleteI really like the postings and I agree with a lot of them I really think that we the people control what the media puts out, as much as we like to blame the sometimes garbage we watch on T.V. on the media in order for it to stay on the air we the viewers have to watch it. sure the decisions we make are influenced a lot by the media and others but at the end we make the decision no one else does.
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