Anyone remember when MTV used to actually be Music Television?? You know…where they actually showed music videos, and the majority of their other shows included some sort of music trivia? Gone are those days.
I tweeted out yesterday that I was going to avoid watching the VMA’s last night until MTV starts going back to their roots. Unfortunately though, my niece wanted to watch the show to try and catch a glimpse of 5 Seconds of Summer or One Direction (no such luck for her). Instead, I lost three hours of my life watching a show that was absolutely embarrassing.
It all started with Nicki Minaj basically having sex on stage with her dancers. Watching that performance with an eleven-year-old had me speechless….and not in a good way. Now, if you follow the music industry drama or have social media, you know that Nicki went on a Kanye 2.0 rant on Twitter recently about how people only get nominated for awards if they’re a certain “color” or body type. This sparked comments from Taylor Swift, who apparently took it as a personal attack on her. Now, Nicki Minaj has every right to say what she wants about this topic…anyone does…BUT, it’s not because she’s black and it’s not because of her body type. It’s because of performances like the one she put on last night. Music is no longer about music. It’s about how shocking your performance can be. That being said…I think Taylor Swift is a great artist, and she basically wins at life, but I don’t necessarily think she should be nominated for every single award she could possibly be nominated for. I mean, why in the world is she still winning country awards?? However, Taylor Swift doesn’t talk shit about any other artist, and she’s classy in general. Same with Beyonce. Artists like them focus on their own music and don’t sit there worrying about who’s winning what or who’s going to be the most obscene just to get people talking. Beyonce and Taylor Swift could sit on stage in their pajamas singing Christmas Carols and it would have people talking about how amazing they are. Same with Tori Kelly and The Weeknd last night. Make it about the MUSIC!!!
Bringing the shock factor brings me to another person at the VMA’s last night…Miley Cyrus. Can someone please explain to me WHY she hosted that show last night?? When my niece used to watch Hannah Montana and we’d see interviews with her, she always seemed like a sweet, wholesome girl. Now, don’t get me wrong, I know very well that it was a character she was playing, but even in recent years when she was dating Liam Hemsworth, she had her little edge but was still decent. I respected that she expressed her freedom of speech, but don’t do it just to get people to talk about you. Who admits that anyway?? MTV knew what they were doing when they asked her to host, and judging by her “nip slip,” questionable beef with Nicki Minaj and ridiculous outfits on stage…they got exactly what they wanted from her. Even in her little monologue to open the show she said she hasn’t done anything in her career to warrant hosting an awards show. Got that right!
I’m only 31 years old and I have always been in love with music. I used to really look forward to watching the VMA’s, and now I could honestly care less if they’re on or not. Music is about creativity and expressing yourself through this incredible medium that not all of us get a chance to experience. We experience it through the artist. I’m sorry, but as a lover of music, I would much rather watch a simple and powerful performance with an artist singing live than watch someone pushing a dancer’s face into their crotch and grinding like nobody’s business.
Oh…and for all of you tweeting out that you’ll be voting for Kanye West for President in 2020…please stop. Stop it forever. Kanye West is an amazing artist. There’s no denying that. It’s everything else about Kanye West that makes me want to bang my head on a desk. Again, stop complaining about who’s winning or losing an award. If you would’ve won, someone else would’ve lost! It’s how it goes. You don’t have to agree with it, and sometimes they get it wrong. In fact, a lot of the time they get it wrong! Just like giving him the platform to rant…rant…rant by giving him the video vanguard award last night (which was presented by Taylor Swift). Come on now, MTV. Talk about trying to up the ratings by promoting that the award would be presented by the one person he went up on stage to interrupt because she won over Beyonce. I’m just over it. I WANT MUSIC!!
**Side Note: This was literally me through the parts I watched of this show last night
I don’t give three shits about who has beef with whom and who said what about whom. I want to hear music. I want to watch their videos. I want to see what they’ve been working on while those of us in the real world are busting our asses 9-5 at a job that gets us nowhere. You have this incredible platform to inspire others and to leave your mark on the industry. Wouldn’t you rather make your career about the actual music instead of having people say, “OMG, did you see how vulgar Nicki Minaj’s performance was at the VMA’s?” or “Wow…so Kanye went on another random rant last night and couldn’t seem to finish a single thought during his speech?” I would rather people talk about how they’re tired of my surprise face when I win an award (Taylor Swift).
Now that I just went on a Kanye 3.0 rant, I think I’ll get back to my job and try to pretend I didn’t watch the show last night. Especially because it lacked Justin Timberlake’s presence. Get it together MTV. Go back to your roots and play some damn music. What you SHOULD’VE done was have Motley Crue on the show to give a farewell performance to the industry. Bring back TRL and other similar shows. If YouTube and Vevo have taken your music video viewers, then please consider changing your name to RTV (Reality Television) because that’s exactly what the channel has become. I don’t care to watch a show about teenagers being pregnant. I truly used to love you, but we need to break up. It’s not me, it’s you.
Thank you and good night. LOL!!
Director: Christian Cantamessa
According to Kristin 