When did MTV become shit?

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January 1992, "The Real World".

― The Startrekman (Startrekman), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 04:49 (seventeen years ago) link

*Obligatory "when they first started and pretended black people didn't exist" yuk*

― dottie nuttie dach nach dtnt hhhhhhhh (donut), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 04:53 (seventeen years ago) link

(which is true, and I stand by it)

― dottie nuttie dach nach dtnt hhhhhhhh (donut), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 04:53 (seventeen years ago) link

(even though they had that cool "X-Ray" on the Butthole Surfers, man)

― dottie nuttie dach nach dtnt hhhhhhhh (donut), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 04:53 (seventeen years ago) link

anyone who's not a total fucking stupid moronic dumb moron knows MTV got crappy when jesse camp was outed as being from a connecticut prep school and NOT a squatter

― ath (ath), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 04:54 (seventeen years ago) link

i believe don maclean wrote a song about that tragic day... it was called "american pie (the day the music died along with jesse camp)"

also kennedy frenching dennis miller on the dennis miller show was pretty grody

― ath (ath), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 04:56 (seventeen years ago) link

(though that wasn't actually on MTV)

― ath (ath), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 04:57 (seventeen years ago) link

but then again... what is?????

― ath (ath), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 04:58 (seventeen years ago) link

Wait until John Richards picks up that juicy MTV program director offer in the next few years.. what will KEXP do then?

― dottie nuttie dach nach dtnt hhhhhhhh (donut), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 04:58 (seventeen years ago) link

when Dave Kendall left 120 Minutes.

― Jacobo Rock (jacobo rock), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 05:00 (seventeen years ago) link

it hasnt

― anthony easton (anthony), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 05:04 (seventeen years ago) link

Alan C. Hunter (born February 14, 1957) was one of the original five video jockeys (VJ's) on MTV from 1981 to 1987. He currently heads the production company Hunter Films, which he formed with his brother Hugh. He and Hugh and two other brothers also founded WorkPlay, a multipurpose office, studio and entertainment facility in Birmingham, Alabama. He is also the host of the new reality show "Looking for Stars" on the Starz channel.
Born in Birmingham in 1957, Hunter went on to graduate in 1979 from Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi. He pursued acting for a while, earning a role in the video for David Bowie's "Fashion" before being tapped to join the fledgling MTV network.

[...]

...

Now, I'm curious but also scared to go youtube this out.

― dottie nuttie dach nach dtnt hhhhhhhh (donut), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 05:05 (seventeen years ago) link

When the record labels found out people were actually watching.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 05:17 (seventeen years ago) link

1981

― Shoes say, yeah, no hands clap your good bra. (goodbra), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 05:25 (seventeen years ago) link

MTV Day 1 has been complete shit so far except for like 3 videos. I just turned it off.

― Marmot 4-Tay: The root cause of dragon hatred among power metal bands. (marmotwo, Tuesday, 1 August 2006 05:28 (seventeen years ago) link

Well, you can't spell "HITS" without "SHIT".

― Monty Von Byonga (Monty Von Byonga), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 07:18 (seventeen years ago) link

Nah, you could just use a pen or something.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 08:42 (seventeen years ago) link

It was ALWAYS shit, but for very different reasons over the years. As recently as six years ago it was still good for shows like Zane Lowe's Brand New but then MTV OG gave up on music vids altogether and that was that. I've forgotten that 2, Dance and Base exist because my cable supplier doesn't carry them.

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 08:51 (seventeen years ago) link

late 85/early 86, when the "2nd British Invasion" ran out of gas

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 09:11 (seventeen years ago) link

When they stopped showing music videos.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 09:30 (seventeen years ago) link

The second video they ever played, probably.

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ The Unstoppable Troll Machine (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 09:52 (seventeen years ago) link

When they stopped showing music videos.

― from The ends of your fingers (prosper.strummer.), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 09:53 (seventeen years ago) link

It got really fucking annoying when they started showing "Under the Bridge" four hundred times a day and I stopped leaving it on while doing other things during the third season of The Real World. I liked the first two (and maybe fourth) seasons fine, but by the third it was clear they were casting for dysfunction so I stopped caring.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 10:19 (seventeen years ago) link

I would say (seriously) around 1983-1984. 1985 at the latest.

― Joe (Joe), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 10:28 (seventeen years ago) link

Aug. 1, 1981

― Jim M (jmcgaw), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 11:30 (seventeen years ago) link

there was never a time when people didn't say "MTV sucks now"

― Thomas Tallis (Tommy), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 11:38 (seventeen years ago) link

When did debating when MTV became shit become shit?

― Jessie the Monster (scarymonsterrr), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 11:40 (seventeen years ago) link

It wasn't really the Real World that killed MTV. It was that late-90s thinking that killed all their specialty programs. eg, "Oh, even if we show a Real World rerun at 12 am on a Sunday, it will get better ratings than 120 Minutes... let's do that."

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 11:57 (seventeen years ago) link

When "Video Killed The Radio Star" was finished playing for the first time...

― So Ho La (So Ho La), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 12:41 (seventeen years ago) link

http://lifeinlegacy.com/2004/0320/JacksonJJ.jpg

"And here's Ultravox with 'Vienna.'"

― Luis Skank Bloc Polonia (Andy_K), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 13:37 (seventeen years ago) link

if you have grown up in an urban area, it may have always been shit.

but for me, it hasn't always been shit. I grew up in small town USA, and aside from my parents CSNY-laden vinyl, there wasn't much else influencing my early musical taste. MTV was a good source then..

I think they have unarguably declined though, with their current special being over-priveledged white girls. Come to think about it, it was always about over-priveledged white girls...MTV just used to be better at the shell game. Anyway..it still introduced me to The Smiths. What else would have brought that to the rural northwest?

― J. Grizzle (trainsmoke), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 13:38 (seventeen years ago) link

It was good during the New Wave/Prince/Michael Jackson crossover era, started sucking big time when it split its programming into either hair metal or Paula Abdul-type dance music.

― Alicia Titsovich (sexyDancer), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 13:42 (seventeen years ago) link

that's the moment I was trying to get at it...by 88 it was all davidleerothed out. couple years later, I suppose MTV gets credit for beaming what were then called rap videos to the vanilla suburbs but with events like the grunge fad or even the rise of Guns & Roses MTV was reflecting and reacting to current trends rather than making them happen like it did circa Prince/Madonna/Duran/M Jax et al.

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 13:50 (seventeen years ago) link

Well, I for one think MTV was the true instigator of grunge, as much as Everett True wrote an article on the Seattle scene at Melody Maker as early as 1989, Sounds put Tad and Nirvana on the cover in the same year or college radio was starting to champion that music as much as British indie or post new-wave music or the jangle pop à la REM and the Paisley Underground stuff.

― Ricardo (jaxxalude), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 14:42 (seventeen years ago) link

I'm going to say around the time that Alternative Nation started. Because one could make an argument that MTV was semi-solid up until 120 Minutes became infected by post-Nirvana alterna-buzz. I would make that argument, anyway, for what it's worth.

― Deric W. Haircare (Deric W. Haircare), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 15:39 (seventeen years ago) link

MTV peaked with the John Cougar Mellencamp Pink House contest, where you could win a pink house and JCM would come perform.

At the end of the promotional spot he says "Ah give yew de deed. Thayn the keez. And then we paynt the muther pihnkk."

after that it was all dowhill.

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 18:20 (seventeen years ago) link

That's it! The exact moment.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 18:33 (seventeen years ago) link

1983 ... a mermaid I turn to be

― Alicia Titsovich (sexyDancer), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 18:41 (seventeen years ago) link

MTV peaked with the John Cougar Mellencamp Pink House contest...

you got it all wrong...that was John Harvey-Oswald-Cougar-the-Just Mellencamp, Duke of Wellington, Esquire Pink House contest..

― J. Grizzle (trainsmoke), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 19:20 (seventeen years ago) link

CUSTOS LIVES

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 19:34 (seventeen years ago) link

Remember the "Win a Pac-Man Arcade Machine" contest (with Depeche Mode "Just Can't Get Enough" as the promo background music)?
I think the runner up prize was one of those MTV satin jackets.

Now THAT was the golden era.

― Joe (Joe), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 19:36 (seventeen years ago) link

Could it have been the construction of the MTV Beach House?
or the following

― J. Grizzle (trainsmoke), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 19:49 (seventeen years ago) link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6k4u1JrsQE

― J. Grizzle (trainsmoke), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 19:50 (seventeen years ago) link

I always like Remote Control, but I still hold MTV responsible for introducing the world to Adam Sandler.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 19:54 (seventeen years ago) link

Does it matter? TMF is where its at now!

― from The ends of your fingers (prosper.strummer.), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 19:55 (seventeen years ago) link

BTW that wasn't sarcasm.

― from The ends of your fingers (prosper.strummer.), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 19:55 (seventeen years ago) link

Okay, that Mellencamp/pink house thing is cracking me up.

― the doaple gonger (nickalicious), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 19:59 (seventeen years ago) link

Did Alex Winter & Tom Stern do the intro sequence to "Remote Control?" Looks like their style.

― Alicia Titsovich (sexyDancer), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 20:03 (seventeen years ago) link

Ah yes, old Senior Boufant did his fair share to cripple the beautiful beast...

[IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e386/trainsmoke/Adam_curry_1.jpg[/IMG]

― J. Grizzle (trainsmoke), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 20:09 (seventeen years ago) link

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e386/trainsmoke/Adam_curry_1.jpg

― J. Grizzle (trainsmoke), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 20:09 (seventeen years ago) link

(sorry about the prior error in tag...i was mesmerized by Adam's cumulus locks...a tonsorian wet-dream...)

― J. Grizzle (trainsmoke), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 20:11 (seventeen years ago) link

does sky still broadcast the Box? I remember a girl from Virginia being all gushy about it because they had in Maryland but not across in Virgina and I was soooooo lucky to have it... MTV2 europe does a version of 120 Minutes now , it's all part of the NME axis of evil though.

I remember when MTV2 europe started, that was actually pretty great. You could access the website and see a full database of all their videos and put together your own playlist of 13 songs (I think it was 13). They'd choose ones and play them. Saw some random old alternative videos on that. MTV people were on CNN today talking about this new thing they have that's meant to challenge MySpace/Youtube. I'm ignorant of this thing.

xpost UGH... but someone needs to do more photoshopping of mullets on to people....

― Major Alfonso (Major Alfonso), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 20:14 (seventeen years ago) link

I think it was that period of about two years when almost all of their programming was retrospectives.

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 20:25 (seventeen years ago) link

Yeah its called Mtv flux if I remember correctly. Crap name for starters.

― from The ends of your fingers (prosper.strummer.), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 20:29 (seventeen years ago) link

ooh.... MTV Flux is a whole channel that's launching next year and is doing exactly what MTV2 used to do with the playlists? Except with community users and youtube-like user generated videos...
Does this warrant a new thread seeing as this is a bitching thread?

The best way to get your content on the telly is to promote it as much as possible on the site. However, first you must make something that is a little bit cool (no nudity though, this is a family show). Once our video upload tool is available you’ll be able to stick it on your page and share it around with all your friends. The more views you get the more chance you have of getting on the big screen.

This sounds horrible, forget it, I'm not touching this thing. I find those video blogs where 15 year olds bitch about things on youtube totally weird and a little scary. Gimme VJs anyday.

in fact I sort of miss the hot MTV Europe VJs.

I used to be one of "the kids"..

― Major Alfonso (Major Alfonso), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 20:39 (seventeen years ago) link

I used to think they were all American and wondered why they were on Mtv Europe. I didn't realise that they were all German and Portugese with American accents.

― from The ends of your fingers (prosper.strummer.), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 20:41 (seventeen years ago) link

Yeah! The accents were totally weird. I love when Germans talk with american english accents. Deutsche Welt tv which we have has english language German news broadcasts and it's the same accents. There were always a few Englanders like Ray Cokes on Most Wanted. My sister was in love with Toby Amies.

― Major Alfonso (Major Alfonso), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 20:46 (seventeen years ago) link

My greatest thrill was when someone crossed over from TCC (where'd that go?)

― from The ends of your fingers (prosper.strummer.), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 20:47 (seventeen years ago) link

How is this even still a question? I'm young but I don't ever remember MTV being cool.

The REAL question is, when did VH1 turn to shit? I remember the days when they had this uber-clever commercial that had kitchen-themed visual representations of all the music they refused to play ("No heavy metal!", cue pots & pans & whatnot; "No rap!", cue Saran-wrap; "No grunge!", cue dishes covered in grime). Then I remember when they played a Puff Daddy video or something and I was like "Aw shit, VH1, you mothafuckas SOLD OUT!"

― Adam J. (In Place of Something Clever), Wednesday, 2 August 2006 02:13 (seventeen years ago) link

MTV became shit when they cancelled Undressed.

For about a year, I'd come home at 2 or 3 in the morning, and watch an episode or two of Undressed and Dido's "Thank You" would be on VH1 at least twice an hour.

― milo z (mlp), Wednesday, 2 August 2006 02:20 (seventeen years ago) link

did mtv ever go off the air for the night? or have they always been 24/7?

― kephm (kephm), Wednesday, 2 August 2006 02:22 (seventeen years ago) link

I agree with the small town makes for happier MTV viewing argument. It shaped a lot of my early music interests (for the good or bad).

Good memories: The State, Liquid Television, 120 Minutes, 10 to the hour every hour, Head Banger's Ball, The first couple Real World seasons, Christina Ricci on the Jon Stewart Show

Bad memories: Singled Out, The Blame Game, Buzz Clips, The State getting canned

― Todd Kuethe (ToddK), Wednesday, 2 August 2006 15:27 (seventeen years ago) link

milo is on a roll lately! I was talking with a group of friends a few weeks back after seeing the Superman movie and we figured out that apparently the actor was in Undressed at some point, which led to us all revealing that we'd watched the show. Partially because MTV kept playing it instead of Amp, which was slowly dying before going to MTV2 where I assume it got buried. That show was so awesome and horrible.

― mike h. (mike h.), Wednesday, 2 August 2006 15:39 (seventeen years ago) link

MTV became shit when they cancelled Undressed.

I very nearly posted this.

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Wednesday, 2 August 2006 15:40 (seventeen years ago) link

Kurt Loder in 1991-1992 was a man on fire.

― Alicia Titsovich (sexyDancer), Wednesday, 2 August 2006 15:54 (seventeen years ago) link

ah yes...The State was incredibly good. Tacos in the mailbox good...Undressed as well...

― J. Grizzle--Here Comes Treble (trainsmoke), Wednesday, 2 August 2006 16:20 (seventeen years ago) link

Undressed was so shit. NOBODY ACTUALLY GOT UNDRESSED.

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Wednesday, 2 August 2006 16:20 (seventeen years ago) link

Last night on MTV in the UK, the full first hour of MTV programming was shown. It was overly heavy on the male-white-rock, but quite compelling in a way - there videos by Rod Stewart, Cliff Richard, The Pretenders, Styx, REO Speedwagon (which made me recall the Alan Partridge moment). It also introduced all the VJs as well. It all looks so dated now, and the promos were hilarious.

― Andie B (andie b), Wednesday, 2 August 2006 16:45 (seventeen years ago) link

Undressed was so shit. NOBODY ACTUALLY GOT UNDRESSED.

that was the purpose of MTV's 'Sex in the 90's'

― J. Grizzle--Here Comes Treble (trainsmoke), Wednesday, 2 August 2006 16:51 (seventeen years ago) link

aw man undressed ruled

― got so much $ can't spend it so fast (teenagequiet), Wednesday, 2 August 2006 16:53 (seventeen years ago) link

Spring '98 - TRL premieres. The rest is history.

― billstevejim (billstevejim), Wednesday, 2 August 2006 17:10 (seventeen years ago) link

"Under the Bridge" seems as good a moment as any. Those slow-mo Keidis love-handles.

― Euai Kapaui (tracerhand), Wednesday, 2 August 2006 17:15 (seventeen years ago) link

When they started inserting scripted lines into shows like "Next" and "Room Raiders." I wish they would just act natruley!

― less-than three's Christiane F. (drowned in milk), Wednesday, 2 August 2006 17:28 (seventeen years ago) link

four words: "My Super Sweet Sixteen"
if it wasn't shit until then, it was most definitely shit after.

― something less threatening (heywood), Wednesday, 2 August 2006 18:06 (seventeen years ago) link

Have you seen kids that age act "naturally" in front of a camera?

And that's what's coming by the way with MTV Flux thing, those kids are going to produce their own content and it'll get on based on popularity.

I won't be watching.

xpost

― Major Alfonso (Major Alfonso), Wednesday, 2 August 2006 18:09 (seventeen years ago) link

that was the purpose of MTV's 'Sex in the 90's'
I loved the Guido on that who sprayed cologne on his COCK. For some reason it seems like that would burn.

― milo z (mlp), Wednesday, 2 August 2006 18:54 (seventeen years ago) link

I loved the Guido on that who sprayed cologne on his COCK. For some reason it seems like that would burn.

i promise i wouldn't know...

As for the MTV Flux ideer...i mean c'mon haters: How else are you going to keep up on who is in the lead for sending a Coke Rocket the highest? people just don't care about the issues anymore mang.

― J. Grizzle--Here Comes Treble (trainsmoke), Wednesday, 2 August 2006 19:06 (seventeen years ago) link

MTV was in trouble the minute they took Golden Earring's Twilight Zone video out of heavy rotation.

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Wednesday, 2 August 2006 20:14 (seventeen years ago) link

I was kidding about that, the whole "naturally" thing. It truly actually frightens me, how Viacom is parading around the most utterly shallow, narcissistic fucktards they can possibly find, waxing every part of their body, and then putting them in front of the camera to spew out the most superficial things their penises can think of. And then all the 14 year olds watch it and what they get from it is "this is how it's cool to act". I mean, has anyone here actually watched an episode of "Next" or "Room Raiders"?

"Ugh, a Burger King application? I don't want to spend my time with someone who flips burgers for a living..."

― less-than three's Christiane F. (drowned in milk), Wednesday, 2 August 2006 20:32 (seventeen years ago) link

MTV started sucking the day Matchbox 20 and their contemporaries began clogging the radio airwaves with their dreary AOR. Its quality plummeted several thousand miles underground once the teenypopper assembly line crapola began its sickening rise in popularity, but its brand quality had already suffered huge hits before that dreadful year of 1999. It was, coincidentally, at that same time that "The Real World" became less about being "real" and more about stupid contrivances. Now there's no way MTV can recover. They might as well cut that whole channel out from the cable/satellite lineup, because an infection that's been going on that long has to have necrotized that whole limb. VH1 is almost at about that stage, too, which is even sadder since VH1 had a much smaller window of time when it was equally as awesome as MTV was during the latter's heyday.

― Phoenix Dancing (krushsister), Wednesday, 2 August 2006 23:31 (seventeen years ago) link

I kinda didn't mind the manipulations in the first couple of seasons of TRW (OK, that's a lie, I was outraged reading in Spin that 1st-season cast members were told they couldn't go to the Guggenheim because "real people don't do that.") because they weren't as obvious, and they were in a better class of manipulation, too -- more sociopolitical "relevance" than sex sex sex.

They eventually bled all possibility for boredom from the show by casting fuck-ups and sociopaths and bimbos and himbos, and gave them lots of shit to do like starting businesses and what not, and as a consequence, the show became extremely boring.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Wednesday, 2 August 2006 23:50 (seventeen years ago) link

That's exactly what I meant, Michael. Thank you for phrasing it in a much better way. Though -- did they really say that re: Orig. NYC's not visiting the Guggenheim? Wow, that's pretty sad.

― Phoenix Dancing (krushsister), Thursday, 3 August 2006 00:02 (seventeen years ago) link

Yeah, far as I remember. It was in a Spin "expose" that ran after the first season ended, nearly (OMG) fifteen years ago. IIRC, it also revealed that Becky was pretty much shoved out of the picture mid-season after she had a romantic fling with one of the crew, and that one of the cast members may or may not have been using herion.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Thursday, 3 August 2006 00:08 (seventeen years ago) link

Ah, The State. Still ahead of its time.

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Thursday, 3 August 2006 00:19 (seventeen years ago) link

You know, I remember vaguely some interview given with Becky several years after RW1 ended (hard to believe it's closing in on FIFTEEN years) where something akin to that was asserted. As for the whole heroin thing -- I suppose with certain members of that cast, that wouldn't have been much of a surprise.

― Phoenix Dancing (krushsister), Thursday, 3 August 2006 00:56 (seventeen years ago) link

(Really, the only people whom I would've been shocked to hear of their consuming anything illicit would be Julie and Kevin.)

― Phoenix Dancing (krushsister), Thursday, 3 August 2006 00:57 (seventeen years ago) link

http://randyoftheredwoods.com/

― Disco Nihilist (mjt), Thursday, 3 August 2006 21:05 (seventeen years ago) link

I mainly agree with "The Real World". Although even though Beavis & Butthead were great, I still feel they were sort of the beginning of the end too. MTV should have stuck with music and nothing but music.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 3 August 2006 21:34 (seventeen years ago) link

Undressed was so shit. NOBODY ACTUALLY GOT UNDRESSED.

But it's great to look back at the early careers of rising actors who did Undressed and laugh at them for doing what was some sort of hybrid of softcore pornography and a soap opera.

― Cunga (Cunga), Thursday, 3 August 2006 21:48 (seventeen years ago) link

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