| The eclectic tastes of MTV viewers |
| To my dismay, it took me a few days to notice that, upon returning from my vacation, MTV had released its list of Video Music Award nominees. This list is bland and predictable, and is not what I want to express my opinions on at the moment (though, as a side note, judging by the nominees in the MTV2 award category, this might not be a bad station to watch). |
| No, what got my attention as I browsed MTV's VMA website was something else -- a contest entitled "Last Fan Standing" which allows MTV viewers, like YOU and ME, if we were both American and interested in pop music videos, a chance to present the coveted Viewers Choice Award at this year's nationally televised show. Not only this, but the MTV viewers that didn't enter this contest will vote on who they would like to see do so, from the list of contenders. |
| So, each candidate has a profile on MTV's website. This consists of the following things: |
| - Campaign Slogan |
| - Rock Star Alter Ego |
| - Favourite Video From the Past Year |
| - Reason(s) Why They Should Present the Award |
| Now it appears, based on my Encyclopedia Brown-like sleuth work, that the first two categories are selected from a list provided by MTV. I came to this conclusion after scrolling through some thirty profiles and realizing that nearly all of these featured the slogan "Party Till You Puke," "I'm Just a Dreamer" or "I'm Real." Meanwhile, rock star alter egos consist of primarily Jack Black for males and Pink for females. I could attribute all of this to an utter lack of creativity, but I have decided to give our contestants the benefit of the doubt for now. |
| The favourite video of the past year was not confined to a list of pre-defined choices, however it could easily appear that way, as approximately 99.5% of the group chose Eminem's "Without You." A landmark in music video history to be sure, this video already falls into the "seminal" category, so the enthusiasm towards it is understandable. |
| But all sarcasm aside, what really makes or breaks a candidate's profile are their reasons for why they should be the one to be awarded this prestigious honour. Here are a few unedited samples: |
| "because i love MTV, i am always online and my TV stays there" |
| "I WATCH MTV ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT. MY FRIENDS ALWAYS MAKE FUN OF ME BECAUSE OF ALL THE POP CULTURE I KNOW. I KNOW ALL THE USELESS FACTS NOT NEEDED TO SURVIVE IN SOCIETY. PLUS MY DREAM SINCE I WAS SMALL WAS TO BE AN ACTRESS LIKE MADONNA, JULIA ROBERTS, ANGELINA JOLIE, AND THORA BIRCH. (MY FAVORITES). ONE DAY I WILL BE FAMOUS OR AT LEAST IN MY DREAMS." |
| "for one i'm laid back and i know how to have fun. i always make the atmosphere fun where ever i'm at. and again i know how to have fun." |
| "WELL I THINK IT COULD BE A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE AND I WILL MEET PEOPLE THA SHARE MY INTERES" |
| "I AM A HUGE MTV FAN! I KNOW ALL THE ARTISTS AND HAVE SEEN ALL THE VIDEOS. I WOULD MAKE AN EXCELLENT CHOICE AND I WOULD REPRESENT MTV WELL!" |
| "i think that, i'm a best represent the mtv, 'cause, i'm a better" |
| "First and foremost i like really, really, love music!!! i watch the VMA'S like every year!I LOVE mtv if it was never created i dont know what i would do!! i am always singing, and i love to PERFORM and i always like to be out there and outgoing!I promise i will do a very good job please please please pick me i promise i will not let MTV down im so serious !!!!! im keepng this short and sweet so good luck with the voting and be wise!!" |
| Now, I am sure by this point, you are saying to yourself, "Well, of course there are always going to be people who permanently have their caps lock button on, use exclamation marks at the end of every sentence or can't spell, but surely not everyone is like this." And you would be right. To be fair, here are some of the better examples that I came across: |
| "I believe that I should present the viewer's choice award because I am the most awesome person in Oklahoma. Plus music is my life....If it wasn't for Ja Rule, Usher, or Nelly I would be dead...Music is everything in the world to me....I laugh and cry with the artist. I feel where they are coming from.." |
| "I believe that I would best represent the MTV audience because I am Luda's #1 fan. I love everythin about him. I tried to get in the army and get stationed in ATL just so i could dedicate all my free time to going to clubs trying to see Luda( But didn't get in cause of my asthma!) Then I tried to apply to every college in ATL but that didn't work either! I would do anything to see Luda! I should present the Viewer's Choice award because 1) I watch MTV all day everyday : 2) I would be a great representative for all Luda fans!" |
| Okay, really, it took me a long time to find ones this good. There were others who asserted how unique they were, as their musical tastes ranged from Sting to No Doubt, Korn to Britney Spears, or Nickelback to Shakira -- "eclectic" was a popular buzzword. These are the youth of America. Be afraid; be very, very afraid. |
| Top five Bob Dylan studio albums ever |
| I am still coming up with leftovers from the Top Fives Ramblings that I wrote a couple of months ago, and I had to fit this one in somewhere. |
| 5. Time Out of Mind |
| 4. Bringing it All Back Home |
| 3. Blonde on Blonde |
| 2. Highway 61 Revisited |
| 1. Blood on the Tracks |
| Albums I've been listening to lately |
| Jeff Buckley - Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk |
| DJ Shadow - Endtroducing |
| Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill |
| Pavement - Slanted and Enchanted |
| The Velvet Underground - Best Of |
| The Yeah Yeah Yeahs - The Yeah Yeah Yeahs EP |
| The two faces of 1999 |
| For whatever reason, I recently found myself watching a VH1 Behind the Music feature about the year of 1999 in the music world. Not only did this bring back some thoroughly depressing moments and terrible songs, but it also gave a clear picture of what is being remembered, at this point anyway, about the music of 1999. Here is a brief summary: |
| - Lou Pearlman, inspired by the success of New Kids on the Block, creates the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC, who break through in '99. |
| - Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera hit it big with "Baby, One More Time" and "Genie in a Bottle" respectively. |
| - Ricky Martin leads the latin music craze, followed by Jennifer Lopez and Enrique Iglesias. |
| - Fans set fires and riot on the last day of Woodstock '99 during the Red Hot Chili Peppers' performance (could have been provoked by outhouses overflowing, paying four dollars for bottled water, etc.) |
| - Cher hits number one in the U.S. with a single ("Believe") for the first time. |
| - Columbine High school shooting blamed, at least partially, on music industry. |
| - Sugar Ray and Smash Mouth produce the summer's big hits; Sugar Ray confesses that they just wanted to be a one-hit wonder. |
| Yes, apparently this is the indelible impact that 1999 will have in music history. Now, one will look at this list of what were supposedly the year's best moments and conclude that this was one of the worst years in music history. However, what I hope will have a more lasting effect when we look back on 1999 in twenty years are the great albums that actually were released this year: Emergency & I by The Dismemberment Plan, The Flaming Lips' The Soft Bulletin, Beck's Midnite Vultures, The Three EP's by The Beta Band and so many more. I am, sadly, pessimistic. |
| Ironically, 1999 was one of the best years in recent history as far as film was concerned. A list of movies that I enjoyed would include "Being John Malkovich," "The Sixth Sense," "The Green Mile," "The Insider," "Fight Club," "Office Space," "The Matrix," "The Talented Mr. Ripley," "Bowfinger," and "Toy Story 2." And I have not even seen "Run Lola Run," "Three Kings," or "American Movie" yet. Although, for the record, "Magnolia" and "American Beauty" were grossly overrated. |
| Coming attractions |
| Dan and I are each working on a list of our favourite twenty-five songs of all-time. We will post our lists separately and comment on each others as well as our own. It should be fun. Look for it, with any luck, before the summer is over. |
| - Luke Adams |
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