VMA: Very Much Apathetic

Are we really surprised by the phoniness that is MTV? Whether they're washed up (Britney), can't write a song to save their life (Linkin Park), or just plain arrogant (JT), the pop stars created by MTV and corporate radio wreck their awards show every single year by giving horrible performances. And it's not helped by the fact that MTV pays more attention to aesthetics than to the actual music quality itself.

What do you expect from a "music" channel that just plays shows and top 40 music videos? MSM, it's time to stop covering the VMA's. If it looks like crap and sounds like crap....well, maybe it's not worth covering.

Wardrobe consultants? Surely you jest! From the photos that Drudge and Fox News post, it is obvious that Ms. Spears has no wardrobe consultants beyond lingerie companies.....and sometimes not lingerie companies.

There was a re-run. I watched it at 11:15pm.

BOYCOTT Sara Silverman's NEW SHOW !!! Where was Gwen , and Bono , and Bon Jovi , and any of the other great artists … how about even Fergie or Shakira …. everyone from the “hood” made it …. oh … & Justine …… MTV … wow … you’ve come a long way baby …… it’s a shame ! Brittany needed a few more clothes … her performance was ok …. but the person who was REALLY bad was Sara Silverman …. IT is SOO TACKY and LOW CLASS to put down someone’s children …. does she have any …. I would say NOT !!!! BOYCOTT HER NEW SHOW ON COMEDY CENTRAL >>>>>>

You're just realizing "... how far MTV has fallen"?!?!? Now?!?! I believe MTV walked off that cliff into lowest-common-denominator pandering nothingness about 12 or so years ago.

There is still an astonishing breadth of music be created every day by artists all over the country that are far more talented and creative than anything and I mean ANYTHING that passes for "music" on television these days. At least the Beatles (the first wildly successful "pop" band) had artistic virtue as well as having to come up through the ranks of playing little dive bars and live perfomance after live performance for not much $ before finally hitting it big.

Make no mistake, music is a higher form of communication that deeply affects the way our society as a whole functions whether you're aware of it or not. And the vapid, empty, banal, wasteland of modern mainstream music is literally a joke in the real musical communities across the country. Y'know...the ones where money and fame are secondary to doing something that you love, that you feel passionate about, in order to connect with those around you.

All the personality and expression of music has been replaced by corporate sponsors and the glorification of teasing sexuality, drug abuse, and pointless meandering through life because you have a decent plastic surgeon and access to a recording studio.

Real music is out there, being enjoyed by the few who take the time to seek it out. So it might be a good idea for some (including you, James Poniewozik)to turn off the television *and* the radio and go see some live, local music. Also, there's this thing called the internet that you can use to search for more than the latest Britney "accidental" up-skirt shot while she leans out of a Lamborghini. Like, you might find out about one of the 1000s of artists/bands out there that actually care about and understand music on a level that allows them to create something that is real and lasting. Something that once it gets into your blood, you won't even remember what Justin Timberlake's voice sounds like.

And a side note - what passes as "rap" (50 cent, Puffy, Eminem, T.I., etc) is nothing more than a laughable insult to what hip-hop really is.

Don't let money change you...da, da, da, da, da, dee, da....

"And the vapid, empty, banal, wasteland of modern mainstream music is literally a joke in the real musical communities across the country. Y'know...the ones where money and fame are secondary to doing something that you love, that you feel passionate about, in order to connect with those around you."

What a joke! The only thing worse than a bad Top 40 music act is a bad garage band/underground music act.

People talk as if underground acts are better than the mainstream guys. The American Idol auditions give a more realistic picture of American music. They are an infinite amount of artists and a finite amount of talent. You can find some talented and gifted acts that are not mainstream, but you will have to sift through the hay stack of horrible unsigned acts to find that needle which is a talented act.

The truth is that many acts, mainstream and underground, are good for a few songs, but not for an album.

And in case any of you boomers or Gen-Xers haven't noticed yet, MTV is not for your demographic. Never has, never will be. In the words of Pearl Jam, "THIS IS NOT FOR YOU." You have outgrown MTV. Why are you even paying attention to it?

@ Yadgyu...

I see you are as clueless about music as you are about science/biology.

I wasn't simply referring to "underground" and "garage" acts...especially because most "garage" bands are just local losers trying desperately to sound enough like those guys they hear on the radio to land a record contract.

There's actually a whole scene within music that is very much "above-ground" its just not displayed on television (although, in recent months the HD tier of my digi cable package has shown some mildly respectable shows) or on national radio. When you look at the satellite distributors like XM/Sirius you will find a few channels that offer up the ability for bands without major-label recognition to get some attention, but that is beside my point.

There is music out there being created by people who tour this country as well as Europe and Japan that will never make an appearance on your treasured VMAs, because the VMAs represent all that is empty in art/music today.

And to say that American Idol is a realistic depiction of American music makes me clench my teeth and hope that you are just unaware of what else is out there and not that willfully ignorant.

American Idol represents the fast-track, over-night success that Americans are obsessed with, even though this subtracts all the heart and feeling from creating music in the first place. Ever wonder why EVERY SINGLE contestant on American Idol only performs other people's songs, and not a single one of them even plays an instrument? Because the mainstream public has become so complacent about eating the same regurgitated bile over and over again that TV execs can make these ridiculously low-budget shows that in turn get millions and millions of viewers because it affords its audience the ability to avoid that thing they fear most-thinking independently and asking questions about why things are the way that they are.

All people like you, Yadgyu, want is to be sheltered from actual analytical thought. The idea of music stirring deep, profound emotion scares people like you, and hence we have Boy Band version 234.45 and Alt-Rock band version 842.26 and R&B singer version 745.91 and Rapper version...well, you get the idea: these acts are nothing more than numbers, plain and simple. There is no soul to their music, no passion. And for that, they will be forgotten in time.

Its just hilarious to watch and see how seriously these people take themselves. And apparently, they're not as crazy as I thought for doing so...

the reruns of the show are apparently different than the one-night-only live telecast, although i have no idea what they edit out (viewers can vote what they want to see in the rerun on mtv.com or something...)

i caught like 10 minutes of the show and it made me dizzy already, and i thought no vma could be worse than the past two years....i was wrong.

the best part of the night was mtv deliberately shut out that egomaniac Kanye West of any awards again....i'm so tired of him always playing the race card when he lost some stupid awards....he still got the money and bestselling records, right? isn't that enough.

what a mess she cant do anything right these days.
Hopefully she can overcome her issues and continue her career.

"There's actually a whole scene within music that is very much "above-ground" its just not displayed on television'''"

I know that there is beautiful music being played around the world. I am a fan of World Music. I have a collection of CDs from Putumayo and I also check out the World music on National Geographic website. With that being said, most music, whether near or afar, is horrible. Go to youtube and just look at the world's "talent". You will be hard-pressed to find good music in 95% of those videos.

"All people like you, Yadgyu, want is to be sheltered from actual analytical thought."

Analytical thought is vastly inferior to the bliss of ignorance.

I watched MTV once. Then I flipped to another channel. Ahhh... Memories.

Yadgyu: "Analytical thought is vastly inferior to the bliss of ignorance."

Well, at least you know/can admit that you are ignorant, and for that I can at least respect your honesty.

Yadgyu: "With that being said, most music, whether near or afar, is horrible. Go to youtube and just look at the world's "talent". You will be hard-pressed to find good music in 95% of those videos."

I will agree with that statement, and go so far as to say that most art (not just music) is terrible. But the point I am trying to make is that, amidst the tripe, there are lots of talented, professional musicians in the United States playing all over the country on a regular basis that are taking musical expression to a whole new level by combining genres and creating new sounds. Albeit, I am somewhat biased toward the jazz/jazz-fusion scene, there are several other genres that, although they may not be right up my alley, I at least have respect for what those artists are doing.

"...there are lots of talented, professional musicians in the United States playing all over the country on a regular basis that are taking musical expression to a whole new level by combining genres and creating new sounds."

These musicians will never get credit because they really aren't seeking the fame and fortune and trappings of pop/rap/rock artists. There are plenty of people who play music on a regular basis and make mid to high six figure incomes. When good music becomes mainstream music, it loses its uniqueness to the die-hard fans.

I myself would only do music for large amounts of money. The fame and partying are not that important in the end. I would rather be rich and unknown than famous and poor.

They will get credit from other musicians and their fans/supporters (many of whom play in their spare time just for the fun on it).

As for myself, I would rather be poor and unknown than famous and rich. Wide appreciation from the uninformed, unwashed masses is the last thing that I want. But that's just me. :)

Mark Jeffries: while I don't think Boomers ever really spent that much time watching MTV, you can't sit there and say Gen-Xers don't belong there and should just move on. Hey we were there when they got off the ground and really began doing great shows, think back to the late 80s and early, mid-90s, and that's when MTV had great music programming and shows mixed together.

Now, it's like a schitzo TV network that can't figure out what to do and reach multiple demographics - guess what GenXers make the money now not the Ys, Millenials etc.

Hey, we're older, MTV has moved on to the next generation...so alot of Gen Xers are spending time on VH-1 and guess what, look how good they're doing now, and then look at MTV. 'Nuff said.

All awards shows are boring.

What is so exciting about watching dressed up celebs get statues and make speeches? The only reason to watch music awards shows are for the performances in between the statue-giving. There is really nothing that MTV or any other awards show can do to make awards shows cool. Big presentations such as these are always snoozers.

I think that all awards shows, including the Golden Globes, Tony Awards, Academy Awards, Emmy Awards, Soul Train Music Awards, and others should not be televised, as they are only for the benefit of feeding the egos of celebrities.