I Want My Mtv

You know what I miss? Seeing actual music videos on Mtv. I spent more time watching videos on Mtv in the 80s than any other program. I used to dance along, to dream of one day being a professional music video dancer. I remember when the video for Thriller came out because my mother woke up me and my sister at midnight to witness the first viewing of its release. I loved how videos provided another dimension of appreciation for the music--the artist's visual intention. My guess is that the Real World was the downfall of the brand's original intention to provide actual music videos. Nothing like reality TV to ruin a good thing! It's a common marketing principle, that you give the people what they want, or what they think they should want. But for the life of me I can't imagine why people would prefer to see the contrived reality shows and dating games that now overrun what was once a groundbreaking, one of a kind station. Today it is no different from channels like TLC and Bravo and the like, though it tries to distinguish itself by targeting an even younger audience with the faux illusion of being edgier. Do people really prefer the illusion of reality programs to feel better about their lives over real artistic expression? Have we sunk that far? I imagine when my kids are older my version of "when I was young I had to walk uphill to school both ways" will be "when I was young Mtv actually played music videos."