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MTV Video Music Awards has many people wondering whether the longtime popular cable network has completely lost its appeal.
The ratings for the VMAs over the past few years have steadily declined.
MTV programming isn’t what it used to be, pop culture experts told ABCNews.com, but then again, neither is the entertainment industry.
Viewers have many more options for entertainment, and no longer rely solely on MTV, making the audience even harder to impress and the seats even harder to fill with celebrities who are spread thin across various outlets.
“[MTV’s] biggest problem is that, in 1981, they were the only game in town, there was nothing like them,” said Bob Thompson, pop culture guru and professor at Syracuse University.
“But that bird has flown. In the 80s, if you were a kid, MTV was where you went,” said Thompson. “Now, kids have Comedy Central, Adult Swim on the Cartoon Network — there are so many other places providing entertainment.
“I don’t think MTV is ever going to reach the cultural heights where it was in the 1980s,” said Thompson.Â* What makes these cable networks work is a few good hits. Nothing is the same as getting a big hit that everyone is talking about.”
Overall, some critics said this year’s show was also less glamorous than years past, set at the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas, rather than more upscale locales like New York’s Radio City Music Hall.
“In the 80s and 90s, the VMAs were really elaborate, and the amount of money spent was truly extravagant,” said Phil Gallo, associate editor of Variety
The Bottom Line: The overall consensus from bloggers and media outlets was that MTV lost its appeal and was tame and lame. The shock value has replaced artistry. The problem is that there is no more value in shock.
More...
MTV Video Music Awards has many people wondering whether the longtime popular cable network has completely lost its appeal.
The ratings for the VMAs over the past few years have steadily declined.
MTV programming isn’t what it used to be, pop culture experts told ABCNews.com, but then again, neither is the entertainment industry.
Viewers have many more options for entertainment, and no longer rely solely on MTV, making the audience even harder to impress and the seats even harder to fill with celebrities who are spread thin across various outlets.
“[MTV’s] biggest problem is that, in 1981, they were the only game in town, there was nothing like them,” said Bob Thompson, pop culture guru and professor at Syracuse University.
“But that bird has flown. In the 80s, if you were a kid, MTV was where you went,” said Thompson. “Now, kids have Comedy Central, Adult Swim on the Cartoon Network — there are so many other places providing entertainment.
“I don’t think MTV is ever going to reach the cultural heights where it was in the 1980s,” said Thompson.Â* What makes these cable networks work is a few good hits. Nothing is the same as getting a big hit that everyone is talking about.”
Overall, some critics said this year’s show was also less glamorous than years past, set at the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas, rather than more upscale locales like New York’s Radio City Music Hall.
“In the 80s and 90s, the VMAs were really elaborate, and the amount of money spent was truly extravagant,” said Phil Gallo, associate editor of Variety
The Bottom Line: The overall consensus from bloggers and media outlets was that MTV lost its appeal and was tame and lame. The shock value has replaced artistry. The problem is that there is no more value in shock.
More...
