This Sunday is MTV's annual Video Music Awards or VMAs as they're known. Growing up this was THE show to watch. This year is supposed to be big with acts such as Drake, Kanye West and (wait for it) Justin Bieber. Odd lineup, but we'll get to that later. Hosting the show is author and E! Television star Chelsea Handler?? MTV has been running ads featuring Drake for the last month or so to get its viewers hype about the show. The only problem, I suspect, is that the world kinda doesn't care.
Why would I make a statement such as that? For starters, the lineup is just odd. It appears as if they're trying to truly capture a demographic that is just too diverse: 12-40, all races, ethnic backgrounds, urban and suburban. I mean, Chelsea Handler??! Don't get me wrong I like her. I find her funny, and while I haven't read her books, I want to. But I'm a 28 year-old woman who can legally DRINK VODKA!! She also hasn't struck me as the type who relates to girls under eighteen. Maybe she can just as Carrie Broadshaw related to "women" everywhere (aka girls who were having sex). Let's not forget the other half of the audience is male. Young males are so into asserting their masculinity that I am not sold on her captivating their attention.
As far as JB is concerned I understand it's important that MTV supports and acknowledges its large moneymakers. There is something about a tween sharing the billing with Kanye that just does not sit well with me. It could be that I am a huge hip hop fan, and while I like pop Justin Timberlake would seem to be a better fit. Or maybe it's that I just view Bieber as a child, and I don't take him seriously as an artist. Who knows. Let's be real: outside a money-making perspective it makes zero sense; bottom line this odd host/guest lineup screams desperation for MTV to me.
This morning they revealed their final ploy to reel viewers in: a bonus episode of Jersey Shore RIGHT before the VMAs. Wow. To me that means the VMA's are no longer capable of pulling the viewership they once had. I remember back in the day EVERYONE watched the red carpet pre-show, the awards show, and the after show. Now, you have to entice us with an extra dose of our favorite hard-partying guidos to try to get us to tune into your show?? I'm not sure if this is because MTV is in a strange position as the first generation grows up and shifts its focus on more stimulating material and no longer views the VMAs as necessary to view. Personally, I'll be recording Jersey Shore. Like many of my friends I will be tuned into HBO for the True Blood, Hung, and Entourage finales.
I'm sorry MTV as much as I love MVP, Snooki, JWoww, Angelina, and the never-ending Sammi/Ronnie Drama there is NOTHING you can do to tear me away from my Sunday HBO. Nothing. And I think you know MANY others feel the same way which is why you used Jersey Shore as bait. Not going to work. Frankly as people who grew up watching MTV we know that you will re-run the show 50 times next week. Perhaps I'll catch an encore. Although, I may not. After the premiere I will have a good idea of what occurred through Twitter, Facebook and the blogosphere to know if it's worth my time. Or, like many others, I may just youtube the performances worth seeing and scrap the rest.
