MTV had a birthday today. But much like a woman, by the time it had turned 30 I had long since stopped paying attention.
Many have lamented that they liked MTV better when they showed videos all day. Is that the reason you don’t watch MTV any more? No, you don’t watch MTV any more because you are old. MTV stopped being for you long before you matured out of the 18 – 34 demographic.
I am not a regular viewer of MTV these days, haven’t been for years. When I yearn for the MTV of old, it is not the wall-to-wall videos that I miss, but the early half of the 90s experimental stage, when the network started moving away from videos and closer to what it is today. It was a time of sketch comedy by The State, game shows by Ken Ober and talk shows by Jon Stewart.
It seemed MTV was destined for a gloriously tragic rock star death. The network took a page from one of the stars it played such a huge role in creating, Madonna, and re-invented itself over-and-over.
Do I miss the MTV of my youth? Sure, what I, and most people miss, is my youth. However, I am typing this on a tablet that weighs ten ounces and can instantly access any video MTV has ever shown.
And by the time MTV is programming for the youngest cast members of 16 And Pregnant, a whole new generation of Americans will be whining about how this is not the MTV of their youth.