Music Television: Modern Phenomenon or Passing Fad?

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Music Television: Modern Phenomenon or Passing Fad?

Dr. Pitton’s Comments: This student was asked in this essay to write about the causes of a modern phenomena. In active prose, she did an excellent job both of detailing the popularity of music television in today's society and offering a variety of creative and innovative reasons for this effect.

MTV promotes a romanticized teen lifestyle, reflecting the images of famous artists that differ with the realities of the “Generation X” lifestyle. While some view the station as “illustrated radio” or an entertainment network for viewers’ pleasure, others more accurately consider it as an advertising enterprise that endorses products and promotes attitudes (O’Neil 12). Whether or not MTV critics agree with these “messages” that, the network sends out, it has become a huge franchise generating large profits and great popularity. MTV’s entertainment, commercialism, and messages satisfy and influence many types of viewers, giving us, the viewing audience, a better understanding of the immense popularity of Music Television (MTV).

As the entertainment mogul, MTV jumpstarted careers and dictated nearly every move in pop-culture. Its “children” range from Madonna to Britney Spears. With 1988’s “Yo! MTV Raps,” it brought hip-hop into the mainstream; with 1992’s “The Real World,” it laid the groundwork for reality television. By the mid-80’s, as group of competitors enticed MTV’s young audience, the network reinvented itself. The anchor in 1987 was the pop-trivia show “Remote Control.” Even with all the shows that have stemmed out of MTV, their music videos are still a major priority.

Commercialism is as showing too much regard for pro...

... middle of paper ...

...ie Allen says, “MTV made us look at the sound of music” (83).

Works Cited

Allen, Bonnie. “The 1980’s.” Essence Dec. 1989: 82-84

Daspin, Eileen. “Davis Horowitz: I Want My MTV” Management Review Oct.1985:

19-20.

Denisoff, R. Serge. Inside MTV. New Brunswick: Transaction Publishers, 1989.

Dupler, Steven. “New MTV Prez: No Big Changes Planned At Channel.” Billboard 27

May 1989: 55.

Hamerlinck, John. “MTV and Morality.” The Humanist Jan./Feb. 1995: 43.

Hedegaard, Erik. “New MTV Channel Aims For Older Audience.” Rolling Stone 11 Oct.

1984: 38.

Newman, Melinda. “MTV Spreads The News.” Billboard 18 Feb. 1989: 55.

---. “MTV Taking A Harder Look At Vids?” Billboard 18 Nov. 1989: 1.

Smith, Glenn. “MTV Parlors.’ Popular in Taiwan.” Billboard 16Sep. 1989: 63.

“Viacom Buys MTV.” Fortune 30 Sep. 1985:10-11.

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