Five Dollar Media Journal

I watched this with family all the way up to Mary J. Blige's performance, which was one of the few that I felt no resignations about. The stage design for her segment was cool. Six LED monitors displayed copies/CG recreations of herself in various costumes, dancing along to the music. I think there were projectors playing video on the neighboring buildings—a novel use of the surrounding space. Outdoor concerts in city streets are generally fun things, I find. Letterman and Leno have them occasionally, as do the morning shows.

As for the awards show itself, something about it all just disturbs me. I never watched MTV with much regularity through high school. When I started living on my own, television became much more distant as I only watched the broadcast channels (i.e. nothing much at all). In that span of time, MTV became ever more outrageous and sensational until it became its current incarnation of reality shows, awards show repeats, some good animation shows, and pop culture commercials. I don't even think they play videos anymore—I've watched more music videos on the two or three (bonus) DVDs that came with my music albums than I have ever seen on cable. Even if I did watch more MTV, I might not have seen the nominated videos until just that night. How then do they go about giving out awards for something they don't even broadcast properly?

Madonna, Spears, and Aguilera opened for the show. If that "Hollywood" song is representative of Madonna's work today, I haven't missed much since I stopped listening to her in the mid-90s. Ironically, I didn't think much of her back in the 80s as well; today, however, I feel that she did well up through Immaculate Collection, though I'll listen to some of her Ray of Light work ("The Power Of Goodbye"). Now she's hyping Gap wear, making out with Britney, starring in box office flops, and otherwise ruining a great career. Yes, she's still getting paid, but money and success do not correlate.

I have nothing constructive to say about Britney. As for Christina Aguilera, I wish she would concentrate more on her frequently outstanding vocal talent and show some more discrimination where her image is concerned. Too often she seems like some monster staring you down from Rolling Stone covers and news clips, like a white girl trying desperately to be black. Christina: the contra-Michael Jackson?

Chris Rock had many damning things to say about the celebrities present, the ceremony, and MTV itself. It's great that he has enough clout to do stuff like that, and on MTV itself. But I wonder how much of his material was created by MTV writers who are now using all the anti-MTV, anti-pop sentiment in a "post-" sort of way. MTV must now see itself as an image-centered abomination, and may do nothing more than deprecate itself in the face of all the income earned from the pockets of millions of youths. A worldwide corporation, powerful enough to influence entire generations, but impotent to do so in a beneficial way.

One of the standout presentations was given by Jack Black, who I find genuine and funny, professionally so. There has been quite a shortage of it these days. In the same hour, the Olsen twins were presenting with someone; he seemed just as baffled as I was by their very presence. I was a young child who watched Full House often. To know that I've grown up with them is a weird feeling, considering they haven't brought anything novel to entertainment since then.

I wonder myself what kind of celebrity I might be. Perhaps people will find my future work and personal life interesting. What if I did somehow attain fame among the MTV crowd? Would it be possible to remain who I am, to avoid becoming what I just complained about?

On my regular journal, I've written things about shows. One concerned repetitive advertising during a PBS documentary. Another concerned a video game I played recently. One session of TV watching back in July was particularly thematic; another was nostalgic in a way.

If I find more, I'll add to this post.

The following posts meet the journal requirements for RTVF 176.1 at San Jose State. I decided to bring them here since I am already familiar with the workings of Blogger. Besides, what use will these posts be if I keep them to myself and the class? If I have something to say, might as well say it to the world.

Hello, World!