The loss of knowledge

When I was in grade school there was no such addiction that could match mine for MTV. The days of Smashing Pumpkins, Metallica, Nirvana, The GooGoo Dolls, Carson Daily, and Daria, were the symbol of rock and roll knowledge and agenda. Each day I would jump off my bus and walk what at the time seemed like a never ending road back to my house. Yet once I was there I always knew there was a plump couch seated in front of a television waiting for me to absorb musical knowledge. At 11, I could name almost any current song on the radio, my mother was nearly flabbergasted when sitting in the car once I heard exactly one note of The Goo Goo Dolls “Iris” and blurted out the song title. MTV at that time stood up to its name, music was actually played, cool rock stars were interviewed while young girls cooed and cheered in the nearby seats. You had something to learn, some talent to absorb.
As I grew older though I started to notice a change, not just that Carson Daily was painting his finger nails red instead of just black, but a change in the music. The videos started to receive less and less airtime, first it was a second or two at the beginning and end, but overtime only the middle of the video was posted to make room for some other nonmusical show. Not only were videos shortened, but so was the quality, bubble gum pop took over and talented artists and singers were pushed to the wayside. The trend only worsened, and eventually MTV no longer represented its name.
So my love affair with MTV waned, and in many ways I simply forgot about it, as so many others who use to love it did. Then something happened.
This weekend was I was flipping through the channels, I saw that the MTV movie awards were on, and decided to check it out to see who was wearing what. Naturally since their name is “music television” musicians performed. Now 10 years ago at these same awards Metallica rocked out with “I disappear” and rightly so staked their claim as rock legends. The story though was not the same this year. Instead of face melting guitar solos that take years upon years to be able to perform, bubble gum pop took its toll, and whole new flavor of whore.
Katy Perry was the performance of choice alongside Christina Aguilera, and no were not talking Genie in a bottle, instead they took the first amendment to a whole new level, and thus MTV aligned with the red light district. Half the time the singers weren’t singing and the only entertainment was the neon flashing bulbs and practically bare breasts that distracted from the performers lack of talent or originality. In that moment I sadly realized that music television had died forever, and that generations will not have a sliver of knowledge about what talent is. So I leave you with this MTV.
Over time you have elicited the ability to take steaming piles of crap and throw glitter on it and pass off as music. You have created a new title for yourselves “The downfall of music as we know it.” Congratulations on brainwashing a generation.