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MTV Refuses to Celebrate 25; VH1 to Reminisce Instead

Authored by Robert Spears on August 1, 2006 - 9:28am.
Today, August 1, 2006, marks MTV Networks’ 25 year anniversary with little fanfare from the company. The consensus is that the company refuses to publicly associate itself with a symbolic number beyond the age of its perpetually young audience. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette quotes MTV president Christina Norman’s blasé reflections on the day:  "Our audience was not even born [in 1981]…They want to know we're going with them, where we are taking them, not so much where we've been."

Though the feigned indifference is understandable, I think MTV lost a great opportunity to preemptively poke irreverent fun at itself before others take the liberty. For example, they could have followed the self-deprecating marketing tactics used by corporate brands like Starbucks, Target, and others, in the ingeniously satirical movie, Josie and the Pussycats – a movie that makes light of “evil corporations” and their sneaky mass-marketing ploys. Ironically, MTV host Carson Daily did appear in the movie, portraying the other side of his public persona – a sociopath murderer, no less. To ignore the anniversary too much is to publicly admit that 25 really is old, whereas – let’s be creative for effect – to run reruns of Mad TV’s recurring parody “Laguna Bi-otch” (based on MTV’s Laguna Beach) would reflect a youthful brashness, unapologetic of its far-reaching cultural impact.

More importantly, MTV is losing out on the opportunity to depict history, especially the history of pop culture, as interesting and relevant to today’s youth. I am starting to suspect that only older generations are exploring the long-tail of older and lesser known content, and its context.

Instead, MTV’s sister property, VH1 is broadcasting the first day of MTV programming today and again this Saturday, starting at 9AM local time, to allow the non-MTV generation to reminisce. In an article published today, the BBC aptly and respectfully summarizes MTV’s milestone:  “That the channel has survived and flourished, however, is a testament to its canny understanding of popular trends and the global audience”.  But I wonder if MTV’s audience is starting to sense that the network is getting self-conscious about its age?

Related Links:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5210528.stm
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06212/709870-237.stm
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06212/709873-237.stm
http://www.mtv.com/overdrive (Click on A.D.D. Videos, for vintage clips)
tags: Video | Marketing | TV | Music | Music Videos | MTV | VH1 |



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