By Mark La Monica
Britney Spears' comatose/nervous/Am I Brooke Hogan? performance notwithstanding, the VMAs have been slaughtered by MTV.
It's a shame, seeing how the VMAs once represented the rebellious nature in all of us. It was anything goes at the VMAs, from outrageous performances (Madonna, Britney and Christina) to outlandish entrances (Howard Stern flying in as "Fartman").
Now, the executives at MTV squashed it all and created an event that was more Dick Clark's Rockin Eve than "I Want My MTV!"
Those execs cited declining ratings as a reason to revamp the show from awards and performances to artists singing in separate suites and a small array of awards and rushed acceptance speeches. Quick question: what show or event doesn't produce lower ratings these days than in the past? With the advent of TiVOs and DVRs and 4,719 channels to choose from, decreased ratings an occupational hazard.
But to completely blow up the VMAs, once the cable station's shining moment? It doesn't make sense. Award shows were constructed for television purposes. Sure, it was probably pretty cool to be in one of the suites rockin' with the Foo Fighters, head-noddin' with Kanye West or chillin' with Justin Timberlake and Timbaland. But it made for exceptionally terrible television. We're talking "The Magic Hour" terrible.
With the exception of R&B singer Chris Brown, no one else seemed like they wanted to be there.
During the show, MTV promised fewer repeat airings of the show (they must have known how bad a job they were doing) and the chance to watch complete in-suite performances online. Has the Internet has killed the video star the way video killed the radio star? For one night a year, we hope not.
We shouldn't expect MTV to heed JT's advice and play more videos. It's an online world now, for good or for bad. But to destroy the station's flagship night makes no sense. Just don't pin it all on Spears, or even the remarkably awful Sarah Silverman monologue. The MTV execs destroyed the VMAs.