What three MTV moments have resonated with you most?
Forget becoming a cheerleader or skateboarder or homecoming queen, this is one episode of Made I will never forget. It wasn't about being pretty or popular or branching out, it was about something simple. All this kid wanted to do was make it out of high school with a diploma in hand.
When people think of MTV, certain things come to mind: The Hills, Justin Bieber, Date My Mom, oh, and music too I guess- but what people forget about is how current and controversial MTV's programming can be. This Made episode, the True Life series, the issues addressed on countless seasons of the Real World, not to mention campaigns like 'Choose or Lose' have become regular staples on the network. In my opinion, if my generation is any more educated and open-minded, we have MTV to thank.
No, Kanye stealing the mic from Taylor is not the moment that 'resonated' with me... although it helped. The 2009 VMAs was the first time I really saw the power of social media. The first time I really saw how it was changing our regular habits.
You see, I had been watching MTV's finale of ABDC and the VMA Red Carpet special, but then I switched over to AMC for my weekly dose of Mad Men before the VMAs actually got underway. Minutes into the show, messages like 'F@#k Kanye' and 'Poor Taylor' started popping up on Twitter. Immdiately, I switched back over to MTV, and before I knew it, the trending topics on Twitter were all MTV-related: VMAs, Kanye West, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Shakira and Pink (they were wearing the same dress that night...).
We're not waiting for recap shows or next day coverage anymore. When things happen- big things like Kanye and even small things like what we ate for dinner- we are talking about them right now.
Britney's 'Comeback' at the 2007 VMAs
Okay, I've mentioned this one before... but it deserves to be said again. The night of those VMAs, we had just had our weekly sorority meeting at the chapter house. Instead of trying to rush back to our apartments or dorm rooms, a hundred or so girls crowded into the TV room to try to get a glimpse at their fallen idol, hoping this would live up to past performances- 'I'm a Slave 4 U' with the snake, 'Satisfaction' with that nude body suit, the Super Bowl with Aerosmith and former boy toy Justin and crew.
Every girl in that room had favorite Britney moments- favorite songs, favorite performances, favorite videos. The fact that we were all brought together by a single artist, by a single program shows the collective viewing power MTV has over generations of viewers. Britney is an icon, yes... but MTV is the icon that made her.
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