Hey kids…want to see legal porn and learn dirty words? Do you want to become part of today’s perverse pop-culture and make your parents cringe? If you answer yes to these questions, as so many of you will, then relax, grab the remote and enjoy the show. Yeah, it’s that easy, especially if your parents were too lazy to install a V-chip. Waiting for you is a mind blowing experience, immediately propelling you into a hot, heated and sexually charged atmosphere, which until recently had been exclusively reserved for adulthood.
Now children, I know that if you would tear yourselves away from your televisions or PSPs for just a moment to read, you would already think that I am old, part of the establishment and completely lacking in understanding of what it is to be young. Well, you’re wrong. I am not an antiquated relic or a puritan prude. I’m a 31 year old Generation X’er, DJing for a living with a full head of dreadlocks. But according to national testing scores, you guys don’t read, so this article is not for you, but instead it, is a caveat for your parents.
For better of for worse, popular culture is changing the face of American society and MTV has been at the forefront, as a pioneer in this movement, since 1981. Its scope is wide, spanning an entire spectrum of tasteful and tasteless ideas, events, influence and advice. It is a conundrum to me, and after careful deliberation and extended reflection, I am still no closer to an answer as to whether MTV is trash or treasure. In many ways, it is a microcosm of society which can neither be applauded nor condemned, for it is both deplorable and exceptional at the same time.
To be honest, I embarked on this project with a set of particularized biases. I am not sure whether they developed through wisdom or hubris, but I am now convinced that it was a combination of both. My investigation however, has lead me down the path of indecision, and my prejudices and presumptions are both intact and shattered at the same time. In short, I feel that there is no solid answer, as MTV is a two faced monster; one sincerely smiling while the other shows a menacing grimace. So parents, ultimately each of you must decide for yourselves as to what you feel is appropriate for your child’s viewing pleasure.
As your children already know, MTV is not designed for adults, although its content is adult themed. It is the opiate of the youth and as it approaches its twenty-fourth anniversary, it seems to only have gained momentum through reaching an increasingly growing audience. According to the National Institute on Media and the Family, MTV globally reaches 350 million households with 82% of its viewers being 12 to 34 years old. It has become the most recognized network for this age demographic, but the majority of its viewers are between 12 and 19 years of age. Some of you parents may be in your mid thirties, with children that are adolescent. The questions arise: Is everything that is appropriate for you to watch also suitable for your kids? Are my kids mature enough to handle exposure to adult entertainment which has been deemed TVMA?
Thankfully, your children are not allowed to smoke, participate in drinking, attend strip clubs, or gamble until a certain age, because society is trying to protect them from activities in which they are not ready to partake. Television however, is one of the last bastions of self-governing, in that unless you parents specifically lock out channels, any child who can operate a remote control has access to whatever is on. As for the ridiculously lose and often incomprehensible television ratings system, is it a deterrent or an advertisement for our youth to watch that which adults have deemed taboo for them? Regardless, MTV realizes where its bread is buttered and consciously attempts to influence your children, with a constant parade of sex, violence, drinking and dangerous pranks.
Music videos have been the backbone of MTV since its inception in 1981. Recently, their popularity has given way to a myriad of reality and summary programs, but music videos are still the essence of the network. Over the years the content of these videos and the song lyrics they contain have become increasingly suggestive to say the least. The imagery and music however remains stimulating, imaginative and offers a unique tool for escapism from the monotony of everyday life. Ahh…the two faced monster rears its ugly head.
Parents, remember being part of a social collective, sharing the experience of MTV’s birth with millions of others who saw the first video ever to be aired: “Video Killed the Radio Star” by the Buggles? We were enthralled and spent many hours in the years to come watching a host of other videos. Yes, we were inspired and influenced by the rock stars of the day, emulating what was perceived as cool, but there was still an air of innocence then that has since been lost. The time period was more innocuous and even though there was an element of sexuality, what is being sent over the airwaves today, it akin to the comparison of a school yard fight verses the Invasion of Normandy. Indeed, times have changed and the youth of the twenty-first century are worldlier than any subsequent generation, but is it wise to continually push the envelope of good judgment, forcing influence on the impressionable: aka your kids?
An example of the differences between then and now can easily be demonstrated in a quick comparison of respective ‘racy’ lyrics. In the 1980’s, a rock group named Frankie Goes to Hollywood wrote a song called “Relax”. Its lyrics were not appreciated by our parent’s generation, in that they stated,” relax, don’t do it when you want to get to it, relax, don’t do it when you want to come”. This sentence was a euphemism for sexual release, and as much as our elders found it repugnant, our generation embraced it. In contrast, now read a line from ‘Big Pimpin’, a popular Jay-Z rap song that was heavily featured on MTV: “"I thug 'em/Fuck 'em/Love 'em/Leave 'em/'Cause I don't fuckin' need 'em/Take 'em out the hood/Keep 'em lookin' good/But I don't fuckin' feed 'em." What type of sentiment towards women is this? True the foul language is half bleeped-out while being played on MTV, but even someone who never heard the song before can decipher what is being said, because the network has only stricken the smallest segment of the controversial words, just enough to fulfill the FCC’s stipulations. I’m not sponsoring censorship in any way, however, I’m also an advocate of good taste and social responsibility. Is it too much to ask the same of a noted company who has earned mountains of money over the years through our tuning in? We as adults are aware that controversy equates to higher profits, because it is human nature to gravitate towards that which is divisive, but is it responsible to promote images and ideas that are possibly violent, and misogynistic? Parents, what lasting influence will this have on your children, as they enter adulthood in a world that is already lacking the strong character promoted by past generations?
If you are asking, “can this really affect my child?” the answer is yes. MTV since its birth has appropriated the youth culture, and has helped change their perceptions. Remember how taken we were by it? The music video has evolved however, and many organizations, such as MediaFamily.org, have compiled an abundance of data concerning this dynamic art-form. In one study 75% of concept music videos (those that told a story) involve sexual imagery and more than half involve violence - usually against women. An analysis of music videos found that nearly 25% of all music videos on MTV portray overt violence and that weaponry is depicted in more than 80% of these videos. Furthermore, ¼ of all MTV videos contain alcohol/tobacco usage and research has found a positive correlation between watching music videos and alcohol consumption among teens. What is the message that we are allowing our children to receive? Could it be that sexism, alcoholism, violence, materialism, pimping and whoring are the apt and expected behavior of those that are “cool”? And if this is so, who is to blame when our children grow up to be drunk, promiscuous, greedy, cruel, disillusioned and aggressive, imitating what they had been exposed to for all of those years on MTV?
A troubling side affect of being an adult is that we often discount the anguish inherently associated with being a young teenager. Through all of our increasingly difficult responsibilities, which come with self sufficiency, it is easy to forget the angst and uncertainty that is par for the course of adolescence. Between childhood and adulthood, both girls and boys begin to redefine themselves in a multifaceted process which includes forming personal morals, budding sexuality, understanding gender role notions, and preparing for their impending future. All ages, especially the young, look to a variety of sources for direction and instruction on how to behave. It is so important to be accepted by one’s peers that kids are willing to mimic dangerous and disturbing behavior. Research has shown that the media can play a powerful role in shaping children's beliefs, attitudes and perceptions and the cumulative impact of media bombardment is a constant source of influence. MTV, through its many components, is a leader in the manipulation of delivering a prefabricated opinion to those who are most susceptible to outside persuasion. This however has a two fold effect, and is the monster I am talking about. The concern should be though, will the consequences be positive or negative?
Many seeds that MTV is capable of planting in the fertile minds of your children can potentially reap quality returns. For example, the ‘Choose or Lose” campaign revolves around the idea of educating a younger generation, who generally is apathetic to politics, in the hope that they will vote in elections. Through voting, candidate, Electoral College, and related information, MTV helped rally 21 million young voters to participate in the 2004 Presidential election. Now I know that your 13 year old will not be eligible to vote for a few more years, but reinforcing participation in the political process at a young age is advantageous.
Now I’m willing to wager, that for those of you who were courageous enough to have the ‘sex talk’ with your kids, that it was one of the most uncomfortable conversations either of you ever engaged in. MTV, in its infinite desire to be your child’s surrogate parent, is willing to relieve you of this responsibility. The network designed a ‘Fight for Your Rights’ movement that disseminates helpful information pertaining to sex education. On their website they offer a fountain of knowledge and resources, for World Aids Day, STD information, links to birth control basics, and other embarrassing concepts that are potentially difficult to discuss. Here MTV uncharacteristically preaches abstinence and contraception, as they stress that the only viable way to stop sexually transmitted diseases is through education. MTV also shows a barrage of public service announcements during commercial intervals extolling the benefits of staying clean from using drugs/alcohol and practicing safe sex.
Now, in contrast to all of this wonderfully helpful information that the network so graciously provides, MTV has what I see as being a conflict of interest. How can an institution preach good values in one breathe while spitting acerbic acid with the next? Is it hypocritical to show safe sex, anti-alcohol public service announcements during the commercial slots for shows that depict overt intoxication and Romanesque sexuality? Or perhaps this is a perfect marriage of fear, suggestiveness and consumption? A viewer watches all of this behavior to a point of boiled frenzy and then in an effort to seem hip and up cool, duplicates these actions. This simple psychology is most likely known by MTV and they probably understand that as a show that depicts these acts cuts to commercial break, what better time to advertise products such as condoms. In the flash of an instant, the message changes from ‘you can never have enough sex’ to ‘if you have too much unprotected sex, something bad will happen to you’. Is it helpful, or suggestive? Is it out of social decency or a desire to cash in on fear through consumption?
The type of programming I am describing is not just showing adult sexuality, but that which many feel is deviant sexuality. Depictions of acts that are illegal in many states are being shown to our youth in an effort to possibly persuade them to act in a similar fashion. People, in my opinion, are entitled partake in sexual deviance (barring rape, incest and pedophilia) in the privacy of their own homes, but to advertise it to the impressionable is questionable at best. Let people through maturity and experience decide for themselves what is good for them without the unneeded pressures of the supposedly ‘cool’ television network telling them that it is fashionable to act this way.
Now parents, this was just a glimpse at the faces of the two headed monster. I could go on indefinitely, extolling the benefits and admonishing the detriments of MTV’s programming, but it is for each of you to decide whether or not this network is appropriate for your children. I wish there was an easy answer and that our society had evolved to a point where this question need not be asked, but that is not our situation. Everywhere we look, pop-culture’s influence is increasingly evident. Some feel we are in a morass of debauchery that will have long lasting social ramifications, while others enjoy a less reverent society. I can only hope that the good that comes from allowing children to watch such a bipolar network, outweighs the negative aspects in the long run.