MTV killed the video star

< Prev | 1 | 2

Interviews, performances

Choir sings lullaby Christmas songs
Dec. 4: Awarding-winning men's choir Chanticleer sings two Christmas songs from their new album, "Best of Chanticleer."

‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’

The doc who rocks

Ron Wood arrested

Beyonce tops Grammy nods

Chris Rock — before the “Oscars” gutted him — now there was an awards-show host. The most cutting-edge thing MTV’s done in a decade is let Chris Rock host the VMAs for a third time in 2004. Granted, five years passed since his last VMA hosting duty in 1999, when Rock tore MTV a new one, calling out everything ridiculous about its vaunted stars.

In Rock’s rapier delivery, Kid Rock looked like a “substitute pimp.” Foreseeing the future of boy bands ‘N Sync, 98 degrees, and the Backstreet Boys, Rock said, “Don’t you know how this movie’s gonna end?” And his advice for Ricky “Livin’ La Vida Loca” Martin’s career: “You need a hit like a crackhead needs a hit.”

“What the hell is he doing here?” was Rock’s response to spotting Regis Philbin in the crowd. But you had to wonder the same about Rock — the only one verbally recognizing the ridiculousness of the arbiters of musical taste.

Story continues below ↓

advertisement | your ad here

Happily, here in the future, we have choices. The days of sitting in front of the TV for hours waiting for Duran Duran’s “Rio” video to come on are over.

You can select videos on demand via such Internet services such as Yahoo Music and AOL Music. The AOL service even allows you to post your own snarky comments live while the video’s playing. The community site MySpace allows you to share your favorite videos with your friends, as well as contact the bands making them.

These days, you can literally hold your personalized video playlist in the palm of your hand via cell phone or Sony PlayStation Portable. Rumor has it that the video iPod isn’t far behind. You no longer need cable television and an awards show (with or without Diddy and five aquatic-themed stages) to tell you what your favorite videos should be.

And frankly, until they start handing out moon men to those singing kitties on the Internet, my cable bill may never get paid.

Helen A.S. Popkin is a writer in New York

< Prev | 1 | 2