"It ... feels like 9/11 programming all over again."

But that's just one unnamed music executive's opinion. According to the Los Angeles Times, MTV is banishing a short list of music videos to the overnight hours. At least eight videos, including clips from Britney Spears, Maroon 5, and Blink 182 that expose lots of female flesh — but no nipples! — as well as one with political undercurrents from Incubus, have been consigned to the late-night schedule following the shocking visibility of one of Janet Jackson's tits during the Super Bowl halftime show.

I don't necessarily cry for Britney Spears. But I guess music video directors can consider themselves put on notice that conservative is better, in both politics as well as MTV programming. What's really silly about this is that MTV isn't even bound by FCC decree — the government has been repeatedly shown to have no power to control so-called "indecent" programming on cable channels. In other words, they caved.

Did anyone else notice that, at the Grammys, song lyrics that were edited from the MTV-ready Outkast music videos were present in the (presumably CBS-approved) live performances? And I don't have time to go off on a rant about how relatively inoffensive the new Britney video is compared to the stuff that passes for original programming on the channel because Jon Stewart's on. Bye.

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Comments

I wish Janet had taken responsibility for her actions and claimed she was deliberately trying to point out the double standard re: nudity and violence on TV. Or that it's considered OK for people to humiliate themselves on reality shows but the human body is obscene. (I also wonder if anyone would've cared if Britney made out with Justin Timberlake, rather than Madonna, onstage.)

MTV has become ridiculously uptight about lyrics. On Outkast's "The Whole World," they cut out "junkie" from the line "My stomach aches like a junkie in withdrawal." I can't see how this line encourages drug use.

Posted by: Steve Erickson at February 15, 2024 12:49 PM

We're at a crux and its election time, both at the political polls and within our own workplaces. Vote for what's right - libertarianism - at the polls and, when you can, push your job responsibilities to allow freedom of non-violent expression within in the workplace and through your customers. Janet shouldn't have flashed her breast on a very family-oriented program. No debate there. The debate lies in that Americans have unabashedly decided what they want for programming, yet corporations continue their condemnation using the wealth of right-wing influences. We are the corporations. We work from 9-5 and we decide the media for our society. Speak up and act out!

Posted by: Tika at February 26, 2024 06:32 PM

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