Scarborough: The Real Deal on MTV

Townhall.com ^ | 6-16-03 | Joe Scarborough

[cgk]

The 'Real Deal' on MTV
Joe Scarborough (archive)

June 16, 2003 | Print | Send

Now, when first launched, MTV revolutionized the music industry. Video didn’t kill the radio star, it super-sized it. 

       But over the past few years, MTV’s done a little more than shock its predominantly preteen and teen audiences. With breast enhanced Britney Spears writhing across the stage in see-through lingerie, with sex-soaked soap operas, and on a new show where teenage girls talk about losing their virginity, and by a constant bombardment of videos promoting a singularly single message that teen sex is good.

       Now listen, as a guy who grew up listening to Elvis Costello, Led Zeppelin-and yeah, even the Sex Pistols, I’m part of a generation that can’t be shocked by what I hear on the radio or what I see on TV. But as an adult— and apparently there are very few adults right now at MTV— I am concerned when the center piece of MTV’s biggest awards show is a blowout number glorifying teen lesbian sex, complete with an army of young girls in Catholic school uniforms. 

       Now, MTV was obviously proud of their latest contribution to their American pop culture on the skids. They teased their web site with declarations of the “near riot” started by teen lesbian dancers. Gee, how edgy, how daring, how predictable. 

       I guess that means we’re only a few years away from provocative dance numbers with young teenagers and barnyard animals. 

       Parents beware, your kids are watching this stuff. And for impressionable young minds, it is neither harmless, nor healthy. It’s time for parents to take a close look at their children’s favorite channel, MTV. Because right now its content is simply not suitable for the millions of young teenagers, and preteens who watch it every day.

Former Congressman Joe Scarborough (R-Fla.) hosts Scarborough Country, 10 p.m. ET, weeknights on MSNBC.

©2003 MSNBC

Contact Joe Scarborough | Read Scarborough's biography

[cgk]

Scarborough ping... His articles are appearing places other than MSNBC so we don't have to worry about excerpting rules anymore ;).

[jriemer]

Scarborough seems to forget that MTV's "youth culture" couldn't exist without the pro-active involvement of ADULTS. Last time I checked, most high-school and college-aged students were scrounging for pizza money on any given weekend not running a very sucessful segment of a multi-sector corporate conglomerate. Follow the money.

[Bahbah]

When my girls were pre-teens, I had cable TV. I caught a glimpse of what they were watching in MTV and cancelled cable immediately and that was 15 years ago. I can't imagine what they are doing on there now.

[D. Brian Carter]

I suppose I subscribe to the credo trumpeted by Ned's Atomic Dustbin, a group made semi-famous by MTV for 12 or 13 minutes: "Kill Your Television".

[bourbon]

MTV will not be satisfied until every teenager in America is a drug-addicted, bisexual leftist activist. It's as simple as that.

[cwb]

Well...check in on "The Real World" and get a glimpse of our new progressive culture. Between the hot-tub monage-a-trois' (sp), Gay sex acts and back stabbing, it's a cornacopia of depravity. Just when I think we've hit rock-bottom, MTV rises (sinks) to new levels. I don't even know why it's called MTV any longer...I hardly see any music on it.

[Bahbah]

I think I'm gonna have to skip that one. Appreciate the warning.

[SoDak]

And I assumed I was the only person in the country that bought an album by Neds Atomic Dustbin.

[JmyBryan]

You got that right. A bunch of middle-aged men have figured out how to get teenage girls' spending money. And the parents keep giving it to them.

[CaptainJustice]

Watch Much Music, its Much Better.

[Norse]

I'm sorry, but The Real World rocks. Yes, they do put too many homosexual people on the shows, but on the current show, there is only one, and 5 of the people are very decent and realistic. It does resemble the real world in many ways.

Tune in tonight 10 pm. eastern time for episode 3 of Real World Paris....good stuff.

[D. Brian Carter]

You know what happens when you assume... lol.

Actually, during that period I managed a record store so was exposed to and owned a lot of music I never might have otherwise...lots of comps (and concert tickets, passes, merchandise; nice perks, crap pay).

[mhking]

Joe's the man!

[Paulus Invictus]

Your are correct. They should should also ban the soft- porn "Shipmates" and "Blind Date" shows. They are about sex and depravity and are mostly X-rated trash! Write to their their advertisers or boycott them now!

[L.N. Smithee]

Well...check in on "The Real World" and get a glimpse of our new progressive culture. Between the hot-tub monage-a-trois' (sp), Gay sex acts and back stabbing, it's a cornacopia of depravity. Just when I think we've hit rock-bottom, MTV rises (sinks) to new levels. I don't even know why it's called MTV any longer...I hardly see any music on it.

Don't forget, it actually TRIES to sink lower. This is from April 2001:

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Teenagers sue MTV over shower of [feces]

Two teenagers are suing MTV for splattering them with faeces during the filming of a show.

The girls' lawyer claims members of an act called the Shower Rangers pointed their naked bums towards the audience during the filming of Dude, This Sucks.

She said one of them then sprayed excrement over the audience "without warning or explanation".

"Before they could say or do anything, the Shower Ranger whose buttocks faced them bent over, spread the cheeks of his buttocks and emitted a spray of fecal matter," said lawyer Gloria Allred.

MTV has apologised to Monica Garcia and Kelli Sloat, both 14, who were standing next to the stage at the Snow Summit Ski Resort, east of Los Angeles, in January.

President of programming Brian Graden expressed regret over the "terrible incident", adding the segment would not be broadcast.

The teenagers, from Big Bear Lake, California, are seeking unspecified general, compensatory and punitive damages. They claim intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence and battery.

"All of a sudden I was smelling something disgusting and I started to gag. I looked around at my friends. They were covered in something. As I looked down at myself, I realised I was, too," Monica said.

Their lawyer said she believed subjecting children to "such an outrageous and indecent act is completely unacceptable and intolerable".

Story filed: 12:20 Friday 6th April 2001

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I remember back when the "M" in MTV didn't stand for "moron."

[D. Brian Carter]

"The Real World" has NEVER resembled the real world. A bunch of jobless, fashionista wanna-be, late-teen/early-twenties drama queens lounging around a psuedo-dorm/frathouse setting bitching at each other and complaining about their horrible life? It was one of the first of the convoluted, ridiculous, and completely UNrealistic "reality" shows.

[SoDak]

Yeah, I was a DJ from 1987 to 1991, and got a lot of the same. Those were the halcyon days, work 4 hours every night from 6-10, do 2 hours of production, and then hit the parties, wish I could remember what else happened during those years.

[Norse]

I agree with the drama queen part - but this episode really isn't that bad. Plus, i'm practically in love with Mallory...I need to find a girl like THAT

[LetsRok]

Nope. I bought one too. I actually still listen to it now and then.