MTV Continues Distancing Itself from Music

In its time, MTV was groundbreaking. When they launched in 1981? The landscape of music was changed forever. Over the years, some of pop culture's most earth shaking events were brought to us by the little network that was all about music.

Slowly but surely they began eliminating their music programming. And now the channel isn't even a shell of its former self. It's not even recognizable. Long gone are the days of "Making the Video" and "Say What Karaoke." Even the network's flagship video countdown show, TRL, saw it's end in recent times. After that, the network dropped "Music television" from its logo, confirming what people have known for years, MTV is has nothing to do with music at all. It's the place were corny scripted dating shows go to die and where guidos and guidettes come to vacation.

Most recently, the network got some press over a report that they had decided to ban Lady Gaga's video for Telephone, which is arguably the best thing to happen to the music video in years. The buzz for the video built up to a fever pitch for weeks over the Gaga and Beyonce helmed masterpiece. MTV could have had a hand in the circus, but instead E! had the honor of premiering the video.

Though MTV denies banning the video, it wouldn't have made much difference if they had, which is what made the story so fishy. It's not like it has any chance of airing anytime soon anyway. Aside from that, their most popular show is much more offensive than the video for "Telephone" could ever be. If you disagree, you probably haven't heard about the lawsuits against them for their portrayal of Italian Americans. So it was doubtful that the video wouldn't have met their high moral standards.

If it weren't for that false rumor, no one would have even mentioned MTV in the same sentence as "music video." Whether or not you liked "Telephone," everyone was on pins and needles waiting for its premiere and it certainly made a splash on the social networking world, taking over Facebook statuses and trending on Twitter for days. And MTV took no part in it. It's as if they've gotten tired of people mocking them for their falsely advertised name and are now simply ignoring any remotely interesting musical event.

I'm no psychic, but I predict one of two things happening in the near future. Either the network will change its name to put the nail on the coffin on the era of music television and to reflect their current identity (maybe TrashyTV?) or they'll go off the air altogether when viewers stop caring about Jersey Shore and it goes the way of the Real World: to total irrelevance.