So its been 25 big ones since MTV debuted with the Buggles prophetic and goddam catchy "Video Killed the Radio Star" in 1981. The AP has a nice list, available on Yahoo, of MTV's 25 Most Memorable Moments.
I could add a few:
- One of the first contests ever was, I think, and somebody please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, to have Quiet Riot play at your house. I think this was for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Like, you'd wake up Thanksgiving/Christmas Day and have Quiet Riot playing at your house. Which would pretty much be the worst day that you, your family, or anybody who lived within maybe one mile of your house would ever have. The winner was some dude named Dru Rigny. He used umlots on the "u" in the first name, which can only accurately be described awesome.
Umlots are underrated, and poised to make a comeback, by the way. - Remote Control was the first MTV game show. I used to think this was a pretty good show, but that was probably just because, in contrast to Jeopardy, Remote Control dealt with issues that concerned me at the time, like Poison and Van Halen. Ken Ober was the host, with Colin Quinn as the gravelly voiced announcer guy, and Adam Sandler came on every now and then as this "Stickpin" character that I'm pretty sure is just the Stock Adam Sander Character, dressed up in a leather coat and do-rag. The co-host, or the hot chick, or whatever, was "The Lovely Marisol" for season one, and then Kari Wuhrer for season two, and then a couple of other chicks after that.
- When the Real World came on, it was taken pretty seriously by a certain segment of the population. Namely, those people who were about the same age as the people on the show and who were actually trying to live in the real real world. This is before that show devolved into the current edition of stock characters and standard plot lines and this kind of "meta" feel that the people on the show know exactly which stock character they've been hired to play, and how to play out the dramas that that character is likely to engage in. Anyway, the New York one was pretty interesting, then it kind of went downhill from there.
- And now that's a job. Like, a real job. You can be a Real World or Road Rules contestant and that's just what you do. I wonder, for Coral's benefit primarily, what kind of retirement plan they offer at the Real World Road Rules Challenge.
I have to go with a couple of Spike Jonze videos: Sabotage by the Beasties, closely followed by Fatboy Slim's Praise You. And just to put one out there that's not by Spike Jonze, Biz Markie's Just a Friend. Can't beat the Biz at the piano.
You?
2 comments:
When I was younger, I used to absolutely love the video for Genesis' Land of Confusion. I remember flipping past MTV and rooting for that one to come on. Also, in maybe fifth grade, "Parents Just Don't Understand." Which I realize is pretty lame, but it seemed cool at the time. And true. Because parents really DON'T understand. It's like Will Smith could see into my soul.
I am going to admit it here, and now, that my favorite videos of all time were the ones that were pompous, overblown, directed by serious filmmakers, etc.
To wit, November Fucking Rain.
Everybody needs some time on their own.
Duran Duran's Wild Boys, too, but that was because I liked seeing Simon Lebon suffer as he was strapped Christlike to what can only be described as a windmill/crucifix type thing.
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