Be Pro-people.
Normally I would say that MTV sucks major ass. It has somehow moved away from its purpose...to provide music to the masses. It was supposed to be all about the music, hence the videos, the music related news, etc, etc. Now it's a powerhouse of reality based television shows designed to bring in high ratings and, of course, money. They've become so inundated with shows like Road Rules, Real World, Sorority Life, Fraternity Life and Diary of (enter celebrity name here) that they've had to create a secondary channel, MTV2 for the music. The very thing the channel was created for. The M in its friggin name!
Toss aside the fact that MTV is a huge money making vehicle driven by generation Xers with stylish clothes and spiky hair, and you have an organization that is trying desperately to reach its target audience, today's youth, and inform them of important issues.
MTV generates an amazing amount of awareness.
On occasion MTV creates original movies about important topics. I had my first experience with MTV's non-trend driven programming several years ago in 2001. I turned on my television in college and found myself watching a recreation of the Matthew Shepard murder. I hadn't been overly aware of the details of that and after watching the movie I was filled with shame. Both that I didn't know about it when it happened, and that it happened at all. I found out when it would be on again and I forced my house mates to watch it with me. They, like myself, were moved to tears by the story. It reached us as it undoubtedly reached thousands of others.
Tonight I found myself watching one of their rare interviews with a political figure. Something I saw happen last after September 11. Tonight's issue is, of course, Iraq. In the hot seat is British Prime Minister, Tony Blair. Surrounding him are 40 representatives from 24 countries. Whether the questions are pre-fab or not, they're getting asked and he's answering them. There are also politically generated commercials being aired at every break and short interviews with intelligent people where they tell what they think the problem is in a few sentences. Coming soon to MTV will be another Diary show, but this one will be Diary of Gideon in Kuwait. He's with the troops, and will be giving those of us at home a brief glimpse into what it's like over there.
I know what it's like, I know what to expect. My father was in Desert Shield/Storm. I've seen photographs, read letters, seen silent video footage of bombs falling to the ground and destroying buildings and heard him talk about it on numerous occasions. If I thought for one second this war was about helping people, about saving lives I'd back it, but I know better. This is about upcoming presidential elections. This is about oil. This is about not being able to lock down on Bin Laden and saving face by bringing "evil" to justice.
I'm not anti-American, I'm just not ultra-nationalist.
MTV is doing its best to give those people that are of voting age now, those young people that don't read the paper and don't watch the news but are in college and unaware of what's going on for the most part, information they can use to form their own opinions. It's alerting those that will be of voting age soon about what the issues are so that when their turn comes they'll have something to draw on. Because, let's face it, the results of all this business with Iraq are going to effect the elections in the end.
30% of Americans support going to war without the UN's backing.
My father thinks if we go to war and beat Hussein, whatever that means, that Bush will get re-elected. I hope he's wrong. He also said something that I agree with, but never expected to hear him say. "I agree with that one girl. I think she hit it dead on. If we were going in for humanitarian reasons, and not for reasons concerning weapons, there would be much more support."
MTV managed to bring me eye to eye with my father on political matters. Imagine that.
If you're offended by something here, or you know I'm incorrect about something..let me know.
I have no qualms with discussing issues and changing inaccuracies.