Mtv and Growing Old Before My Time

On my occasional returns to my home in Boston, I tend to fall back into old habits -- checking the fridge too often, eating the same subs from the same old pizza places all of which go by a first name in the possessive (Bill's, Danny's, Mark's, Peter's, etc.), and endless stints on the couch -- some of these activities are comforting reminders of my formative years and others are upsetting revelations at how much has remained the same while I have been away (growing, presumably).

The most upsetting moments occur in front of the television, which I haven't watched habitually since high school, specifically when my fingers unconsciously click through my old favorite channels: Mtv, Vh1, ESPN, NESN, E! and the rest. Each time I stop on Mtv -- perhaps pausing to see what mindless countdown show is airing (maybe if I keep watching, I'll find out who received the most Staralicious Makeover) or who has been the most recent victim of a Punking (who the hell gave this Kutcher guy a show?) -- my heart and ears long for those hours-long chunks of music videos that used to occupy the daily program schedule. I return with a Proustian rush to John Sencio and his "Rude Awakening"; to Kennedy and that killer Gen-X attitude; to Dr. Dre (the very chubby one) and Ed Lover on "Yo Mtv Raps", "The Headbanger's Ball" and the first beach house.

"Those were the days," I think to myself, when torn flannel shirts flowed like wine and the people on "The Real World" were actually real -- had jobs and lives of their own. I remember being in 5th grade and sitting for hours with paper and pen at the ready, writing down the songs and bands that I liked; Mtv was a fixture in my musical exploration. I even witnessed the first airing of the video for "Smells Like Teen Spirit." True Story. At thoughts like these, however, as each memory takes on a nostalgic air, I begin to question the validity of this retrospection and of my perspective on the years between then and now.

In my mind, the popular music of the era was of distinct quality. Grunge was the new movement in Rock and Roll; Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains (my least favorite of the bunch) were all over the tube. Other types of bands were there as well: Guns N' Roses with their epic trilogy of "Don't Cry", "Estranged", and "November Rain"; a solo Tom Petty gave us "Mary Jane's Last Dance" and "Free Fallin'"; Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magic, The Chronic and Get a Grip were nothing to scoff at either; even one or two hit wonders like Ugly Kid Joe, 4 Non Blonds, and The Spin Doctors provided quality filler. All this leads me to wonder, "Are these just misty, water-colored memories, stripped of the poorer examples of this era's music"? Did I just lose touch with whatever the kids started listening to when TRL got huge? Is this the inevitable disenchantment suffered by all Mtv viewers after the age of 15? Have I, at 24 years old, grown old before my time?

Without argument, Mtv has done away with its bread and butter, the music video -- a gradual trend away from large timeslots (which don't fair as well in share ratings and thus advertising dollars) and into neat, half-hour shows like "The Real World" and all its bastard offspring. While the channel has continued to produce and promote pop idols like Britney Spears, Boy Bands, et al., I have to contend that the overall quality of these products suffers within the new system. Even Jack Black, in a Rolling Stone interview before hosting last years VMA awards, questioned the basic need for such awards, because he couldn't remember the last time he even watched a video on Mtv.

There is a very real possibility that I could go on and on about this, but I won't. I would love to hear from my small readership on this issue and possibly gain a little slice of solace in our commiseration. Until then, I gotta get back to the tube and "True Life" is aaaaaaaaaaaawwesome.