…we, the editors of NeVerMindthePosers are officially boycotting the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards in protest of the overtly engineered marketing machine, designed to narrow the focus of popular music to a small pool of already over-exposed artists. MTV has for some time been distancing itself from the point of its inception, altogether dropping music videos from their regular programming. As such, we feel that they have lost touch with the popular music scene, and have instead been co-opted by a select group of record labels and producers, to effectively hijack the audience they once lovingly embraced and exposed to more music than free public radio was ever able to. The list of nominees for this year’s awards show is irrefutable proof that the network has a specific agenda and is strategically manipulating its audience to control their opinions. We at NVMP are all for marketing and supporting artists, we understand that the music industry is as much a business as it is an artistic endeavor and phenomenon. However, we cannot in any good conscience support MTV’s decision to all but handout awards to a handful of pre-selected artists that they are poising to be the ONLY artists that their audience should be listening to. What legitimacy is there to an awards show where the same group of people are up for ALL the awards? Even the Academy Awards (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences) has categories designed to widen the scope of artists being prominently featured and considered for honor. MTV’s 2010 VMA Nominee list is a slap in the face to the music loving public, and should be taken as such with no room for excuse or explanation. Therefore, we will not be covering this event, and we strongly discourage anyone out there from wasting their time by letting MTV tell them who they should be listening to.
Signed,
Dave ‘Klone’ Maresca
Tina Nicole Teresi
Alex ‘Stigz’ Castiglione
Angela Blasi
Mark B
Daniel Edward Petrino
Hoverbee
Out of 16 categories and their nominees, here are some interesting facts:
– 16 categories are broken down into 9 artist categories and 7 professional categories.
– Lady Gaga is nominated in 11 out of the 16 categories (The 5 categories that were not crazy for gaga? Best Male Video, Best Hip Hop Video, Best New Artist, Best Rock Video, and Breakthrough Video).
– Lady Gaga has 13 total nominations (nominated twice for Best Choreography and Video of the Year; “Bad Romance” and “Telephone”.)
– Eminem is nominated in 8 categories, all for “Not Afraid”.
– The only category we will acknowledge is Best Breakthrough Video- Dan Black “Symphonies”, Gorillaz ft. Bobby Womack & Mos Def “Stylo”, Coldplay “Strawberry Swing”, and The Black Keys “Tighten Up”. Four great artists, four phenomenal videos. Is this still MTV? If you had any insight to good, new music (or read NVMP) you would have already seen these videos, so still, we boycott.
– 16 categories with 5 nominations each should leave 80 spots available for nominees.
– A total of 36 artists make up the 2010 nomination list. 22 artists are nominated once, 5 appear twice, and that leaves 9 artists nominated three times or more to fill the rest of the spots. No thank you, I do not want my MTV.
A little background on the TV monster that MTV has become.
by Stigz
MTV in the late 80s and early 90s used to selectively air music videos based on their content, and even banned Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, presumably for racist reasons. MTV only wavered when Jackson’s label claimed to pull all of their other artists from the channel. This led to a massive PR campaign to get away from their racist image. MTV’s answer? They concocted “The Real World.” For any onlooker to the first season, a very liberal agenda is pushed, and they consistently make things out to be a race argument; this is no coincidence. Even though it is unscripted TV, they select the most diverse arrangement of people imaginable and throw them into the mix with each other. This, coupled with their more liberal selection music, “racially informing” PR and programming campaign, and sympathetic stand towards the AIDS epidemic, gained them the support of the masses and diffused attention and racist claims from them. Back then though, up until the late 90s, they ACTUALLY PLAYED MUSIC VIDEOS; and these videos hit a lot of different genres, artists and age demographics. Soon after “The Real World,” something went terribly wrong. Now there are a bunch of MTV Channels and good luck finding a music video. Pack a lunch; it’s going to be a while. Now that the history is out-of-the-way, let’s talk about the present.
MTV’s stagnant pool of brainless programming, rigged music scheduling and general lack of respect for anybody outside of the Billboard Top 5, is abhorrent. I, as a music fan and mindful citizen of our culture, must object. Until diversification of content, or at the very least, programming which doesn’t make anyone with an IQ over 17 go searching for a straight razor, you will be given no refuge here. Music is not a soda pop. Music is not a line of cocaine. Music is not a brand of shampoo. Music is not a personality contest. Music is freedom, and sadly, MTV, you are the jailer. Boycott the “MTV Video Music Awards,” if you can call them that. Find your music elsewhere. Watch other shows. Tell Snooki to “Fuck Off.”
Nevermind The Posers 
my fist is in the air. i support your not supporting.
FMTV!
Agreed. Although the show awards recognition for the videos rather than the artists and songs, they can’t even do that correctly. The categories are designed to give these pre-determined artists the most exposure possibly for an already out-played music video.
well said J9! I almost did a chart showing which artists are with what label, that’s what it feels like more than the music. Only 9 moonmen will go to the artists, the others are professional/creative direction given to the ppl who make their careers possible.
The music industry, like the movie industry, is controlled by big business.
I now believe they no longer need talented artists to create original content for them, because they have a formula for hitting the largest target audience to make the most money, through marketing and the power they have within their industry.
I am not without hope though. I made a movie, go to http://www.redlineamerica.com which I was told by those big wigs: “without naked woman, drug use and violence, the target audience would not want to see your film”. Well, it’s sellling like hot cakes because the internet is a powerful tool, and because the target audience was me and I know what I like!
And there are others like me.
Artists create, and maybe before they die, they will be recognized, and maybe even paid for what they do.
I remember when MTV first appeared, (when CMJ gave out records every month) it was a long time ago.
Things change, but new music keeps coming. So, what is more important recognition or the creative process?
When you have a formula that works, that makes millions/billions of dollars, why would they change it. I’ve always said that Pop Music follows a formula every time. It works.
REDLINE AMERICA IS AN AMAZING FILM!!! NVMP will do a post about RLA so our readers can check it out too. Although you have to admit, naked women and drug use often catches my eye. 😉
CMJ is still a great outlet for new music…but you have to do your homework. Sure you can just grab a sampler…if they even do that…but CMJ is like the NYC version of SXSW, you need to go and discover.
It’s the creative process that is the most important thing here…but still, on MTV, the creative process…which for majority of the nominees…is glorified through the actual artist and not the ppl who made it possible. So, for a brief moment, whoever wins “Best Editing” or “Best Art Direction” will finally get their moment in the sun. Unfortunately , the masses will see these categories as a win for the artist, which is why we boycott.