Empty Vee

Today was very eventful and distracting (thus the crazy late comic), but there are some very good things on the horizon. I will make a proper announcement about one of them on Monday.

Not much to say about this comic. I saw that Mtv had a whole Sunday night line up based on dudes jumping into active volcanos with razor wire tied to their balls. I thought it was worth mentioning if for no other reason than to draw contrast to the Mtv that I grew up with. I used to watch Mtv to… hold on… wait for it… see music videos. Weird I know. I’m not saying they should go back to the way things were. I understand that music videos make more sense for YouTube than THETube nowadays. It’s just startling to see the transformation they’ve undergone in such a short time. I really used to rely on people like Kennedy, Kurt Loder and Matt Pinfield to show me what was going on in the world of music. The internet really made that entire chanel obsolete. I agree they had to evolve or die, but 45 scripted reality shows about sunken-eyed debutards does not entertainment make.

Some day I’ll tell you the story of how VH1 wasn’t always about disease ridden skanks vying for the jock of a washed up 80’s rock star/rapper. It’s true. I swear.

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50 Comments

  1. Love "wrestling a swarm of bees on a unicycle."

    And the bear trap is very nice. As is the shark.

    Does anyone actually _watch_ MTV anymore? Besides Eli, that is?

  4. I still remember when everyone at school was all abuzz over the video for "Justify My Love"….which made me feel an odd mix of "oh god I'm old" and nostalgia.

  7. A friend of mine recorded 2 VHS tapes of music from VH-1 in the 80's. *mine*! He just pushed record, and let 'em go. I got V-Jay's and all kinds of music! Good Times.

  8. You know, I never looked at MTV's current status from the way that you outline it. Now it makes perfect sense.

    Except for Carson Daly's meteoric rise in popularity. That shit would have even Einsten scratching his head.

    I also remember how lame it was to say you actually saw VH-1 back in the day. I just liked it cuz they showed videos more frequently. That and I caught on to Pop-Up Video from the beginning.

  10. i don't waste all my time watching television *i waste it on the internets* so i am not privy to what mtv is today or what you're talking about, but it sounds like they should hire jerry springer as program director. i do see mtv sometimes at the gym and it is just video clips. you know why? bc it's mtv europe. so…if this truly bothers you (bc for some reason you're one of the few americans who doesn't worship at the altar of jerry springer – and don't lie, you are) then see if you can tune into mtv europe via satellite. back to the good old days.

  13. I know what you mean, MTV was my favorite channel 10 years ago. They should rename it EXTREME! pseudo-reality television. But thats pretty much every channel these days.

  14. I miss the MTV that gave us Heavy Metal and Beavis and Butthead Do America. At least those had quality music to play during it, WITHOUT any Reality TV!
    (Granted, both movies, but they're the pinnacle of what MTV managed pre-RTV.)

  16. Here's some more news about live-action anime adaptations: Steven Spielberg and DrreamWorks acquired the production rights to a live-action of the cyberpunk, dystopian hit "Ghost in the Shell". Knowing Spielberg is involved, and that GitS is one of my favorites from anime and it's among the best manga/anime hits EVAR, should I be elated or worried?

  17. Joel, this strip made a lot of valid points about what's wrong w/ MTV this decade. In the '80's it really was ALL music, ALL THE TIME. In the '90's, it still had music and expanded to more of a "lifestyle-genre" channel, with weird-ass (that's what they really called 'em!) cartoons and game shows that defined a generation. It even started giving relevant news and politics (remember Rock-the-Vote?). Now it's just… shite. Now I feel old! Thanx a lot , MTV!!!

  18. The problem isn't even the lack of music, really. There was a time when, in addition to the empty-headed realitards, you would get trippy stuff like The Maxx or Aeon Flux, or great comedy like The Idiot Box or *sigh* The State. I haven't seen anything worth watching on there since Daria ended. Just gimme some variety, you know?

    • Well thats more of a symptom of the problem of reality tv shows taking hold on all networks and scripted fictional programming slowly going the way of the Dodo. I mean how many absolute shit reality shows are on tv and get good ratings anyway thank god for DVR and being able to cherry pick the best shows from dozens of networks and never have to sit through American Idol or the amazing race or some other vile puke the networks are spewing these days. 95% of the best programming isn't even on broadcast anymore.
      Although one reality show I would be in favor of would be….
      "See network executives battle to the death in a cage match and the winner gets thrown in with unfed lions on meth! " "Tune in next week to see Fox's executive of programming crusified upside down while having his nuts smashed by Galager!"
      A man can dream can't he?

  21. Way way back in the 1980s, secret government employees dug up famous guys and ladies, and made amusing genetic copies…Just give us more of this and we'll love u again, MTV.

    • Hah, I was just about to say– the only good thing I ever saw come from MTV was the cartoons. Clone High, Daria, Downtown, Undergrads… Huh, I didn't remember Rocko's Modern Life being an MTV show, but that was pretty good as well.

      Question for anyone else who remembers these: which MTV cartoon was your favourite?

      • Beavis & Butt-Head, Celebrity DeathMatch (as I stated above), Oddities, Daria (occasionally), Undergrads, + Clone High! What happened to all the weird-yet-amazing animation, MTV? Too expensive? Are "unscripted" 'tards mutilating themselves cheaper?! Wait, I think I hit the nail on the head (into some Real World alumni's skull).

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