The Quality of MTV/VH1 as of late

[Triple-S]

This thread is pretty much meant as to not derail the "Michael Jackson Dead" thread.

I've been pretty disappointed that the network that used to boast about how it was promoting new artists and such has been reduced to some lame cheap reality show.

I've read several places that for some odd reason more people watch the BS reality shows than videos. I can admit to be somewhat guilty of that, the occasional viewing of Jackass and it's fun to make fun of the "True life" shows. I think in theory too that maybe it's cheaper to air those moreso than Music Videos as of late.

But the rest of it is pure trash. I remember being pretty psyched for a show called "Two-a-days" which was to feature some HS Football team in Alabama, I was thinking that they would show a pretty true representations of what people who played the sport (like myself at the time) went through, the sacrifices, the exhaustion and such. Nope, it was pretty much all about kids focusing on the prom and their ditzy cheerleader girlfriends.

As for VH1, they have seem to follow the same formula that MTV has done, turning itself into a wasteland. Should I really care about the guy from Poison getting laid? I'm sure the guy is doing fine, and odesn't need a reality show to find the latest reject skank ho's from Inbred Country. Seriously the only thing that show is good for is being made fun of by "The Soup".

I'm starting to wonder why when companies like Viacom and Disney buy a family of networks like ESPN or MTV that they slowly but surely decline in quality.

[Larvell Blanks]

Watch VH1 Classic, they play all the videos. Weekend mornings they play 4 hours of 80's videos then go into a Metal block fro about an hour and a half. This way you can ignore all the other crap. VH1 Soul plays alot of music too from R&B to Reggae.

[contagious216]

If music videos got higher ratings than True Life or Real World, they would gladly play music videos. But their audience doesn't care about music videos. On a side note, I'm surprised MTV and VH1 haven't joined the high definition club yet.

[idoctribefan]

I would prefer these channels to play music videos also. But the reality shows surely pull in better ratings and that's why they go with them. If you turn on Bret Michaels "Rock of Love", the show lasts an hour. Each music video is 3-5 mins. You watch for 10 minutes and then a song comes on that you hate so you change the channel. Then you don't ever come back to the channel with videos because you get stuck watching something else.

[jfiling]

MTV really needs to bring back Pauly Shore. I loved "Totally Pauly".

[Cerebral_DownTime]

I blame MTV and VH1 for the decline of our culture. Because of them, they brought Brett Michaels and the walking STD know as Flava Flav back into the American mindset. The Real World? Really? If that's the real world then lets launch the nukes.

How to make The Real World

2 hot brainless chicks
2 dopey fratboys with drinking problems
1 Token gay person
1 Token Minority
1 wild card
+
Mansion full of booze.= "The Real World".

How to make Rock Of/Flavor of Love

1 Washed up Rocker/Rapper
16 Ghetto/White Trash sluts dying for TV time
10 Stupid challenges (a real challenge would be 3rd grade math and who can pass a STD test)
1 Bus/ Mansion
Gratuitous Whoring and swearing
Cat Fights

[Erie Warrior]

I'm with you CDT. Never watch either channel. The down fall of civilization.

"MTV is to music as KFC is to chicken" -L. Black

[leadpipe]

It all started with YO MTV Raps. This is the show that got them away from constant videos.

It was by far their highest rated hour, and it went from there.

[jack_tors]

I blame MTV and VH1 for the decline of our culture. Because of them, they brought Brett Michaels and the walking STD know as Flava Flav back into the American mindset. The Real World? Really? If that's the real world then lets launch the nukes.

How to make The Real World

2 hot brainless chicks
2 dopey fratboys with drinking problems
1 Token gay person
1 Token Minority
1 wild card
+
Mansion full of booze.= "The Real World".

How to make Rock Of/Flavor of Love

1 Washed up Rocker/Rapper
16 Ghetto/White Trash sluts dying for TV time
10 Stupid challenges (a real challenge would be 3rd grade math and who can pass a STD test)
1 Bus/ Mansion
Gratuitous Whoring and swearing
Cat Fights

Yep, dead on right there. Seriously, VH1 has to have the worst programming in the history of the world. Daisy of Love? Charm School with Ricki Lake? Who watches this crap and why?

I long for the days when people were popular and were given tv airtime because they had some sort of discernible talent. Now just obnoxious, talentless, classless pieces of trash are famous.

Oh, and it should be completely legal to beat the crap outta Spencer and Heidi. The are nothing more than oxygen thieves.

[Mr. MacPhisto]

Yep, dead on right there. Seriously, VH1 has to have the worst programming in the history of the world. Daisy of Love? Charm School with Ricki Lake? Who watches this crap and why?

I long for the days when people were popular and were given tv airtime because they had some sort of discernible talent. Now just obnoxious, talentless, classless pieces of trash are famous.

Oh, and it should be completely legal to beat the crap outta Spencer and Heidi. The are nothing more than oxygen thieves.

I have friends that are addicted to it. I don't get it, but I also have never gotten the whole "reality" TV. They love American Idol too and I avoid it like the plague.

Television blows goats nowadays. Good sitcoms are hard to find. I find CSI to be boring. Quite frankly, I don't care for the HBO stuff much either. I usually will watch movies or old shows on DVDs if I'm going to watch something anymore.

Haven't watched anything on MTV or VH1 in a long time. I used to occasionally watch the VH1 "Stuck in the 70s" type stuff. But that got old really quick.

[jack_tors]

Yep, dead on right there. Seriously, VH1 has to have the worst programming in the history of the world. Daisy of Love? Charm School with Ricki Lake? Who watches this crap and why?

I long for the days when people were popular and were given tv airtime because they had some sort of discernible talent. Now just obnoxious, talentless, classless pieces of trash are famous.

Oh, and it should be completely legal to beat the crap outta Spencer and Heidi. The are nothing more than oxygen thieves.

I have friends that are addicted to it. I don't get it, but I also have never gotten the whole "reality" TV. They love American Idol too and I avoid it like the plague.

Amen! I loathe American Idol and thought I was the only one left on the planet who did. Its not music, its just a manufactured product, like socks.

[Triple-S]

Yep, dead on right there. Seriously, VH1 has to have the worst programming in the history of the world. Daisy of Love? Charm School with Ricki Lake? Who watches this crap and why?

I long for the days when people were popular and were given tv airtime because they had some sort of discernible talent. Now just obnoxious, talentless, classless pieces of trash are famous.

Oh, and it should be completely legal to beat the crap outta Spencer and Heidi. The are nothing more than oxygen thieves.

I have friends that are addicted to it. I don't get it, but I also have never gotten the whole "reality" TV. They love American Idol too and I avoid it like the plague.
Television blows goats nowadays. Good sitcoms are hard to find. I find CSI to be boring. Quite frankly, I don't care for the HBO stuff much either. I usually will watch movies or old shows on DVDs if I'm going to watch something anymore.

Haven't watched anything on MTV or VH1 in a long time. I used to occasionally watch the VH1 "Stuck in the 70s" type stuff. But that got old really quick.

I'm sort of shocked, thought I was the only in that boat.

once "The Sopranos" left HBO, I really couldn't get into anything else on the channel with the exception being the brilliant John Adams Mini-series. I respect the HBO/Showtime series, but they don't much for me, neither do a lot of the Cop/Murder/CSI LAW And Order psychic weird crazy lady like shows.

Sitcoms themselves have also gotten a bit stale, I am probably in the minority but I don't find "Two and a Half men" funny, it's just sort of repetitive, and I've met a lot of people who keep insisting that's its hilarious.

The only really current shows I follow anymore are Family Guy, The Office, King of the Hill and The Soup. I used to be a huge fan of SNL and The Simpsons but both shows have seen brighter days and the lattter needs to be sent to pasture quick.

AMC is where it's at though, usually they show a great movie on any given day, the only down side is that's it's basic cable and you get a lot of censored stuff.

Also on a weird side note, I've caught MTV before playing "Rudy". Don't get me wrong on this, a GREAT Movie one of my favorites of all time and I'm glad it's stealing air time away from "The Hills" or some garbage show, but I have yet to understand why it's getting played on MUSIC television.

[Mr. MacPhisto]

I'm sort of shocked, thought I was the only in that boat.

once "The Sopranos" left HBO, I really couldn't get into anything else on the channel with the exception being the brilliant John Adams Mini-series. I respect the HBO/Showtime series, but they don't much for me, neither do a lot of the Cop/Murder/CSI LAW And Order psychic weird crazy lady like shows.

Sitcoms themselves have also gotten a bit stale, I am probably in the minority but I don't find "Two and a Half men" funny, it's just sort of repetitive, and I've met a lot of people who keep insisting that's its hilarious.

The only really current shows I follow anymore are Family Guy, The Office, King of the Hill and The Soup. I used to be a huge fan of SNL and The Simpsons but both shows have seen brighter days and the lattter needs to be sent to pasture quick.

AMC is where it's at though, usually they show a great movie on any given day, the only down side is that's it's basic cable and you get a lot of censored stuff.

Also on a weird side note, I've caught MTV before playing "Rudy". Don't get me wrong on this, a GREAT Movie one of my favorites of all time and I'm glad it's stealing air time away from "The Hills" or some garbage show, but I have yet to understand why it's getting played on MUSIC television.

The Sopranos never really did it for me either. I'm far from a tea totaler, but all the garbage in it makes it far less appealing. I think too many writers use sex and swear words as crutches and I'm not really big into mob stuff anyways. The Godfather is just okay in my eyes. I'd rather watch an old western.

SNL has been bad since Phil Hartman and that cast left. There are occasional moments where it is funny, but they are few and far between.

The one sitcom I've liked over the past several years has been Scrubs, but it is not like other sitcoms. No studio audience and it has quite a few dramatic moments.

Family Guy is just okay occasionally. The funniest bits are the "out of nowhere" tangents that it goes on, mainly due to shock value. It was funnier when it was first on.

The stuff I watch most is usually on cable. Liberal doses of the History Channel. I'll watch Mythbusters every once in a while and usually like most of the stuff on Smithsonian HD. Really have liked History Channel's The Universe series quite a bit.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

Loved the Sopranos, I think they went heavy on the sex and swearing because it's realistic in that setting. I can't lie i'm a big HBO fan, loved Sopranos, Deadwood, Carnival, Lucky Louie, Band Of Brothers (Best Show Ever any network), and Curb Your Enthusiasim. Probably missing some too.

Scrubs was great, I quit watching when it when it left NBC. So many great lines. "What has 2 thumbs and doesn't give a crap? Bob Kelso, nice to meet you"

[Orenthal]

Worst show ever! Why some of the fathers on this show did not kick the shit out of the boyfriend sitting on the couch next to them acting like a gangsta I will never know...

http://www.mtv.com/ontv/dyn/parental_co ... ries.jhtml

[Tymaster]

I'm with you CDT. Never watch either channel. The down fall of civilization.

"MTV is to music as KFC is to chicken" -L. Black

Total agreement here as well.
I haven't watched eMpTyV since the original Headbangers Ball was cancelled which was when I was in high school. I do have to admit that I grew up watching that every Saturday night. As well as "Highlander: The Series" and "Star Trek: The Next Generation." I had a routine. Then came girls, cars, jobs, and college.....
At any rate, the programming on all of the MTV/VH1 channels is pretty horrendous. I occasionally watch "That Metal Show" w/ Eddie Trunk, but that is rare.
I sometimes wonder why I pay TW $150 per month considering what I watch. I wish cable was "ala carte." I'd be happy w/ HBO, TLC, Bio, History, Discovery, MSNBC, Fox SPorts, STO, and the networks. I pretty much watch:
All Cavs games
All Browns games, unless the C-Bus CBS airs the Bungles, in which case I listen to the game on radio or head to a sports bar w/ the Browns backers.
All Browns related shows on STO.
Just about every HBO series.
David Letterman
Craig Ferguson
The Simpsons
The Family Guy
And liberal doses of history, discovery, etc. Whatever catches my eye.

[Mr. MacPhisto]

Scrubs was great, I quit watching when it when it left NBC. So many great lines. "What has 2 thumbs and doesn't give a crap? Bob Kelso, nice to meet you"

Last season was good. The finale was probably the best TV finale I've seen. Very well done.

My favorite:

"It's actually pronounced analgesic, not ANALgesic. The pills go in your mouth sir."

[jack_tors]

Scrubs was great, I quit watching when it when it left NBC. So many great lines. "What has 2 thumbs and doesn't give a crap? Bob Kelso, nice to meet you"

Last season was good. The finale was probably the best TV finale I've seen. Very well done.

My favorite:

"It's actually pronounced analgesic, not ANALgesic. The pills go in your mouth sir."

Hell yeah, love Scrubs, such as a great show. Also concur on the finale, what a wonderfully done episode. The janitor (aka Dr. Jan Itor) made that show. All the characters were great but he was just freakin hilarious and I read somewhere that he ad libbed a lot of his lines..

"Hooch is crazy!"

[jb]

Watch VH1 Classic, they play all the videos. Weekend mornings they play 4 hours of 80's videos then go into a Metal block fro about an hour and a half. This way you can ignore all the other crap. VH1 Soul plays alot of music too from R&B to Reggae.

+ 1

Seeing the 80's videos again is priceless.

[RC]

If it wasn't for my wife and kids liking some of their shows I think I would honestly cancel my cable and no longer watch TV. I would watch the Cavs online like I do now on my laptop while I am traveling.

Although I agree with CDT that Band of Brothers on HBO was awesome. John Adams and Rome I thought were pretty good as well.

I do like Rescue Me of FX since my wife is a huge Denis Leary fan.

MTV/VH1 is a total joke. VH1 Classic is good for the reasons listed above.

I do watch other shows and try to keep up mainly since I am a door to door cable salesman. The Soup on E! is a lifesaver for me because I catch the main stories on all these crap shows in a half hour.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

If it wasn't for my wife and kids liking some of their shows I think I would honestly cancel my cable and no longer watch TV. I would watch the Cavs online like I do now on my laptop while I am traveling.

Although I agree with CDT that Band of Brothers on HBO was awesome. John Adams and Rome I thought were pretty good as well.

I do like Rescue Me of FX since my wife is a huge Denis Leary fan.

MTV/VH1 is a total joke. VH1 Classic is good for the reasons listed above.

I do watch other shows and try to keep up mainly since I am a door to door cable salesman. The Soup on E! is a lifesaver for me because I catch the main stories on all these crap shows in a half hour.

Yes, Rome and John Adams were friggin great. Paul Giamatti was superb as John Adams, one of the 10 best acting jobs i've seen.

[buddycowley]

OK, I'll fess up.

I watch Charm School AND Daisy of Love.

It is just like a car wreck on the freeway, you know you don't want to look, but you just can't turn away.

Plus, there isn't much else to watch at 2 on a Wednesday afternoon in the summer.

The people on those shows are absolute trainwrecks, and I think watching these shows reminds me how good I have it in my own life.

[Indyan]

I was recently at a theater which ran the requisite 15 minutes of commercials before the show. In there was an ad from the Cartoon Network detailing some new shows. What shows? Reality shows! This sent my brain into a irreconcilable paradoxical loop. It's a channel based soley on cartoons.....airing shows which have nothing to do with cartoons....then why have a "cartoon network" which airs tween-based knockoffs of popular reality shows?

I just had a thought. C-SPAN should hop on the reality bandwagon. Just get some cameras and follow some long-serving house or senate members to see what wild shenanigans they find themselves in. Odds are you could get a show containing at least one of a) excessive alcohol/drug use b) sexual expolits c) money spent like water d) yelling/cussing/fighting. On the upside the millions who follow reality tv might learn more about their politicians, and people like the octomom might never get a chance to grab the spotlight.

The only really current shows I follow anymore are Family Guy, The Office...

Sorry to go off-topic, and maybe this has been discussed here already. Does anyone else feel that the season finale of The Office could have been a good series finale? I think the writers do a good job, but I wonder if the show is beginning to (or has) run its course. I'm curious to know what new storylines can emerge, and how they will do so without rehashing old situations using different characters.

[jb]

OK, I'll fess up.

I watch Charm School AND Daisy of Love.

It is just like a car wreck on the freeway, you know you don't want to look, but you just can't turn away.

Plus, there isn't much else to watch at 2 on a Wednesday afternoon in the summer.

The people on those shows are absolute trainwrecks, and I think watching these shows reminds me how good I have it in my own life.

I'm with you on Charm School Buddy.

Good lord. Can anyone be dumber?

[Cerebral_DownTime]

I love MTV/VH1's work ethic. "We'll just rehash the same 3 shows and the people will love it!" "Bwahahhahahah".

Reminds me of the Underpants Gnomes from South Park

Step 1- Collect Underpants

Step 2-

Step 3- Profit

Spencer and Heidi should be sterilized and i'm not kidding. If those two breed, the resulting spawn could be so stupid it might create a black hole of dumbness.

[tecs]

If it wasn't for my wife and kids liking some of their shows I think I would honestly cancel my cable and no longer watch TV. I would watch the Cavs online like I do now on my laptop while I am traveling.

Although I agree with CDT that Band of Brothers on HBO was awesome. John Adams and Rome I thought were pretty good as well.

I do like Rescue Me of FX since my wife is a huge Denis Leary fan.

MTV/VH1 is a total joke. VH1 Classic is good for the reasons listed above.

I do watch other shows and try to keep up mainly since I am a door to door cable salesman. The Soup on E! is a lifesaver for me because I catch the main stories on all these crap shows in a half hour.

Don't do it yet, the same producers who made Band of Brothers are doing the same for the pacific, called "The Pacific". I believe it runs early next year.

[buddycowley]

I'm with you on Charm School Buddy.

Good lord. Can anyone be dumber?

At the least, I believe some of them when they talk about the issues they've had in the past and how they contributed to their current state of mind. Like the Tequila-chick. Have to give her a little credit for dropping the booze and whatnot.

I look at that show like American Idol though. I only care to watch when all the horrible people are still there. Once it gets down to the "real" people, it just isn't quite as interesting anymore. ONE hot mess is always funny, but TEN of them in a room at the same time. Gold.

The shows where they follow people's lives, like that Brooke Hogan show, and the Laguna Beach/Hills shows I've never watched.

[Triple-S]

I was recently at a theater which ran the requisite 15 minutes of commercials before the show. In there was an ad from the Cartoon Network detailing some new shows. What shows? Reality shows! This sent my brain into a irreconcilable paradoxical loop. It's a channel based soley on cartoons.....airing shows which have nothing to do with cartoons....then why have a "cartoon network" which airs tween-based knockoffs of popular reality shows?

Oh but they're not stopping there!





Are kids today not that into cartoons or something? I LIVED off of that back in the day with the occasional mix in of some cheesey reality show with Mike O'Malley hosting.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

Adult Swim has a few non cartoon show. They're all terrible. Still love Aqua Teen, Sealab, Squidbillies, and Metalocalypse.

[Triple-S]

Adult Swim has a few non cartoon show. They're all terrible. Still love Aqua Teen, Sealab, Squidbillies, and Metalocalypse.

I'm ashamed to admit I've only caught a few glances of all of those as I mainly use Adult Swim to watch King of the Hill and Family Guy, but Squidbillies from the few eps I've seen seems hilarious. I keep thinking that it's a documentary on what Inbred fans do in their spare time. I gotta keep trying to watch that more.