Let’s take a second look at the 2014 Video Music Awards (VMAs), as if we needed another one, right? And though I am not convinced that we do, I believe there is much lying beneath the glimmering veneer of this whole pop-culture phenomenon that will largely go unnoticed. So whether the reactions to this year’s VMAs were ones of shock and disgust or of delight and praise, I believe they reveal at least as much about our society at-large as they do about the VMA experience itself. Filled with all manner of subliminal messaging, put bluntly, the VMAs seemed closer to a festival of tricks and glitz than a showcase of impressive talent and class.
In this year’s VMAs, we were exposed to many things: a suspicious yet expectedly slim choice of musical guests, flamboyant celebrities dressed as if they were among the capitol-elite in The Hunger Games, a wardrobe malfunction, lewd dancing, feminist statements and a curious array of advertising during commercials (the anti-smoking campaign and condom commercials were perhaps appropriate considering the MTV audience). What goodness there is in all of that, I will let you decide. And not all of these things do I presume to tell you are what might be called “bad,” but I simply submit that some of these things should give us pause and cause us to reflect. Simply because Miley Cyrus didn’t twerk this year in grotesque fashion does not necessarily signify substantial progress.
MTV’s anti-smoking campaign in particular proved interesting to me. To me it represented an ironic contrast between a tasteful stance against a regrettable habit, and a far less tasteful exposition of generally loose and crass artistic expression. That said, an acknowledgement of the evident talent present at the VMA’s is granted; what is not granted is the necessity of the stylistic choices of some of the performances. Clearly there were some shining moments during the evening: Miley Cyrus passing up an opportunity to be center-stage in favor of allowing a homeless young man to accept the award in her stead, thus raising awareness for a cause other than licentiousness; Taylor Swift with a performance in marked contrast from the rest in terms of tastefulness and elegance; and Beyonce embracing her family on stage after a rigorous performance. That said, in no way do my views here come from a snobbish or puritanical standpoint, but simply from an honest incredulity. Thus, the question must be asked: why does the world of pop-entertainment remain on a trajectory that we as a society often condemn, yet indirectly support through our apathy?
To close, I submit two questions: in the current state of popular entertainment, are the priorities skewed? Can we do better?
