The lost art of the pop culture award show is one I hold near and dear to my heart. I have treasured memories of watching scathing performance reviews on YouTube. Or of reading red carpet summaries in the trashy entertainment magazines that my grandmother would buy for me (perfect literature for a ten year old). It is why I desperately cling onto shows like the MTV Video Music Awards, despite the ceremony being approximately eight years past its prime and simply no one caring anymore, not even artists themselves.
All award shows have fallen victim to criticism in recent years, whether for being obviously rigged or their heinous run times, but none more so than the VMA’s. What was once a coveted night for pop culture icons to congregate and kiss one another onstage, has turned into a forgotten ritual of mediocrity. No one is utilising the VMA’s as a platform for superstardom anymore. Though I can’t blame them considering they will most likely get beat out by Swiftie votes anyway.
MTV has always prided itself as a stepping stone to worldwide fame, even if that may no longer be true thanks to its lack of actual music programming in favour of hits like Ridiculousness and… Ridiculousness. In the 80s, it shoved the medium of the music video into the mainstream and changed the music industry forever, making the concept of an image so much more important. Its subsequent award show, first established in 1984, provided further exposure for artists looking to sell not only their music, but their brand. Even at their very first ceremony, they had Madonna emerging from a wedding cake and rolling around the stage boudoir-style singing about being “like a virgin.” Legendary.
The VMA’s have always been about the spectacle rather than the Moonman award itself. It was once considered a coveted prize, but as all categories are now fan-voted, the importance of actual impact has shrivelled into obscurity with the growth of online fandoms. That is why it is so disappointing to see absolutely no artists harnessing this opportunity for spectacle, year after year. MTV has shifted their priorities from creating groundbreaking pop culture moments to garnering cheap nostalgia - evident in both their current programming and the awards broadcast itself.
This year’s broadcast and pre-show event were filled with snippets of past performances, encouraging viewers to gaze in wonder at their screens and remember a time when VMA appearances actually meant something. In their defence, this year marked the 40th anniversary of the ceremony, leaving some room for reminiscing. But let's be real, they showed a Michael Jackson performance. No seventeen year old with a Camila Cabello stan account tweeting live updates is going to care when these cutaways are eating into the already poorly-organised running time of this event.
This year’s fashion also fell victim to nostalgia, falling in line with every other sector of the entertainment industry. There were some standouts, like Lisa (my personal best dressed) in a gorgeous Mugler gown and Addison Rae wearing… whatever that was. Recycling from the vault seemed to be a huge problem this year. From Sabrina Carpenter to Tate McRae to Halsey, so many pop girls were choosing to make a flimsy ‘statement’ by wearing a piece from the past.
You can call it an homage, but I call it playing it safe.
Sabrina Carpenter wore the same Bob Mackie gown as Madonna from over 30 years ago. In Sabrina’s defence, Madonna is a VMA’s icon, so it is at least relevant. Via Harper’s BAZAAR.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with honouring the girls that came before, but the difference is that these girls were unafraid and fun! Working with designers to create specific and iconographic visions and images, which is something we are so dearly missing in the industry of 2020. The exact same can be said about stage presence and performance, I don’t know how much more of DJ Khaled sauntering around on a stage with a microphone I can take.
I know the entire internet has been singing their praises about Chappell Roan, but it's for a reason! Out of everyone present at the ceremony I felt she was the only exception to all this boring, recycled yearning for the past 30 years of pop culture. Though it can be argued her mediaeval realness is also reminiscing, at least it was for a time before Britney Spears was born. Arriving on the red carpet with a sword in hand, then performing in a Joan of Arc-esque getup and using a crossbow to light the entire place on fire. This is what I’m talking about, and this is all from a girl who has never attended an award show in her life! I guess the moral of the story is that lesbians always know best.
Oh, and special shoutout to Sabrina for making out with that alien onstage. More of that please!
Roan during her stunning performance of ‘Good Luck Babe’, via ELLE.
This year's VMA’s weren’t quite the dumpster fire that we’ve seen in the past, but that’s exactly what I’m yearning for - for some excitement, some meaning, just some effort! But this year’s ceremony reportedly had 4% more viewers than last year so maybe the nostalgia-cash-grab-train can carry them into more success next year. Hopefully (not).
Patricia is a third-year Media Arts student who voluntarily spends too much time customising her posters on Letterboxd. You can find her constructing intricate playlists for her comfort characters and attending every single concert she physically can.
