MTV’s Beavis and Butt-head
are back. Although the beloved ’90s show now makes fun of reality shows
like 16 and Pregnant and Jersey Shore, they also make fun of music videos.
That’s right. The channel that legally changed its name from
Music Television to MTV has music again.
The show ran from ’93-’97 and gathered a cult following. Since then, channels
like Comedy Central have shown re-runs. They released soundtrack CDs. All of
the seasons have been released to DVD, and there’s been no shortage of Beavis
and Butt-head action figures. The show had a spinoff, “Daria,” which also
became popular. Marvel made a Beavis and Butt-head comic book. The show’s
movie, “Beavis and Butt-head Do America,” got $60 million at the box office.
A whole new
generation will be exposed to music through the (mentally challenged?)
teenagers. From fresh dubstep to the bubble gum horrors of Katy Perry, artists
will get the opportunity to be made fun of (and get some new fans).
So it’s safe to say that both artists and fans are excited
about the show’s return. It’s just as funny (and as lewd) as it ever was.
So far, they’ve shown videos from MGMT, Skrillex, LMFAO,
Deadmau5, Cage the Elephant and Benny Banassi.
This could mean the
return of the music video. The art of the music video has faded over time.
What was big in the ’80s has lost appeal for artists, since most TV channels
don’t feature music videos anymore. Sure, there’s YouTube, but many artists don’t
want to put a costly video out there without getting paid.
It’s too early to tell now, but since the season premiere on
October 27, MTV has been linking the videos on their site. They’re getting a lot of views. That comes as no surprise to all
the B&B fans out there. And they’re definitely out there.
Beavis and Butt-head airs on Thursdays at 10 p.m., EST. on
MTV. Enjoy.
Check out Skrillex’s “First of the Year” video they
featured. Spoiler alert: a little girl kicks a child molester’s @$$.
-Heather Butterworth
I Like what this post did. It was brief, but not too brief, and included all the info I thought I wanted to know. The author's voice came through nicely as well. It is slightly confusing how the return of a television show that is not about music is the return of Music Videos on MTV. Overall I like the concept, and I like the show, and I like the relationship of the music video posted.
ReplyDeleteVery informative...I don't watch TV but I keep hearing snippets about the return of Beavis and Butthead while not actually understanding what MTV had in mind. Besides being informative you included your opinion in a subtle way and also a sense of humor, which made the post fun to read.
ReplyDeleteI would have to disagree that this constitutes as "bringing back" music videos. I think Katy Perry and Lady Gaga have done a lot for the music video culture. They create stories and scenes that extend beyond just singing the song in a bikini. Gaga's "Telephone" video is amazing and I love the story of Kathy in Katy Perry's "Last Friday Night."
ReplyDeleteI'm gonna have to agree with Amanda on this one. Sure, the TRL era is over...but that's allowing artists to express themselves in totally different ways. The Skrillex video you included is too weird for TRL Nation, but now, in the YouTube era, it's gaining traction. Videos didn't go anywhere...they're just different. I really like the new format of your blog, by the way. And I'll be tuning in to Beavis and Butthead when it's on. I can almost hear the brain cells dying inside my head now! Nice sense of humor and interesting idea presented. Keep it up, Three Beatz!
ReplyDelete