I Want My MTV

Today is MTV's 25th birthday. I remember back in The Good Old Days when they played videos. They were a major source for all that was cool, and MTV kept me busy, out of trouble, and away from my chemistry homework for more hours than I'd care to calculate.

Looking back on it, I would say that MTV played a huge role in the formation of my musical tastes. 120 Minutes and Post-Modern MTV (with Kevin Seal and Dave Kendall back when I was watching) not only exposed me to music not getting much airplay in Tulsa (and much of which I still listen to today), it also has left me able to conjure up a zillion different videos in my head whenever i hear their songs. For that, as weird as it sounds, I am grateful. As I say, one never knows when one will on Jeopardy and need this information!

The most shocking thing I ever saw on MTV came in 1989, when my beloved INXS (and even more beloved Michael Hutchence) appeared. Michael went from looking like this:

to appearing at the VMAs looking like this:

Now, this short haired picture isn't so bad, but the way he looked that night (I can't find a pic of it, sadly) was just not what my 15 yr old brain was wanting to see.

Other memorable things:

The game show Remote Control. The show had Colin Quinn, Adam Sandler, and Dennis Leary before anyone knew them apart from Sing Along With Colin, Stud Boy, etc. Oh how I want(ed) to be on that show! The final lightning round where the winner had to ID video clips was the best - I recall being amazing at that part of the show. Fr the record, I wanted to sit in the middle chair, so if I lost I'd be flipped upside down as I was drug back behind the wall.

Fav VJs: Martha Quinn, Kevin Seal, Chris Connelly, Adam Curry (big dandelion hair, silly chains leather jacket and all), and Downtown Julie Brown. I wonder if Kurt Loder is still there doing MTV News? (I hope Tabitha Soren is not.)

Oh, and yes, I will admit, I had Dial MTV's on my bedroom phone's speed dial so i could request the latest INXS, U2, Bon Jovi, or whoever video.

Wubba Wubba Wubba, good bye and God bless!