MTV

Starting in 1981, MTV (Music Television) was the first to explore and introduce viewers to what are now seen as staples of popular culture. Events such as LiveAid, the merging of popular music and corporate sponsorship, “unplugged” acoustic performances, and reality programming began to emerge on the TV screen. To this day, MTV continues to be a powerful cultural force; impacting popular music, visual style, and culture. (Jones, 2005, pg. 83). MTV became a phenomenon in the US during the 1980s, and soon became recognized by scholars as a cultural formation available to “those seeking to use theoretical tools with which to construct understandings of music, image, and popular culture “(Jones, 2005, pg. 84).

With the success of MTV within the US during the 80’s, the expansions of MTV programs and networks throughout the world soon began to emerge in the 90’s. MTV France, MTV Canada, MTV Brazil, MTV China, MTV India, MTV Russia, MTV Shout East Asia, and MTV Nordic are just a few of the expanded networks around the globe (Jones, 2005, pg. 84). In order for these markets to succeed, MTV goes by the mantra “Think globally, act locally” (Asia, year, pg. 234). This means that they (MTV) reposition themselves and their products (such as TV shows for example) into a different content that it had originally been in the US, in order for young viewers to relate and identify more with the characters. For example, British children’s and youth drama have its roots in social realism, as well visual style and storytelling of British drama soap operas. Whereas US teen TV has ties to “quality television”.  (Woods, 2013, pg. 3-4). Modification of the plot line in a TV show order to receive better views and higher levels of identification from teen viewers in the area can be seen by the difference in the US and UK version of the MTV show Skins.

But this act of creating and modifying shows is being contested. In (author) article he/she states that

“(MTV) producers rarely make accommodations to the local cultures of the region where these shows are viewed, and the shows may not even be translated into other languages. MTVs regional adaptation efforts seen substation in comparison to the nature of other Western programming exports that have little, if any, modification for their international audiences” (Crabtree & Malhotra, 2003, pg. 233).

They (Crabtree & Malhotra) also note that though the content may be modified depending on the location of the show language, the number of songs from the area that are displayed compared to that from the US, the ethnicity of the VJs, and the origin and content of the program are still geared and centered towards the Western world. They note in their study that a total of 9.2% of all MTV Asia programing hours are localized and adapted aired hours per week.  (Crabtree & Malhotra, 2003, pg. 234). By re-organizing MTV’s programming, such as music and videos, in order to provide local hooks into global culture the network is able to coopt the local imagination of its place within the global brand that can be marketed, and used for marketing. Type of music programmed, indeed irrespective of music videos (Jones, 2005, pg. 86).

The impact and message(s) that MTV and its shows (both globally as well as locally), have created have become an issue of debate as well.

“MTV, specifically represents interests of big business and capitalism far more than its cutting edge, adventurous image leads viewers to believe Viewers buy into the hegemony of the MTV culture, because MTV promotes consumerist and capitalistic ideologies under the guise of something that viewers find more appealing” Crabtree & Malhotra, 2003, pg. 233)

It is this message and recognition that MTV makes towards seeing young viewers as consumers that allows, as Jones says, for television to be creating not a global village but a “global mall in a world united by satellite technology, teenagers the world over share many consumer attitudes because they watch many of the same TV shows and commercials” (Jones, 2005, pg.  85). With the help of MTV, Western lifestyles and its culture(s) are globally popularized. Frith argues that there is a significant role in this development of globalized music and culture by MTV throughout the world. Youth culture differentiates by socio-economic class through an “ideology of consumerism, a global language of English, education, fashion, and music.” (Crabtree & Malhotra, 2003, pg. 238). By modifying its content around the globe (no matter what its extent is), MTV is creating a new form of youth that identify themselves all as consumers in the global marketplace.

 

 

References

Media Hegemony and the Commercialization of Television in India: Implications to Social Class

and Development Communication. In. Crabtree, R., & Malhotra, S. (Ed.). The Globalization of Corporate Media Hegemony.

Jones, S. (2005). MTV: The Medium was the Message. Critical Studies in Media  

Communication, 22 (1), 83-88.

Woods, Faye. (2013). Teen TV meets T4: assimilating the O.C. into British youth television.   

Critical Studies in Television. Manchester University Press. http://www.manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/journals/journal.asp?id=16