The MTV video music awards is the biggest night of the year for the channel that has influenced youth culture and has been influenced by youth culture since the early 80’s. The VMA’s influence has overflowed from youth culture to all of American Culture over the last decade as Madonna’s kiss with Britney Spears headlined newspapers all across the country neatly a decade ago and Russell Brand’s mocking of the Jonas Brothers set off millions of tweenage girls last year. As an interpreter of youth culture and a steward of the Gospel I make sure to catch this event each year. Here is my analysis of one of the biggest nights of entertainment that had enough drama this year where the president of the U.S. even put his two cents in. This is a mixture of notes I took the night of the event, some add ins in hindsight, and much prayer into this world that captivates many hearts who Jesus wants for his own.
The event started off with a Michael Jackson tribute where Madonna took the stage to give a salute to the recently deceased king of pop. She wrote her speech herself and it was said in such a way where it looked like the crowd was at church hanging off her every word. She basically celebrated his life, music, and uniqueness while condemning anyone who has ever judged his wrongs and gave excuses for them. One such excuse was how Michael Jackson became a celebrity by the age of 8 and never truly had a childhood and therefore wanted to be a child forever. I believe that she is somewhat accurate in this analysis but this inherited family sin of pressure, fame, and growing up too fast does not excuse a grown adult who gave a child wine telling them it was “Jesus Juice” and looking at pornography with them. That is sin and will forever scar his fame in a Biblical worldview. As a father of a young child it is hard for me to look at him in any other way and remember him for any other thing. But God is the judge of Michael Jackson and if he didn’t repent of his sins and accept Christ’s atonement for those sins like any other person then this is what he will be known for in God’s eyes as well, not his life, music, and uniqueness.
British comedian Russell Brand, was the returning guest host of the event and like last year tried to shock the American culture with his brand of humor: sex, sex, sex and anything else that can shock the people there and who is watching. The problem with Russell Brand is that he tried to be crude & witty and fell flat with both in trying to make the audience laugh or shocked. If he’s going to go that route he really needs to take a lesson from Judd Apatow on how to be funny and crude while teaching conservative moral lessons (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/10/opinion/10douthat.html?_r=2) Mr. Brand received no laughs & just came across as crude. The only thing he said that was funny was how how the Jonas Brothers had forgiven him from last years mocking of their pledge abstinence. He ended the comment by saying they had to because they’re Christians. Otherwise then that one witty line he pretty much embarrassed himself by just trying to be controversial and it was evident by the celebrity audiences faces. Billie Joe Armstrong, lead singer of Green Day’s face was one who expressed this disgust throughout the ceremony whether it was Madonna’s praise for MJ or Russell Brand whenever he opened his mouth. They didn’t even look shocked at the things he was saying but rather bored and dumbfounded. One last thing about Russell is how hypocritical it is for the guy to confess to being a self claimed sex addict who went through counseling for nymphomania and his continual praise for it. He ended his opening monologue by claiming that the theme of the night is supposed to be how we need to “unite and love” like Michael Jackson would want us to.
Next came the award for best female video. This 5 minutes of live tv ended up being the controversial part of the program that made headlines across the nation the next morning, had twitter abuzz, and reached the ears of the president where he even commented on the moment off the record (but nothing is off the record via twitter in which he later learned). As you probably already know, loved country singer, Taylor Swift won the award and as she was about to give her acceptance speech talented rapper, Kanye West bum rushed the stage (one again), took her microphone and rudely said that “Beyonce (one of the other nominees) had one of the best videos of all time.” I have to admit that the face on taylor swift when Kanye West interrupted her acceptance speech on behalf of Beyonce was absolutely priceless. As much of America, celebrities, the media, and even the president has made known his interruption was rude and inappropriate. However, to play devil’s advocate, I do believe he was right. Beyonce’s video crushes hers & has spun off an infamous Saturday Night Live short (with Justin Timberlake and Adam Samberg dancing to her song) & a viral video classic with the Jonas Brothers). This of course does not excuse his actions or drunken comments but made it worth it to watch this train wreck of a live tv moment. Also, as much as I loved the awkwardness of the whole live drama, it also further proved how egocentric Kanye is in spite of his talent as he’s done this several times before.
Next noticeable thing for me was when Jack Black came out in the stereotypical cheesy rock outfit. Most Christians wouldn’t have found his act funny as he prayed to Satan because that’s the metal thing to do. Now know that praying to Satan is really not funny as we can underestimate the power of the prince of the air and the demons he has on earth. However, mocking the stereotype of rock music being Satan’s music is funny and I couldn’t help to laugh at this obvious satire of the stereotypes of rock music (which by the way is my personal preferred choice of music and always has been).
Up next was Taylor Swift’s live performance. I’m sorry, I feel like a pansy saying this but at this point I noticed that Taylor Swift is kind of growing on me. She seems fun, funny, a little cheesy, somewhat moral, and she does have verrry catchy songs (by the way all the same reasons why I like Miley Cyrus, except Miley doesn’t have the catchy songs). One thing I don’t like about this whole Swift craze is that I hope girls really don’t think that love is her type of love but the love that is found in the Bible. We got enough girls over romanticizing love into Disney expectations where they miss the true purpose and point of the sacrificial love that is talked about in Scripture.
Lady Gaga performs next as the later winner of new artist of the year. GaGa has been all over the music scene this year and this just confirmed what I always thought of her. She is so weird! I do admit that she is creative but always in a slutty way. Long before this performance she was making headline with her revealing outfits in the dead winter, over the top sexual lyrics being sung in Israel, and her consistent presence on the billboard charts with several songs. To understand why she is so extreme with her love of all types of sexual sin and all things creative, you have to understand a little of her background. The girl was a burlesque dancer with in the GLBT world in NYC. Of course she’s going to display this love for arts, drama, and extreme sexual sin. She is creative, talented, passionate, and gifted and as her influence increases I will continue to pray that she sees her gave her those gifts and how she needs to come back to that Creator who will save her from her sins. Her show did seem a little out of place as she tried to be artsy in a show that is known for performances by girls who defined their sinful sexual status in media (In show’s past Britney Spears, Christian Aguilera, etc). She already gained that through her videos, songs now and I think people expected her to be even more over the top where she switched it up and just got artsy violent on them. It just seemed out of place and weird.
Side note…. Background to the show and graphics looked awesome! As someone who always pays attention to the transition parts of church services and background music I thought MTV did a great job with the band in between. They sounded unique and different from the stereotypical rap artists out there. I didn’t get to catch who it was but they sounded good in between commercials performances and as always MTV had great background graphics in today’s culture.
Tension rises as Beyonce’s next nomination will be announced. Part of me wants her to lose again to see what will happen. Will Kanye freak out again? Will she apologize on behalf of Kanye? Britney won, no drama 
Megan Fox announces Green Day performance. She’s the “it” girl of today’s youth culture. Almost all my guy students is a member of her fan page on facebook and she dominates the media world right now. I’ll be writing a blog post on her upcoming movie shortly as it combines her acting and famed director/screenwriter, Cody Diablo (girl who wrote “Juno”). It will be a box office hit amongst teenagers and they need to know what Scripture says about it’s themes.
Green Day plays their anti-Christian song on their latest cd. It’s pop punk and very catchy. I also still need to do a blog post about this song and their history of anti-church, anti-Jesus in past songs. These lyrics have some of their most obvious issues with the church. However they are on point with the stereotypes many young adults and teenagers have about the church. Lead singer, Billie Joe knows how to put on a show and this one kind of reminded me of their Woodstock 94’ performance. I am also reminded how Anarchy and influence is dangerous when mixed together. I pray and hope that people didn’t pay attention to the lyrics as they can just reaffirm people who is starting to have a dislike toward church. I am reminded how Jesus loved the church so much that He gave His life up for it. How some of those stereotypes people have of church is true but that’s because they focused on people who are imperfect in stead of the one who found the church, Jesus Christ. There is no church without Jesus Christ so I pray that Green Day and others realize that they need to focus on what Jesus said and did, not the church which we can mess up as Christians but the God still uses and will use to proclaim Gospel mission and Gospel community. More on that on a later date.
Ok…. Rap Award is up next…. please have Kanye West win….. and the winner is…. T.I…. who is in jail… Dang it. At least we know that this show really isn’t staged by MTV because they definitely would’ve had Kanye win it for the drama and ratings which go hand in hand. I later learned that Kanye wasn’t even there anymore as MTV escorted him out as the crowd became even more hostile toward him…. Oh, the power of innocent pop country crooner, Taylor Swift.
Muse is going to perform next. Great band and not that well known in this overexposed all about $ billboard artists we’ve seen so far. Muse didn’t disappoint and rocked it out.
Lady gaga is soooo weird! She wins the new artist award and comes up with this mask that looks like it came from a horror film. She’s for real too. She’s not trying to be funny or anything. She really thinks that this is art. She ends her acceptance speech thanking god and the gays. Once again, if you know her past you know why she does this. The god part was definitely out of place for her as I wonder if she’s just trying to be controversial and mock that who political culture of God vs gays that we have in America or if she genuinely believes in both and loves both. I’m leaning toward mockery but will research it a little more.
Pink put on what looked like a spectacular performance swinging on a trapeze while singing with a great song and an outfit that revealed one of her boobs with a pink heart covering her nipple. Therefore, I missed her whole performance because I believe that according to scripture and in my vows to my wife I couldn’t watch bouncing boobs without sinning. Was that really necessary Pink? You could’ve walked away being the talk of the live musical performances with this intriguing and creative performance and now you’re just walking away with teenage boys lusting after you. It could’ve been creative but you had to make it sexual and therefore becoming hypocritical in all you say about the other girl celebrities out there and what they do for fame.
Video of the Year is next. This is the award of all awards for the night. And the winner is…… Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” (random camera shot of lady gaga with a different weird mask on then before… once again, she is so weird) Will she ignore the beginning drama of the night? Will she stick up for Kanye for trying to stick up for her? Will she stick up for Taylor for it taking away from her “moment”? Well, as newspapers and tweets told us, Beyonce ends up inviting Taylor Swift to come out to have her “moment” and allows her to thank the people she didn’t get to earlier because of Kanye’s interruption. I am reminded of the unity and love that MJ wants us to all know (gag). But being serious, I was glad that Beyonce did this and it felt like one of those feel good moments you feel when watching one of those feel good movies. I guess I’m kind of not used to feeling utterly disgusted and repulsed by the present state of MTV and their over the top antics at the end of their awards show (what I’d feel after seeing Marilyn Manson end years ago, still being shocked by earlier antics in years past.) I still did feel that ickyness on some things I’d seen (Russell Brand’s sexualized comments, Pink’s unnecessary boobage, etc.) but it was weird how it ended with a wrong made right…. Oh, but wait, the show has 15 minutes left.
Jay Z then performs and we are reminded at how awesome all of these celebrities think MJ is. No other shocking performances or over the top sinful antics. Hmmmm, so what are we to think of the present state of youth culture and the entertainment industry on display through one of their biggest nights of the year in the eyes of Scripture and a Biblical worldview?
1. The false worship of celebrity idols in youth culture and how we need to realign that worship to Jesus.
Taylor Swift, Megan Fox, Green Day, The Jonas Brothers, are all idolized and will be in a me generation that idolizes fame and popularity. At one time after the show ended the top 10 twitter trends had something to do with the MTV VMA’s. We need to be reminded that our hearts are idol factories and whether it’s through celebrities or boyfriend/girlfriends we need to confess to this sin of false idolatry and look at Jesus as the only one to worship. I was reminded of this in the most unlikely of circumstances through this show as I saw the army of Taylor Swift fans call for Kanye’s head on a platter. What he did was rude and uncalled for. But I was shocked by the reaction of friends and media. More people felt hurt for their idol’s lost “moment” then the lost state of people around them in God’s eyes. These are celebrities who are wronged in many more ways then not being able to say thank you to friends and family. They are wronged as they are continually deceived by Satan who makes them think they are worthy of this worship and need us to get upset about that and pray for them and ourselves as we give them that glory. I am guilty of this myself as I put “celebrity” pastors and athletes on a pedestal and get angry when I hear someone slander them. I need to be reminded at those times that I need to pray for them and refocus my worship on Jesus. It’s him who I need to focus my breath on and defend. Not Mark Driscoll or Taylor Swift or being wronged.
2. Sexual sin is present in youth culture, celebrity culture, and American culture because it’s present in our hearts.
Every year Christians claim that it the state of sexual sin gets worse and worse. I don’t know if this is true as I’ve studied the history of the Egyptian and Roman Empire eras but I do know that it will forever be present in a sinful world where Satan corrupted our hearts through the fall. What was intended for good became a false god amongst many people and will always be celebrated in people’s lives and entertainment choices. As Christians we are to abstain from sexual sin and speak into it as it will always be around. I always feel quite a dilemma when this yearly event comes around for I know it will be present but also know that we must speak truth into the lies MTV tells concerning sexual sin. I thank God for a wife who keeps me accountable in making sure that some viewing is too much and a great Savior and Holy Spirit who I am accountable with in what I see and what I put in my head and heart. For me, Pink’s performance was too much as I turned my head from her entire performance. We need to forever be discerning on these issues but realize that we need to know how the lost are being deceived into these things. Some things to remember when doing this is….
1. It starts in their hearts just like it starts in our hearts. It’s not Lady Gaga, Russell Brand, the porn industry who we need to blame but Satan and how sin has affected all of our hearts in this area. This is also what we need to speak into when announcing such a great Savior for that sin that started in their very hearts like it did in ours.
2. If you are entering into this culture to study, redeem, and present truth of the Gospel to make sure you are honest with your self in convictions led by the spirit and accountability. Most Christian teenagers need to stay away from this stuff as it usually becomes entertainment and sinful for them. Unless you are thinking like a missionary who would enter into a foreign and sinful culture, you need to error on the staying away from all things sexual side. MTV VMA’s will always push the boundaries and you have to realize that. Watch with discernment and a motivation to look for truth out of lies being sensitive to the lost people who don’t realize what they are watching is necessarily sinful. If you can’t handle it as you start to lust after some performers, start idolizing the messages they say about sex, or feel convicted for watching any of it you need to abstain from it but not judge others who are in the world but by their interpretation of the event are obviously not of the world.
3. Pop Culture, Celebrities, and MTV will come and go while the Gospel will last forever.
What amazes me about this fickle world is how much it changes from year to year in artists, celebrities, and what’s cool pointing to an unknown example of how fickle are very lives really are. It is the message of the Gospel that lasts in a temporary world about self. It’s the eternal message of us being sinners in a culture that in some type of new way will preach else wise. The eternal message that Jesus died for that sin as He thought of us and glorifying His father in a culture that wants to glorify ourselves and whatever is popular which forever changes. It’s the eternal message that Jesus rose from the dead and showed how He had eternal power and authority over death which took MJ’s life, sin which captivates and deceives our hearts into thinking that life is all about sex, Satan who is not someone we want to pray to but does not have control over a guitar and drums (but instead lyrics that can deceive some hearts). It’s the Gospel that changes this culture and speaks into the heart of it. It’s the Gospel that reveals the eternal out of the temporary as all of these celebrities get old and our hearts start worshiping what ever is next that Satan dangles before our eyes. Point this out to this temporary culture because teenagers will notice how Brittany Spears had faded, N*sync disbanded, and Jessica Alba is not the “it” girl anymore. They want something permanent to worship but need to hear the Gospel to see Jesus as the permanent solution their temporary idols.
Green Day at Woodstock 94 was epic!
Sorry thats all im contributing to this post. haha