MTV Movie Awards

This weekend is the annual celebration of Hollywood; No, not that awards show - the MTV Movie Awards.

So, tonight I am attending an MTV Movie Awards party with some friends. I started thinking about just how long MTV has been in my life and what it originally meant back in days of my youth. We have come a long way, baby.

MTV has been around since about 1981 and was known for endless music videos. MTV was the answer and I thought the idea of a TV channel playing music videos was brilliant.

I loved watching it for as long as possible and would anxiously await my favorite videos - Michael Jackson's Billy Jean, Madonna (Anything), Prince, U2 (Anything), Wham (Especially). Then, it became Nirvana, LL Cool J, and DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh "Will Smith" Prince, and Madonna. BACK THEN, MTV COULD DO NO WRONG.

MTV Killed The Video Star
Of course now older and somewhat wiser, I do not really watch MTV and MTV does not really play videos, perhaps this is the reason. As a youth, I thought that I would watch MTV forever. Now, MTV is a grown up "Corporation" filled with executives, management, employees, offices, studios and overhead - where does it end? The focus on the youth, may have gotten lost somewhere in the corporate shuffle.

The MTV Video Music Awards have been around for the last 25 years and seemed like a natural fit for a channel that had music videos as the conerstone of it's programming.

With the evolution of MTV and it's constant progression came the MTV Movie awards, which has been around since 1992 or the last 15 years, and was MTV's younger/ more hip answer to Hollywood's Academy Awards (aka The Oscars).

Parodies & Celebrities
Much of the show has not changed, however the "Gimmicks" now seem slick and over produced for PR value, rather than rebelliousness of a restless youth.

This year the show is being produced by Mark Burnett's production company as a return to the live version (The show had been taped, due to uncontrollable "Antics").

However it all plays out, there will be celebrities and spectacles for your viewing. MTV has confirmed appearances by Cameron Diaz, Mike Myers (To receive the Generation Award), Jessica Biel, Mandy Moore, performances by Rihanna/Jay-Z, and Amy Winehouse - all the mele to be hosted by comedian Sarah Silverman.

You can decide if you want your MTV - the show airs Sunday June 3 at 8 PM.