BY MIKEY MIGO
In the summer of 1984, the music video network MTV unleashed the monster that is the MTV Video Music Awards. This was introduced as something to celebrate the art of making music videos, current music, current pop culture, and just youth in general. The awards are mainly in good fun. The credibility is nonexistent as many one hit wonders and flash in the pan money makers are featured as if they're iconic. Over the years, the shows have lost more and more respect from the diehard critics. The show is a joke. The results are as meaningless as anything can be meaningless, but it still serves as a window into "the now". For the betters and for the many more worses, the MTV VMAs represent pop culture as it is… dirty, cheap, airy, and hollow.
I'm not ragging on MTV at all, or pop culture. If you're young and into what's around you then you're going to enjoy the show or at least have some passion about it. In my high school days in the late 90's and early 00's, I took way more care in the show. That old Marilyn Manson "Beautiful People" performance, the NIN "Fragile" performance, that awesome Kid Rock/Run DMC/Aerosmith jam, Puff's "I'll Be Missing You", and so so so many more performance stand out to me. I could care less about Beyonce, Gaga, Jonas Brothers, Paramore, Linkin Park, etc. But I still want to watch. I'm not so disenfranchised from my bubble gum youth just yet. I know the show will most likely suck, but there's still that chance I'll capture a moment that'll make it worth my time. Luckily, even with my lacking love for the recent musical performers the hosts still seem to be pretty awesome.
Here's a look at the Top 7 hosts of all time…
NO ONE
(2007)In the random discussions with people about the VMA's the 2007 show is still often brought up as a favorite. The interesting thing is that there was no host for that year's show. In past years they did the no host shows, but it was still the same ol' same ol'. But in 2007, they not only had no host but provided one of the coolest formats and presentations for an award show I can remember. Since the show was held at the Palms Hotel, the producers took advantage. They had "fantasy suites" where stars and groups like Foo Fighters, Timbaland, Kanye West, Justin Timberlake, and Fall Out Boy threw their own parties. So basically in each room, these stars and groups would rock out and have guest performers join in on the party and the music. My only complaint is that they never really stuck on the performances long enough. Even with a host, they should do this again.
EDDIE MURPHY
(1985)This is from the 1985 VMAs. Here is one of the best speeches on the art of music videos I've ever heard or seen. I really wish more people would have taken note of what Kevin Godley had to say here. Never the less, we see Eddie Murphy at the end doing what he did best back then, made us laugh. Music, comedy, pop culture, and the world were so different in 1985 that it's hard to gauge a comparison. Here's a video that really shows what the world was up to back then:
RUSSELL BRAND
(2008, 2009)For 2008 and 2009, MTV went with a then unknown British comedian and host named Russell Brand. For people like myself who became fans of him through his work in the massively underrated "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" it was awesome. For everyone else it was like one big "WTF". Then he hosted. At first he got shit for not being as funny. To me he just seemed off that night and maybe a bit nervous. Never the less, he sparked controversy with his comments on things ranging from George Bush to the Jonas Brother's virginity. The next year he came back strong and will forever be known as the host of the VMAs with the "Kanye/Swift Incident". Russell Brand would have been perfect for MTV in the 80's and 90's. He's like one part Pauly Shore and one part Jesse Camp, but in an English wrapper. I like the guy a lot and can see him hosting again the future.
DENNIS MILLER
(1995,1996)Sadly, this was about the most I could find of Dennis Miller hosting online. I'm sure it's out there somewhere, but it wasn't in my sights this week. I remember Dennis Miller hosting. This was before he became everything he mocked. He was still kind of fresh off the "Weekend Update" desk and had the HBO show that Bill Maher wishes he had. His snarky humor worked here and represented the last days of grunge and gangsta rap. By the way, enjoy the Alanis performance!
DANA CARVEY
(1992)Isn't it great that the lame joke of "That's what she said" was still hilarious in 1992? I could of went with a video clip of Carvey's monologue, but this scene stands out to me as the best. The story goes that there was a problem with the connection to the arena U2 was playing at so Carvey had to stall and improve. After awhile you can see him stray away from his normal material and just start pulling the awesomeness out of his ass. Dana Carvey was on his A-Game here and then when he joins in with U2 on drums we're treated to one of the coolest MTV moments ever. And yes, that's really Dana Carvey on drums.
ARSENIO HALL
(1988,1989,1990,1991)I wish I could of found a better clip of Arsenio, but this has to do. The thing about Hall is that he didn't treat the hosting gig as his own soap box to voice his opinions or to push an agenda… he just hosted the show. Of course he threw in his own twists on things and had his own style, but he did his job well. Arsenio Hall was just a really big fan of music and pop culture. He can just tell from how excited he was about everything and all that he knew. He got his own talk show around his second time hosting, but kept coming back. Arsenio Hall still holds the VMA hosting record at 4. The only man to come close with three is our number one….
CHRIS ROCK
(1997, 1999, 2003)Chris Rock is the best host of the twenty something years of the MTV Video Music Award history. Like Arsenio, you can tell he's a huge fan of pop culture, but he's Chris Rock. Chris Rock lets loose on everyone and doesn't hold back on anything. He says what every music fan was thinking and at this point was on his A-game. Look at some of the stuff he had to deal with on this show. We're talking the Spice Girls in 97, N Sync and the boy bands in 1999, and then Brittney, Christina, and Madonna kissing in 2003. The MTV as most of us knew it, the channel that showed music videos, was on its way out come early 2000's. These shows are the last of that era and in some cases good riddance. Never the less, Chris Rock's comedic and rational look on things at the time made for an entertaining spree of shows.
Who is YOUR favorite host from VMA's past?
How do you think Chelsea Handler will fair in comparison to the rest?
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