| Young Adult Literature and Multimedia--Resources |
But Where's the Music
by Carolyn Mertz
UW-Stout: Young Adult Literature
Ask any tween or teen what MTV stands for and they’ll tell you- Music Television. Then ask them what their favorite thing on MTV is and they’ll likely chose a title from a long list of (somewhat music-inspired) reality shows such as The Real World or Cribs. What once started out as a place for teens to showcase various genres of music and videos has become yet another channel inundated with lackluster reality programming. But this hasn’t always been the case.
MTV was launched back in August 1981 and started a pop culture phenomenon (Heaton, 2004). At its inception, MTV was actually programming largely related to music and videos. In 1992 MTV launched a reality show called The Real World and it took off. In fact, many of my teen years were spent watching the drama of each Real World season, giggling with delight at the sight of Eric Nies or wiping tears from my eyes for Pedro Zamora’s plight with HIV. MTV again hit the jackpot with 1997’s MTV Live (later Total Request Live in 1999) hosted by Carson Daly. TRL had a significant impact on pop music, supplying surprise guest appearances, quick and colorful camera shots, viewer requests and more, and was a cornerstone of my high school experience.
I would venture to say that the “M” in MTV has come to mean movement in addition to music. Realizing what an impact they had on young viewers, MTV launched a campaign, Choose or Lose, to urge students to register and vote. Other reality shows like True Life, MADE, and Taildaters have allowed teens to live out some of the embarrassing yet inevitable parts of transitioning from childhood to adulthood. While MTV has become the voice of a generation, many educators often overlook the validity of some of the content on MTV. As educators we understand the importance of connecting real-life with curriculum yet often miss obvious ways to do so. For example, one episode of True Life focused on young people searching for the perfect body. This documentary-style piece showed young adults dieting excessively, considering plastic surgery, following fitness programs, and searching for the ultimate in cosmetic procedures. An episode such as this could be used in a variety of ways in a variety of subjects to teach students about current trends, healthy lifestyles, and self-esteem. Another possible teaching option would be assigning students to compare a story in a selected book with an MTV-inspired reality show, and then discussing the advantages and disadvantages of each medium.
If you speak with teens today they will likely tell you that their favorite shows on MTV range from Life of Ryan to My Super Sweet 16, Laguna Beach to Jackass. All of these shows focus on the drama-filled life of teenagers. While less plot-driven and more for entertainment purposes, these shows continually pull teens back episode after episode to catch up on the angst (I mean, storyline) of each drama queen (or teen, rather).
MTV has since become an international sensation with stations in places such as Japan, Germany, and Brazil- and that is the short list (Reesman, 2006). MTV is an obvious way to connect teens to other countries and cultures, and more educators should take the opportunity to study music and dance from around the world using MTV as a possible source. The past twenty-seven years on MTV have shaped teen culture today. From the days of Michael Jackson’s epic video “Thriller” to the annual (and outrageous) Video Music Awards, MTV continues to shock, thrill and surprise audiences with newer, more trendy ways to give us our daily dose of MTV. Today it serves as an iconic staple for those in the age range 12-34 to grab hold of what’s new in music, videos, fashion trends, celebrities and more in an ever-changing edgy format.
Suggested Student Readings
Reesman, B. (2006, September 2). Fast forward; Rewinding 25 years of MTV history. Billboard, 118(35). 36-54. Retrieved February 3, 2008, from Academic Search Elite Database.
Annotation: This detailed timeline gives students an idea about where MTV started in 1981 and brings us into the present. Things to look for include the first Video Music Awards and the onslaught of reality programming.Zagano, P. (1994, March 5). Beavis and Butt-head, free your minds! America, 170(8), 6. Retrieved January 30, 2008, from Academic Search Elite database.
Annotation: This article explains why MTV should be seen as a poor, misrepresentation of youth and the impact of narcissism and sexually excessive videos and programming available through MTV.
References
Hay, Carla. (1999, May 29). MTV Networks in growth mode. Billboard, 111(22). Retrieved January 30, 2008, from Academic Search Elite database.
Heaton, T. L. (2004, November 14). TV news in a postmodern world part II, the case for MTV. Retrieved February 5, 2008, from http://www.donatacom.com/papers/pomo2.htm.
Leopold, T. (2001, May 3). How much ‘reality’ TV can we survive? Retrieved February 5, 2008, from http://cnnstudentnews.cnn.com/2001/fyi/news/05/03/reality.tv/
These lesson plans, guides, and other resource materials for young adult literature topics were created by participants in a professional development course in young adult Literature. Each resource is copyrighted by the individual educator who developed the material. The present course being taught is titled: Teaching Young Adult Literature in the Classroom from the University of Wisconsin-Stout (Sharron L. McElmeel, instructor)