Mama, What's a Video?

When I got home last night slightly tipsy, tired and not yet ready for bed, I flipped on the TV and landed on one of those "Best of 2005" shows. I do love those shows, find the year in review stuff pretty fascinating, probably because it makes me realize that most of the stories we obsess over in a given year--the stories splashed across the magazines, TV and the newspaper of record, can be handily dispensed inside 22 minutes of programming.


But VH1's Best Videos of 2005 (like SO much of VH1's intriguing fare this year) really took me by surprise. Why? Was it because I hadn't heard most of the songs and it made me realize that I'm old, old , old? No, cause I still haven't grown out of my top 40 phase.

I knew all the songs in the countdown, but I'd seen nary a video. And it ain't because I don't watch MTV or VH1. I shamefacedly admit that I do. All the time. But I honestly can not remember the last time I tuned in and saw a video on these music channels. Know what the saddest part about that is? (I mean aside from fact that I spend a lot of time tuning in.) The saddest part is the videos they showed in the "Best of" show were amazingly cool. They were stylish, they were spectacle, and they were cutting edge art.

Why don't they ever show these "video" things on the music channels anymore. It's enough to make me want to stand up and shout, "I want my MTV you reality programming hijackers." Dump Punk'd. Stop Pimping. And for God's sake, cancel that monstrosity "But Can They Sing?" and give the time back to those who really can!