The Great Music Video Debate

[Mattman]

Do you think that music videos have had a good or bad effect on popular music overall?

It's often said that MTV has created a disposable culture in which "real" musicians are pushed by the wayside in favour of visually appealing pop packages.  But there are also a lot of examples of music videos that enhance the experience of a good song by giving it a visual parallel.  And whether the acts that MTV pushes are good or bad is often very subjective.  Sure, I hated all those teenybopper TRL acts.  But back in the 80s, MTV was huge on hair metal and was playing those videos all the time.  It would have been cool to be around for that.

Right now, I'm of the opinion that music videos overall are not a good thing.  Yeah, you can make a lot of artistic statements with the visual medium.  But come on, this is MUSIC.  It's supposed to be about how it sounds.  In my opinion, MTV has made a lot of lame songs popular just because they have the visual appeal.  A good example in my mind is "Boom!" by System of a Down.  I know a lot of people like that song, but I hate it.  It's interesting how most of the people who tell me they like it always add "have you seen the video?"  The fact is, in the video, you can barely hear the actual song itself.  It's really just an excuse to show footage of anti-war protests and get the band's political message across.

There's always gonna be great music.  But I think that MTV sometimes pays a little too much attention to artists who have something to offer visually but not musically to have made a positive contribution to pop culture.

[jgfnsr]

Do you think that music videos have had a good or bad effect on popular music overall?

It's often said that MTV has created a disposable culture in which "real" musicians are pushed by the wayside in favour of visually appealing pop packages.? But there are also a lot of examples of music videos that enhance the experience of a good song by giving it a visual parallel.? And whether the acts that MTV pushes are good or bad is often very subjective.? Sure, I hated all those teenybopper TRL acts.? But back in the 80s, MTV was huge on hair metal and was playing those videos all the time.? It would have been cool to be around for that.

Right now, I'm of the opinion that music videos overall are not a good thing.? Yeah, you can make a lot of artistic statements with the visual medium.? But come on, this is MUSIC.? It's supposed to be about how it sounds.? In my opinion, MTV has made a lot of lame songs popular just because they have the visual appeal.? A good example in my mind is "Boom!" by System of a Down.? I know a lot of people like that song, but I hate it.? It's interesting how most of the people who tell me they like it always add "have you seen the video?"? The fact is, in the video, you can barely hear the actual song itself.? It's really just an excuse to show footage of anti-war protests and get the band's political message across.

There's always gonna be great music.? But I think that MTV sometimes pays a little too much attention to artists who have something to offer visually but not musically to have made a positive contribution to pop culture.

Music videos are fine as long as a band or artist remembers that their music is the most important.

Too many nowdays tend to concentrate more on how they appear than how they sound.

[SLCPUNK]

Shit...they hardly play them anymore, so it's hard to tell. I love the shows VH1 will have shows discussing videos...that they never play!

Video, as cool as it was, was the decline of the music industry I think. I've got old songs on video tape, in fact the entire back log of videos that VH1/MTV ever played. Crazy shit, great songs, ugly ass performers....lol, but it didn't matter then what they looked at. The songs were different, and no way in hell that guy would get a chance today, not with those looks.

One generation catches it and calls it bullshit, the next is clueless and accepts it as music. Change is brought to people all the time like this. People always fold and take it because the younger generation behind doesn't know it could be better. Always driven by greed too, no matter what the change is.

[Axls Locomotive]

I think there is a tendency to generalise too much on this subject....sure kids will buy cheesy mindless music, but hey i bought crap like that when i was a teenager...the fact is that i believe i know the difference between a badly written or well written song now...and im sure many kids will have different tastes a decade from now...music videos are only a part of it... not many would listen to a song just because the video is good...im not convinced at all...

but saying that i think teenagers are the easiest age group to exploit with any product...a generation that thinks they know what they are doing but are still too young to see they are getting exploited day after day... a marketers dream...

there are a lot of videos out there that stink, and a lot of fantastic videos but very few that contain new ideas...thats probably the main problem, a lack of ideas

[Bad_Apple]

I think a musician's IMAGE was always imp, when it came to Rock n' roll, as far as I can tell.  Look at the stones/bowie/Zep/Elivs early years...they all looked good, dressed interesting, and carried themselves w/ sex appeal.  It was always around...and it's only natural to care how the artist looks...we are visual beings (esp. the men) after all.    And this was well b4 music videos!
Now, just bc u may not look physically appealing, there is still hope--ie. what u wear, dance, carry urself, or the "hot" half naked chicks u have shakin thier a$$ behind u....
Sure, image unfortunately does come b4 music (think Britney, et al) but that was always around (old pop artists, that had hits, but time forgot bc they were not credible).
I was born in the era of music vids, and I love them, they're a great intro to the artist...
and I agree w/ SLCPUNK , they hardly play em anymore 

[journey]

Music videos can be greatly entertaining if they're in the right hands. It has its benefits for both the artists and audience.

Today, however, music videos are becoming obsolete. I was raised on MTV, so I remember how great it used to be. It's sad to see how they've sold out for money. The shows they broadcast are good, but don't call it MTV.

[Mattman]

there are a lot of videos out there that stink, and a lot of fantastic videos but very few that contain new ideas...thats probably the main problem, a lack of ideas

I'll vouch for that.  It seems like there are barely any new rock videos that tell a real story.  It's usually just the band performing in some weird setting.  Nobody's making "November Rain" or "Thriller" anymore.  There aren't a whole lot of modern videos that are really interesting in themselves.

I think the biggest problem that video caused is how it caused the prevalence of image.  Sure, as Bad_Apple pointed out, musicians have always had images.  But the music was the most important part of it.  Somebody I heard on a VH1 special summed it up well...whereas before you would find somebody who could really sing and make them look good, now it's often you find somebody who looks good and see if they can sing.  And that really irks me.  How else do you explain the success of somebody like Britney Spears?  She technically makes music, but she's really just famous for being famous, and it's all a result of her midriff-baring, booty-shaking video persona.

[Sakib]

Music videos shud be as exciting as mucik itself

[Axls Locomotive]

there are a lot of videos out there that stink, and a lot of fantastic videos but very few that contain new ideas...thats probably the main problem, a lack of ideas

I'll vouch for that.  It seems like there are barely any new rock videos that tell a real story.  It's usually just the band performing in some weird setting.  Nobody's making "November Rain" or "Thriller" anymore.  There aren't a whole lot of modern videos that are really interesting in themselves.

yea, singers try to out do each other coolness rather than trying to find their inner selves...november rain was written by a man who put his hand straight into his soul and pulled those words right out...noone does that anymore...blame the singers? blame the record companies? or maybe the materialistic society we live in? who knows

[Walk]

http://immortal.battlegrim.net/downloads/eng_call_of_the_wintermoon.shtml

Here's a hilarious example of a black metal just thrown together on a shoestring budget. Yet, it's still awesome!  I love the part in the end where they forget to pose, and then they do the pose while the camera runs the whole time.

Also, the forest doesn't look cold enough. Kvlt black metal must be in a cold, northern, dark forest. 

[Mattman]

yea, singers try to out do each other coolness rather than trying to find their inner selves...november rain was written by a man who put his hand straight into his soul and pulled those words right out...noone does that anymore...blame the singers? blame the record companies? or maybe the materialistic society we live in? who knows

The funny thing is, "alternative" rock was always supposed to be about doing away with the crassness of mainstream rock and doing something more personal.  The thing is, modern rock bands like Linkin Park are just pressing corporate angst that is really too vague to be truly personal.

[Walk]

Linkin Park's angst isn't vague at all. It's actually very predictable, dull, and blunt. "My parents hate me, wah wah!!!"  The reason it isn't personal is because, well, it's fake. It's hard to sing the blues if you aren't feeling, uh, blue.

Black metal angst, if it can even be called that, is vague and complex, but it's more relevent. Who knows what "a holistic, romantic, esoteric embracing of neo-classical indo-european ascetic virtues that nihilistically reject sheepish complacency and the charade of artificial altruism and judeo-christian/secular humanist 'virtues' which ardently, emphatically demean the naturistic actualization of the self" means? We know modernity is being criticized, but the vocabulary overload is too much for most people. The fact is, you can't really express black metal values in a sentence, or you'll only get more confused. Videos, obviously, don't help. 

In fact, the whole idea of music videos is just stupid. Music should be heard, not seen.

[Mattman]

Linkin Park's angst isn't vague at all. It's actually very predictable, dull, and blunt. "My parents hate me, wah wah!!!"? The reason it isn't personal is because, well, it's fake. It's hard to sing the blues if you aren't feeling, uh, blue.

Black metal angst, if it can even be called that, is vague and complex, but it's more relevent. Who knows what "a holistic, romantic, esoteric embracing of neo-classical indo-european ascetic virtues that nihilistically reject sheepish complacency and the charade of artificial altruism and judeo-christian/secular humanist 'virtues' which ardently, emphatically demean the naturistic actualization of the self" means? We know modernity is being criticized, but the vocabulary overload is too much for most people. The fact is, you can't really express black metal values in a sentence, or you'll only get more confused. Videos, obviously, don't help.?

In fact, the whole idea of music videos is just stupid. Music should be heard, not seen.

I don't think I've ever seen so many adjectives in a post before.

[Walk]

www.anus.com is where to look for adjectives, black metal, nihilism, and art major type writings that would impress even the most hardened professor. They do tend to take black metal a little TOO seriously. They might find great meaning in that silly video.

[*Izzy*]

http://immortal.battlegrim.net/downloads/eng_call_of_the_wintermoon.shtml

Here's a hilarious example of a black metal just thrown together on a shoestring budget. Yet, it's still awesome! I love the part in the end where they forget to pose, and then they do the pose while the camera runs the whole time.

Also, the forest doesn't look cold enough. Kvlt black metal must be in a cold, northern, dark forest.

I like it

  Izzy?