onstage during the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on August 30, 2015 in Los Angeles, California.
There was never really a chance that the Parents Television Council was going to enjoy the MTV Video Music Awards, but boy oh boy, did they hate Sunday’s show.
“MTV had an opportunity to use its powerful VMA platform to stir a young audience to aspire to something positive and uplifting,” PTC president Tim Winter said on Monday. “Instead they chose to perpetuate blatant sexualization — much of it self-inflicted by the artists — and to celebrate the use of illegal drugs.”
“MTV rated the content of the program as appropriate for a child as young as 14, though most parents of teens that age would find such a content rating preposterous,” he continued. “In the end, the network succeeded in what it wanted to do: stir up controversy without regard to its impact on an entertainment environment that is increasingly toxic for children.”
Winter then specifically tore into the host, who made many of those aforementioned drug references and even suffered a nip slip — whether the latter was on purpose or by accident.
“Are we surprised that Miley Cyrus exposed herself to millions of viewers, and to more people who will inevitably see the news in the mainstream media? About as surprised as we’ll be if the sun rises in the east tomorrow morning,” Winter went on. “We had hoped she would have proven us wrong and demonstrate her considerable talent as a performer, rather than rely on her own sexuality to entertain the audience.”
Winter then shifted from pulling parents’ heartstrings to their purse strings, and complained of carriage fees: “It’s also unfortunate that the VMAs were underwritten by the vast majority of Americans who were forced to pay for MTV on their cable bills, but who don’t give a damn about the VMAs.”
“MTV and Cyrus could both be forces for something positive, but tonight’s VMA partners relied on exposing millions of children to graphic, inappropriate and far-too-frequently offensive content,” Winter concluded.
9 Best and Worst Moments From 2015 MTV VMAs: Nicki Minaj Beefs to Taylor Swift Olive Branches (Photos)
Let's go back to the no host format, shall we, MTV? Miley Cyrus seemed to have two objectives Sunday night: to make mention of weed and sexual innuendo at every opportunity, and to eventually plug her free album at the end of the show. She also wore a ton of stupid stuff that left very little to be desired, for anyone who still desires at this point.
Overall, her efforts should not prove a particularly tough act to follow in 2016.
After receiving the award for Best Hip Hop Video -- and ironically following a shoutout to her preacher -- Minaj bashed Cyrus for mentioning her in a recent New York Times interview.
Cyrus did her best to play it off and transition to the next act, but it was awkward to say the least.
The Biebs performed "Where Are U Now?" followed by brand new single "What Do You Mean?" He then took to the air, flying on a harness at the performance's end. When lowered to the safety of the stage, Bieber broke into tears.
Perhaps the harness was too tight?
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Worst: Kanye West's Latest Rambling Rant
Kanye West is a terrific rapper and a terrible speaker. The predetermined honoree of the MTV VMAs Video Vanguard Award accepted his trophy from old show foe Taylor Swift, and then he got to preaching.
It was the best of efforts, it was the worst of efforts. MTV had a big task Sunday night, trying to keep its flagship awards show to a PG-13 level. For the most part, whoever was manning the "dump" button did a nice job covering up a ton of expletives -- but the cable channel was a bit asleep as the wheel with visual censorship.
Rebel Wilson wore a shirt with the word "Fuck" clear as day on it, and MTV got caught with its host sans shirt (or anything else on top), as Miley Cyrus suffered a nip slip at one point. Not that she cares.
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Best: Macklemore Takes It to the Streets
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis rarely give a milquetoast performance, and Sunday's ambitious exterior VMAs performance was no exception.
The duo gave daps to old-school hip-hop with a movement-filled mini set that included guest stars such as Kool Moe Dee. One that that wasn't so great? Macklemore's moped negotiating skills.
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Worst: Clock Management
Like seemingly every awards show, the MTV VMAs simply could not stick within their allotted time. Much of that can be attributed to Kanye West's aforementioned all-over-the-place award acceptance/2020 candidacy speech. That's what you get for giving that guy the one trophy that doesn't come with optional play-off music.
Though the show was somewhere around two-and-a-half hours, most folks in attendance would probably tell you that it felt even longer. Anyway, here's a picture of Demi Lovato and Iggy Azalea.
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Best: Miley Hearts Wayne Coyne
The unlikely lovefest between the 54-year-old Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne and 22-year-old Cyrus continued at the VMAs.
Coyne, who produced the surprise album Cyrus dropped at the end of the show, assisted the pop singer with her performance by holding an air cannon between her thighs and firing as she stroked it. Coyne and Cyrus previously performed together at the Billboard Music Awards, and Cyrus appeared on the Flaming Lips' 2014 Beatles tribute album "With a Little Help From My Fwends."
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Justin Bieber bawled and Kanye West declared his future presidential candidacy on a weird night for pop music
Let's go back to the no host format, shall we, MTV? Miley Cyrus seemed to have two objectives Sunday night: to make mention of weed and sexual innuendo at every opportunity, and to eventually plug her free album at the end of the show. She also wore a ton of stupid stuff that left very little to be desired, for anyone who still desires at this point.
Overall, her efforts should not prove a particularly tough act to follow in 2016.
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