PopFly
War Child
I already posted this in the tour forum, but I wanted to get more opinions here.
U2 is slated to recieve MTV's Video Vanguard Award at the upcoming MTV Video Awards. I'm going to be totally blunt here: I don't think U2 deserves it. If I'm to understand the concept of the VVA, it's to reward those musicians and/or video directors whose videos have been extremely influential and creative. My memory is a bit spotty, but I think that past winners include Michael Jackson (the man that revolutionized the genre) and the Beastie Boys (another long history of creative and funny videos). One of the directors to win it was Mark Ralston, who has been making quality videos for the likes of Madonna nd Fiona Apple for ten years. In truth, I don't think U2 deserves to be in this company. The vast majority of U2 videos fall into the 'okay' category. Videos like Walk On, New Year's Day, With or Without You, are basically just the band standing there and playing. They have made a handful of excellent videos (Staring at the Sun, Mysterious Ways, Stay, Desire, Numb) but there have also been just as many bombs (ISHFWILF, Please, Elevation Last Night on Earth, the first One video, and the abominable Discotheque). This is basically a .500 record, and while that's great in baseball, it's pretty average in the music video industry.
I realize that I'm putting too much thought into a friggin' MTV award, and while it is nice to see U2 be recognized, I would rather it be for their music rather than their videos.
By the way, has Spike Jonze won this award yet? If not, it's a disgrace.
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They want you to be Jesus
They'll go down on one knee
But they'll want their money back
If you're alive at thirty-three
And you're turning tricks
With your crucifix
You're a star
"I can't watch a man sing a song. He gets all emotional, he starts swaying...it's embarrassing!" -- Jerry Seinfeld
U2 is slated to recieve MTV's Video Vanguard Award at the upcoming MTV Video Awards. I'm going to be totally blunt here: I don't think U2 deserves it. If I'm to understand the concept of the VVA, it's to reward those musicians and/or video directors whose videos have been extremely influential and creative. My memory is a bit spotty, but I think that past winners include Michael Jackson (the man that revolutionized the genre) and the Beastie Boys (another long history of creative and funny videos). One of the directors to win it was Mark Ralston, who has been making quality videos for the likes of Madonna nd Fiona Apple for ten years. In truth, I don't think U2 deserves to be in this company. The vast majority of U2 videos fall into the 'okay' category. Videos like Walk On, New Year's Day, With or Without You, are basically just the band standing there and playing. They have made a handful of excellent videos (Staring at the Sun, Mysterious Ways, Stay, Desire, Numb) but there have also been just as many bombs (ISHFWILF, Please, Elevation Last Night on Earth, the first One video, and the abominable Discotheque). This is basically a .500 record, and while that's great in baseball, it's pretty average in the music video industry.
I realize that I'm putting too much thought into a friggin' MTV award, and while it is nice to see U2 be recognized, I would rather it be for their music rather than their videos.
By the way, has Spike Jonze won this award yet? If not, it's a disgrace.
------------------
They want you to be Jesus
They'll go down on one knee
But they'll want their money back
If you're alive at thirty-three
And you're turning tricks
With your crucifix
You're a star
"I can't watch a man sing a song. He gets all emotional, he starts swaying...it's embarrassing!" -- Jerry Seinfeld