RUINED AMERICA

1. RUINED AMERICA

2. “We're more inside the heads of our audience than anybody else.” – CEO of MTV, Judy McGrath

3. Thesis MTV’s focus on “reality” TV has led to the degradation of American values, norms, morals, and way of life. “MTV is the most recognized network among young adults ages 12 to 34, according to Nielsen Media Research. It is watched by 73% of boys and 78% of girls ages 12 to 19. Boys watch for an average of 6.6 hours per week and girls watch for an average of 6.2 hours per week.” http://www.heritage.org/Press/Commentary/ed031805a.cfm This is a problem because of how many teenagers watch MTV on a weekly basis.

4. Statistics “2005 marked the 14th consecutive year that MTV has reigned as the #1 rated 24 hour basic cable network among P12-24. Propelled by breakout hits Laguna Beach, Real World, My Super Sweet Sixteen, Making the Band 3 and others, MTV produced 7 of the top 10 rated basic cable series for the year P12-34.” – MTV Press Release (http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20051222mtv01) “In 171 hours of MTV programming, PTC analysts found 1,548 sexual scenes containing 3,056 depictions of sex or various forms of nudity and 2,881 verbal sexual references. That means that children watching MTV are viewing an average of 9 sexual scenes per hour with approximately 18 sexual depictions and 17 instances of sexual dialogue or innuendo. To put this in perspective, consider that in its last study of sex on primetime network television, the PTC found an average of only 5.8 instances of sexual content during the 10 o’clock hour -- when only adults are watching.” (Parents Television Council study of MTV’s Spring Break programming (March 20-27, 2004)) http://www.heritage.org/Press/Commentary/ed031805a.cfm

5. MTV History • The first music video shown on MTV was "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles. The station played music videos constantly, introducing “video jockeys” to the public. Yet now, in 2008, the channel rarely shows music videos, even only showing 30 second clips of them on “Total Request Live.” Sporadically, the screen would go black when someone at MTV inserted a tape into a VCR. At launch time, the official subscriber count across America was 500,000 but the immediate impact would have argued that every young adult's television in the country was tuned to MTV. • http://www.historyofbranding.com/mtv.htm l

6. Modern MTV “Marlena Roman of Cleveland, a 16-year-old student at John Marshall High School, is a big fan of teen reality shows. Her favorite one is MTV's "The Hills," and she tries not to miss an episode. "It's addicting," she explained. "It's exciting to know what happens next. You can think about it, if you were in that person's shoes." Here's how she describes the plot: "It's basically real life, like if you were in the real world. It shows how your friends would disobey you and betray you with lies and deceit.“ - Margaret Bernstein, reporter for www.cleveland.com • http://www.cleveland.com/tv/index.ssf/2008/03/does_reality_tv_for_teens_indu.html • Watching “The Hills” skews this girl’s view of how people and friends really do and should act.

7. Modern MTV • “Twenty years ago, when teenagers used to declare, "I want my MTV," it meant they wanted to watch music videos. But today on MTV's channels, videos have taken a back seat to the reality programs airing around-the-clock.” “For many parents, the reality TV trend is probably a bit like having your teen's most troubling friends hanging out, cursing and smoking, in your living room -- except you can't kick them out. There are no consequences, no value judgments to temper the snotty comments, selfish rants and rampant promiscuity spotlighted in the shows.” - Margaret Bernstein, reporter for www.cleveland.com http://www.cleveland.com/tv/index.ssf/2008/03/does_reality_tv_for_teens_indu.html

8. Expert Opinions “…the corporation [MTV] has figured out not what teens want, but how they think. This most insidious use of marketing doesn't seek to satisfy the needs and desires of a mature customer – it seeks to manipulate young, impressionable minds and influence their values and lifestyle.” - Rebecca Hagelin, Vice President of The Heritage Foundation (http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=39896) “The music channel may have seemed bold and experimental when it began in August, 1981. But the MTV empire today is a staple of the media Establishment and faces a slew of new threats. After all, it's the iPod era, a broadband world, and the online generation is defining for itself what is edgy and new. Ratings may be strong for many of the channels, but the original MTV isn't the must-see it was. "We watch it because it's there," says Marie McGrory, a Manhattan 10th grader.” – Tom Lowry, reporting for a cover story of Business Week magazine http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_08/b3972001.htm

9. Dumbing Down Politics: • In 1992, MTV "Rocked the Vote," and brought the presidential candidates closer to the younger generation. One of the most important questions that they wanted to ask was: “Is it boxers or briefs?” • "Usually briefs," Clinton said. • This proves nothing of importance to the actual campaign or the fact that the man had the potential to be the next leader of the free world. • (http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/Music/9807/31/encore.mtv/index.html)

10. Obscene Language: Stephen (from “Laguna Beach”): "What the ***** your deal, *****?  Hey, get up on the bar.  You look real good, slut." http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/reports/2004cablestudy/main.asp

11. Sexually Explicit Examples from theTop 20 Music Videos on TRL: • http://www.mtv.com/music/charts/ • #2 “Lollipop” by Lil’ Wayne “She lick me like a lollipop [x4]” #5 “Sexy Can I” by Ray J “Sexy can I, hit it from the front, then I hit it from the back. know you like it like that.” #7 “Touch My Body” by Mariah Carey “Touch my body Let me wrap my thighs All around your waist Just a little taste” (LYRICS FROM WWW.METROLYRICS.COM)