On August 1,
1981, a new way of life began with 6
little words, "Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll." The latest
thing in both music and TV, MTV, symbolically aired "Video Killed the
Radio Star," its first music video ever.
Those of us born during and after this time are referred to as the MTV Generation.
It’s my belief that the MTV Generation actually consists of those
who were the right age to watch MTV in the 80s. The MTV of yesteryear is
nothing like the MTV my peers and I know. We know MTV for Beavis and Butthead,
mid-90s grunge rock, and more recently, no music whatsoever, not for hair
bands and heavy metal.
Music defines a generation, and ours has been incorrectly identified with
the music and programming on MTV in the 1980s. We’re the younger brothers
and sisters of the MTV Generation, if it were to be properly named. We’re
the “whatever” generation that reality TV was created for, with
our short attention spans and desire for media and technology.