I was excited to watch Biography's "I Want My MTV" show on A&E last night, knowing it would revisit the original MTV VJs. It did not disappoint, and offered a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at how the whole MTV concept, name, logo, business, struggle and success evolved. Here are five things I took away:
1. First, I’m proud of my #GenX self for figuring out how to find a way/channel/streaming service/something to actually watch the program. An hour before, I was Googling how to get A&E in a panic, so confused how to find it via our home’s YouTubeTV, Roku or Apple TV. So many choices, subscriptions, trials, articles, apps, and websites. #GenZ kids finally advised me. Here is the article that helped me if you need it!
2. I got a kick out of the clip showing how David Bowie put Mark Goodman (who I loved) on the spot about racial disparity and stared him down. I equally loved Mark's interview looking back on it. Poor guy.
3. Alan Hunter's interview setting looked like a prison visiting room. His outfit fit, too. I was so confused at first, thinking I missed some big true crime he was convicted of.
4. Working at MTV in its first four years would have been my dream job. I would have / should have pursued that (I did graduate with a Television degree), but I was only eleven when it launched, so... Note: I would work with Bob Pittman years and years later at AOL (well, he was at the very top and it was like my second job, so not WITH him, but I would see him in the hall.)
5. "I Want My MTV" solidified that Generation X really did have the greatest decade of pop culture - the #80s!
