How come the VMAs aren't dramatic anymore?

[NIghtmareElm 2,606]

VMAs used to be known for controversy and drama.  Madonna's Like a Virgin performance, Courtney NoLove being her drug addicted self throwing a shoe at Madonna, Madonna kissing Britney, the Britney incident, Kanye interrupting Taylor, Gaga's meat dress, Miley's infamous We Can't Stop performance, and Nicki shading Miley.  These all were so entertaining to watch.  Some may have been disasters but they had us talking.  Some were like a train wreck we just couldn't stop watching.  The VMAs were exciting to watch.

 

Now?  It's too safe and free of drama.  This year's VMAs was such a bore.  The only highlights was Kendrick's epic performance and Taylor's new video.  The performances generally aren't memorable enough lately.  P!nk was boring.  They had a whole segment dedicated to raise awareness to mental health.  That is a good thing but it just felt desperate and not something the show is known for.  Katy wasn't a train wreck like Miley was.  Instead, she was just a flat out embarrassment and a total bore.  Last year's wasn't that good either.  

Has MTV decided to tone it down?  If they are, there is a problem with that.  Ratings.  Without the VMA Queen, Gaga and all the messy dramatic moments, VMAs generally don't have anything.  The performances aren't over the top.  Their ratings will go down further each year.  Pretty soon, they will just have to stage something for some drama.  I used to look froward to the VMAs every year.  Now, I'm not even caring.  

[Ken Zahn 3,117]

because gaga isnt there...

THERE I ANSWERED IT

THREAD CLOSED

[GypsyBabe 22,836]

No Gaga, No Theater. 

[Mirages 20,259]

2 minutes ago, GypsyBabe said:

No Gaga, No Drama. 

Fixed  now it rhymes

[River 116,472]

Because MTV kicked off all the legends after they treated them like garbage..

[GypsyBabe 22,836]

2 minutes ago, Mirages said:

Fixed  now it rhymes

[Mirages 20,259]

1 minute ago, GypsyBabe said:

She used to be so dramatic and over the top  we been shooketh after that performance and JB was visibly sexually confused just look at the video poor little kid 

[Ricardo 7,819]

Because the Grammys are the new VMAs, since they became mainstream by nominating pop artists (which they rarely did) it's easier for A list pop stars to win one (sorry KP) so I guess they're now investing more in Grammys than VMAs, also MTV is practically done in terms of music so why would anyone care about winning a VMA 

[River 116,472]

2 minutes ago, GypsyBabe said:

It's like she's saying "Ptiata"

[Bebe 17,093]

In fairness, the moments you bring up are not reflective of every MTV VMA award show. There have been plenty of years where the show has lacked these moments, not just recent ones, it's just that these moments are the most memorable and the ones consistently talked about.

The problem is that these events are often some what spontaneous. MTV didn't make Gaga wear a meat dress, the didn't get Diana Ross to grab a feel of Lil Kim's breast, they didn't make Kanye interrupt Taylor, they didn't make Nicki shade Miley and they didn't create any of these iconic performances.

It's impossible to really manufacture that kind of controversy and spontaneity. Sometimes things happen, sometimes they don't. The best the VMA's can do is provide a platform where these moments can happen and when they do they are sure to blast it everywhere and remind everyone.


They have tried to manufacture some 'spontaneous' moments recently. In 2015 Kanye won the vanguard award so they got Taylor to present it and he ends up giving this outrageous speech and says he will run for the presidency in 2020. The very next year they gave Kanye West 4 minutes on stage in the hopes that he would say something else crazy.

They got Miley to host the 2015 VMA awards in the hope that she would spark some controversy like she had done two years ago twerking at the 2013 VMA awards.

This year I'm sure they would have wanted Taylor to appear, she was nominated and wanted to premier her new video, so they got Katy Perry to host this year. You know they would have loved to zoom in on Taylor's face while Katy performed Swish Swish.

It just doesn't always work out. You can't orchestrate those sort of moments, they happen or they don't. The best they can do is create conditions where something can happen and create an environment where people believe anything can happen and hope for the best.

[migamiga 12,101]

Everyone's too "chill" 

[RAMROD 109,386]

Because most of these new artists are followers, not leaders. Don't have stage presence. Mediocre at best. It's only all about the glitters. 

Also, some of them are too PC to do anything controversial.

But who knows, maybe some time in near future there are somebody who will reinvent the music scenes again. 

My favourite controversy are these:

 

When Marilyn Manson did this

 

When Fiona called out the industry

 

And the iconic snake and Britney before being robotic

 

 

And when Gaga did this

 

and this

 

[Arturo 40,746]

Gaga said it herself in that interview today. Artists change as if the wind was blowing to fit in ... they have no spinal chords.
Everyone that performed was a conformist. Was there talent? OF COURSE who in their right mind thinks Kendrick Lamar and Logic are untalented? But they're so bleh.. Hear me out first

Kendrick is an amazing rapper. He's delivered 2 classics and while DAMN. is still too new to call it a classic it may end up as one. But he's very conformist. Bad Blood? The Greatest? Don't Wanna Know by the Art Police? Crazy how a rapper who is so renowned and respected stooped to the level of being a rent a rapper. Artistic integrity is not on his priorities list. 
 

Logic's performance was moving and I love the message it sent. But anyone that follows the industry knows that was apart from bringing awareness to an issue it was clear that the entire performance was a campaign to the Grammys for nominations. 

Khalid is talented and delivered a solid album but gosh that guy is so cringeworthy. His tweets are horrible try hard relatable he's going to leave Chrissy Tiegen jobless. they're literally all "ugh I HATE when people leave me on read" / "Ugh I never wanna turn 20 I wanna be 19 forever" / "Ugh I'm such a dumb teenager I don't even know what I'm doing lolol". Then his shirt was half tucked in to give off that same relatable effect but visually.

I could go on but my main point is that these artists are too comfortable with themselves so they don't want to push boundaries and go beyond that. And who blames them? The GP eats them up.

[gagaslefttatoo 264]

No gaga. no views. no A-List Singers. political correctness era rn

[AlexanderMagno 10,746]

I agree with you, and I'm not a VMA fan since basically 2012, but the Nicki/Miley incident was literally two years ago. Not that long ago. We can't expect every year to be controversial right? The last controversy you talk about wasn't that long at all, so I don't think that from your perspective the VMAs are as bad as you claim.