282) From Laguna to Jersey

It's been a hibernation weekend for the most part, and I was able to catch up on a lot of bad TV. I was thinking about MTV and how its programming has seen a pretty significant shift.

Back in 2004, MTV hit teen gold with Laguna Beach. The producer-aided "reality" series was a celebration of teen drama amidst a background of gorgeous sea-side mansions, shopping sprees, luxury cars, lavish vacations, and large, expensive rings. It gave us a glimpse of a different world that only a privileged group are able to experience. They rode the wave with spin-offs like Newport Harbor, The Hills, and The City. In each series, despite the drama, it was clear - life was really good.

MTV Shows

Then in 2005, MTV premiered My Super Sweet 16, a series that documented the extremely extravagant coming of age parties of teenagers with wealthy parents. We're talking billionaires, moguls, and celebrities' kids, who know that money is no object. It's a kind of complete indulgence reserved for very few. Kanye West performance, helicopter entrance, a menagerie of live animals, gifts of a new Benz, or a trip around the world - nothing is off limits.

But today, we see MTV pushing a very different line-up of shows - Jersey Shore, 16 and Pregnant, and I Used to Be Fat.

MTV Shows

MTV Shows

Clearly, these shows feature a different demographic than the latter batch. Gone is the air-brushed, aesthetically pleasing lifestyles of the rich. Instead, the shows focus on the rougher, sometimes ugly parts of life. It's a little more real, and a little more everyman. It's less frivolous and more serious (ok, maybe not Jersey Shore).

Just something I noticed today. Needs some more thought as to what caused this shift.