I was surprised to see news of MTV’s Video Music Awards plastered all over social media days after their airing. I watched the VMAs and I had the same reaction I’ve had in years past: some expected drama, and some expected racy moments, but all in all; just OK. Nothing that monumental- not even Kanye West’s presidential bid. So I was stunned to see hundreds of articles about the VMAs shared all over my Facebook and Twitter.
It seems that most articles centered around MTV’s insensitivity related to cultural appropriation, tasteless ‘racist’ jokes, and actions and words made by the host, Miley Cyrus. I have not yet read an article like the one I am currently writing; one in defense of MTV.
MTV VMAs are much less about merit and more about fun. It is widely understood that VMAs are not on the same level as other award shows. At the Academy Awards, it is the Academy who chooses the winners. At the Golden Globes, it is the Hollywood Foreign Press Association who chooses the winners. Yet at the MTV VMAs, it is whoever takes the time out of their day to vote for the winners- AKA, it’s people like you and I.
With this information I make my first argument in support of MTV.
- MTV CHOOSES THE CANDIDATES. WE CHOOSE THE WINNERS
Yes, MTV chose the possible candidates and thus Nicki Minaj did have merit in calling the TV station out on Twitter. (as seen below)
Yet I still did see articles and angry tweets and statuses about how, out of the possible black and white nominees, black nominees did not win enough categories. In no way is this MTV’s fault. If people really cared about the possibility of this occurring beforehand, then those people should have prevented this from happening by actually voting.
2. REBEL WILSON IS NOT MEAN-SPIRITED. NOR RACIST.
Before announcing the winner of the ‘Best Hip-Hop Video Award’, Rebel Wilson got on stage wearing a fake police uniform.
She declared, “I know a lot of people have problems with the police. But I really hate police strippers”. Directly after this, she ripped off the uniform to reveal no pants and a shirt that just read “F**K THA STRIPPER POLICE”. Wilson continued, “yeah, you guys know what I’m talking about, they come to your house. You think you’re getting arrested, and you just get a lap dance that is usually uninspired.”
Many found offense in Wilson’s prologue for poking fun and trivializing the recent deaths of young black men all over the country.
Not once did Wilson say Tamir Rice, Rekia Boyd, Freddie Gray, Mike Brown, or May Hall. To me, it was clear that Wilson was only trying to reference one of N.W.A.’s songs, ‘F**k Tha Police’. This idea is not far-fetched as the movie ‘Straight Outta Compton’ was continuing to rank high in the box offices at the time.
Wilson also has a history of ‘acting risqué’, in movies like Pitch Perfect and Pitch Perfect 2. If Wilson had meant to trivialize the recent deaths, why wouldn’t Nicki Minaj speak up about it? It became clear that Minaj has no problem speaking up for what she believes in - be it criticizing MTV for not nominating her video, or calling out Taylor Swift for misinterpreting, or calling out Miley Cyrus for trashing her in an interview to the Times. If Wilson was mean-spirited in her joke, doesn’t Minaj have just as much responsibility for not confronting Wilson publicly on MTV for her tasteless humor? I understand that the joke was perhaps not appropriate in light of recent events, but controversy is what keeps MTV alive. And to jump to assuming that Rebel Wilson is joking about the black deaths is too far-fetched for me.
3. MILEY CYRUS IS CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE
The second most-upsetting part of the VMA’s seemed to be Miley Cyrus’ fake dreadlocks for the night. I am unsure on a firm definition of what ‘cultural appropriation’ is. I visited racerelations.about.com to get a proper definition, which went on to say “cultural appropriation is an entirely different matter. It has little to do with one’s exposure to and familiarity with different cultures. Instead, cultural appropriation typically involves members of a dominant group exploiting the culture of less privileged groups — often with little understanding of the latter’s history, experience and traditions.”
Many assumed that Cyrus, as a white woman, wore dreads and in doing so exploited black culture. I have tried to understand and wrap my head around how this conclusion can be made. To no such avail. I do not find it so far-fetched that Cyrus admired how dreads looked, and thus wore them at the VMAs. I see nothing wrong with this. I am unsure even of how she could wear dreads without criticized as being ‘culturally inappropriate’. Who’s to say that she has little understanding of black history, experience, and tradition? How can we jump to that conclusion? Who’s to say that dreads are only for the black community?
I understand that many will not agree with my opinions stated in this article, and I open criticisms and discussions about it with open arms. I just needed to see and write about a different view point for once. Please, take the MTV VMA’s with a grain of salt and remember that this show is about ratings, drama, and headlines - and regardless of which side you are on - you’re giving them exactly that.
