I spent the first half of this week stricken with an ill case of jetlag after returning from two weeks’ vacation in Europe (tough life, I know). As a result, I had a chance to get reacquainted with the early-morning TV lineup. My favorite new discovery by far has to be MTV’s FNMTV — an hours-long block in which, somehow, Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz has convinced the network’s higher-ups to play actual music videos. Seriously! What’s more, they’re showing some truly cool stuff that you’d never see anywhere else. I mean, the new No Age video (below) is in heavy rotation. How many people even knew who No Age were before this?! The more mainstream vids FNMTV has been featuring aren’t bad, either — I’m especially digging the stark clip for T.I.’s excellent "No Matter What."
So I’m kinda shocked to discover how many bloggers have been hating on this show since it premiered while I was gone. The most common kvetch seems to be about how it superimposes user-submitted talking-head commentary on the clips. Suit yourself, I guess, but I don’t mind that at all. MTV did the same thing constantly on turn-of-the-millenium TRL, which I consider the absolute holy grail of music on television. Okay, maybe FNMTV isn’t quite "DVR-proof," but am I missing something here? Or are you loving what Wentz has wrought, too?
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I like it too, though I agree there could be less talking. My main complaint is they air it on MHD (MTV HD) and all the videos aren’t broadcast in HD yet.
Anything to bring back music videos and actual music back to TV is awesome! Stupid Tila Tequila/Real World are ruining MTV in a BIG way!
I’m all for showing more videos. It makes me like Pete Wentz a little just because somehow he got MTV to allow him to even have this show. However, it bugs me endlessly that they talk over the older “classic” videos and don’t show the whole thing. Those videos are the bedrock of MTV, they should show them some respect.
Thank you for this post!!! I totally agree–thank God MTV is finally, finaly finally bringing back videos — with live performances and lesser-knowns, too! I saw Vampire Weekend’s “Oxford Comma” on yesterday (whaaaa?). I am so excited, I just wish it was around when I was a teenager.
I also like on the dance videos how they show fans’ reenactment in the little box–how cool! Go Pete Wentz!!!
Well the whole reason for me not liking this show is because its hosted like a mini-VMA awards. Why can’t MTV just go back to the days when the host was just in a little studio and most of the hour given was dedicated to the videos?
Please! Only 4 to 5 videos for the entire hour! that sucks and only makes me more annoyed of all the hosts (seriously there seems like 4). just show me videos! thats all anyone needs!
I completely agree with me, I hate the whole fake crowd jumping and screaming about every single thing, bugs the hell out of me. Lose the crowd, keep the focus on the music and the videos, and it’ll be worth something. Bravo to actually showing VW and No Age during normal hours though.
I think MTV, well, MTV2, may be coming to their senses, the last few weeks they have been showing music videos during prime time hours. SHOCKING!
TRL is your holy grail of music on TV? Really??
MTV Hits is available. It plays more music and less crap.
Because commentary is the syphilis of our society: you get it in a rush and your brain rots out. As this comment proves.
Although I like the videos, they only play of them an hour, and only about 1 minute of each video at a time, then they come back to it later with more talking heads. It’s like MTV for people with ADD. I guess that’s their target audience now
glad they’re playing videos, rather than tila tequila, but…I was definitely not a fan of that. not at all.
wentz is a tool…and FNMTV sucks. it’s a 2 or 3 hour block that only shows the same 5 videos that are featured that week. VH1, albeit with its mostly adult top 40 music, actually shows music videos in a 3 hour block in the mornings and it’s just straight videos – no talking heads and dancing from random people
So people don’t like commentary documentary in MTV and yet it the most common genre used in youtube…Apatheic
Holy bleep. I guess I’m the oldest person who reads this blog. Listen, children: MTV was actually a good thing — as in “made the world a better place” — in the late 80s. Why? Because they programmed (almost) nothing but music videos. There has not been any such thing available on TV for over twenty years now. Why has nobody usurped MTV’s long-dead glory, which would be a very easy thing to achieve? Because kids took over everything! You kids keep off my lawn!
While the show isn’t executed as well as it could be, I give Pete Wentz and MTV credit for trying.