Globe: MTV Forsakes Its Civilizing Mission of Running The Inferno 2 37 Times a Day For Microsoft Cash
In The Boston Globe, critic Matthew Gilbert is shocked, shocked by last evening's Xbox special on MTV:
the infomercial was called ''MTV Presents Xbox: The Next Generation Revealed," and not ''Microsoft Presents." It appeared in the middle of MTV's nightly schedule looking suspiciously similar to an MTV news report on the history of gaming in general and what one MTV correspondent called ''the holy grail of gaming." It was never clearly designated as an ad or as paid programming. The Killers were shown performing two songs, Elijah Wood was on hand as the host, celebrities such as Wilmer Valderrama had cameos; it all seemed like just more of MTV's typically hyped-up view of the world.
It's all well and good to decry the increasing commercialization of news, but isn't this a bit like complaining that a hooker is wearing too much eye makeup? It's MTV, dude: Its whole raison d' tre is to move merchandise designed to appeal to the broadest segment of an undiscerning public. In our view, featuring similarly easy-to-swallow products such as The Killers and Valderrama (an actor so nondescript that the only way he could only escape the overpowering shadow of Ashton Kutcher was to keep company with Hillary Duff's less-dynamic rival) actually qualifies as truth in advertising: They're walking commercials to begin with. Chill out and enjoy it, Matthew. Besides, if Steven Johnson is right, you probably learned something. AB
