VMAs attacked for “sexualisation”, “illegal drugs”
The controversial moments of the MTV Video Music Awards helped it hit a Twitter record. But they also got a slamming from the Parents Television Council for “(perpetuating) blatant sexualization – much of it self-inflicted by the artists – and to celebrate the use of illegal drugs.”
PTC President Tim Winter criticised MTV’s agenda to "stir up controversy without regard to its impact on an entertainment environment that is increasingly toxic for children."
The PTC was most angered with the moment when a curtain slipped and revealed host Miley Cyrus' nipple. “We had hoped she would have proven us wrong and demonstrated her considerable talent as a performer, rather than rely on her own sexuality to entertain the audience,” Winter said.
He added, "MTV and Cyrus could both be forces for something positive, but tonight’s VMA partners relied on exposing millions of children to graphic, inappropriate and far-too-frequently offensive content."
Also upsetting to some was Rebel Wilson’s anti-police stripper skit during which she pulled off her cop uniform to reveal a black T-shirt that revealed the message “F–k tha stripper police.”
According to MTV, the August 30 telecast drew 9.8 million viewers across 10 Viacom-owned networks including MTV, MTV2 and VH1. That was a 5% drop from last year’s 10.3 million, which in turn showed a 18% slip from 2013. The VMA’s highest ever ratings were in 2011 with 12.4 million, followed by 11.95 million in 2002.
But streaming of the 2015 show reached 19.1 million, a 155% rise from 2014.
The show generated 21.4 million tweets which reached 11.8 million people, reported Nielsen Social. It made the VMAs the most tweeted US program of the year, after the Super Bowl.
MTV VMAs 2015: The full winners list
The most tweeted moment was Kanye West’s acceptance speech for the Vanguard award, which celebrated his body of work. The speech touched on getting booed at stadiums, defending artists and awards shows’ obsession with “ratings”. It wrapped up with an announcement he will run for President in 2020 – which, tongue in cheek or not, got a thumbs-up from the White House.