1988

 This Art Break by Robert Longo presents something specifically suited to the MTV flow: a brief narrative about two young women watching a music video. The first, who is wearing a Motorhead t-shirt, complains about the behavior of the female singer in the video.Complaints about sexism and sexualized bodies in music videos, and in heavy metal videos in particular, were common by the mid-1980s, but you wouldn’t normally find them discussed on MTV. Popcorn is unique because it stages a scene of music video reception in which those complaints are articulated by a female viewer and the solution isn’t that rock-n-roll is essentially sexist and must be avoided, but that more women be shown to rock.

This "Art Break" directed by Robert Longo stars Steve Buscemi, and aired during 120 Minutes election week 1988. Longo's breaks were mostly narrative vignettes. This one consists of Buscemi attempting to pick up a woman using song lyrics as dialogue. She tops him at the end with "Beat It." After this you see a good sampling of the type of commercials running on MTV...movies, home gym equipment, as well as local ads here for a pay per view boxing event. Then there is another MTV ID, which is a good example of computer graphics/animation of the time. Though this isn't branded with an artist's name the way the Longo official "art break" is, it's a good example of the consistent presence of promo/ID clips which were also essentially video art in MTV's flow. Then when we come back to 120 Minutes, you get a quick sense of the video manipulation that was used to play around with simple effects on that show at the time.

This MTV News segment documents how the network covered controversy over George Michael's sexuality in 1989. The report basically clarifies what Michael said, and emphasizes the notion that sexuality is a private matter. That is immediately followed by what is like the result of a marketing partnership for a new movie. The flow (not included here) is also interesting. The last video to have played was George Michael's "Father Figure" which was then followed by a couple of commercials, then a "Know AIDS Facts" PSA. A local commercial promoted a public affairs show about gay rights immediately prior to the music news. The flow here is an example of how cable television, and MTV in particular, was a place where discourse on sexuality existed in the late 1980s.

Club MTV frequently included short interviews between the host Downtown Julie Brown and dancers. Often she asked personal questions about taste related to the band or subject of the video. But many times she asked other kinds of lifestyle questions about fashion or going-out. In this clip, we see how fashion is discussed not as simply about consuming the latest brand and keeping up with trends, but a way of assembling identity.

Unlike typical game shows, Remote Control featured quirky characters and comedian hosts that contestants with whom contestants interacted. This segment includes two recurrent categories: “Beat the Bishop” in which contestants solve a math problem as an actor dressed as a bishop races around the studio, and “Sing Along with Colin” in which contestants attempt to sing the next line following co-host Colin Quinn.

In this flow from a 1988 episode of MTV's own game show, Remote Control, we can see how the raucous feel of MTV videos and promos is also apparent in the TV  show's content. The flow features an ad for Steak Ummm's, a product of a completely new campaign for the company which sought to, in the words of a NY Times article at the time, "reach out to the young party crowd" through MTV. The content of the ad is about the aftermath of a party, at which the Steak Ummm's supply was exhausted. You can also see how the games co-host mentioned multiple sponsor products before the commercials.

In October of 1988, a four-alarm fire raged through the office building which held the offices of MTV. The New York Times reported that more than 150 firefighters fought the blaze, getting it under control at 3:18 am. The fire caused extensive damage to the MTV offices. This promo, which aired a couple of weeks later, thanks the NY fire department for their help. It also exhibits the typical approach to MTV's humor in its promos, with simulated news casters who sound like they come from another era. The flow after the clip from 120 Minutes also shows the simplistic video effects used specifically for that show at the time. The show was made to look different than typical VJ segments, as it highlighted "alternative" music. This is visible in the video of host Kevin Seal, as well as the lighting of the new music charts with Dave Kendall, producer and soon to be host of the show.

Seven years after launch, MTV promos looked a little different but still included many of the same "promises" of the early promos. This one is for getting MTV in stereo. Like earlier promos, it includes clips from multiple videos, and manipulates audio/visuals to draw attention to multiple channels. Also included in this clip is a bit of 120 Minutes which aired after it in November 1988. In that clip you can see the use of video effects to make the show look a little different from typical MTV vj segments of the time. This was common in 120 minutes at the time, a program which highlighted alternative music also was made to look a little different through simplistic effects.

This clip of MTV flow from Top Videos of 1987 countdown in January 1988 includes an AIDS PSA which is notable for its scare tactics, and strategic emulation of music video imagery. Following #49, Tom Petty's "Jammin' Me" we see a commercial for Rolling Stone Magazine, featuring Billy Joel singing about the magazine, and appearances from numerous TV stars, musicians, and other celebrities wishing the magazine a happy birthday. The shift from rock to popular culture coverage is clear from this ad. Then the AIDS PSA appears, but it looks like a music video and the sexual innuendo-laden song "Boom Boom (Let's Go Back to My Room)" plays while we see people making out on city streets at night. Then we see a man wrapped in a blank up, looking sickly, while a narrator tells us "If you have sex with someone who has the AIDS virus, you can get it, too. So before you do it, ask yourself, how bad you really want it? Don't ask for AIDS, don't get it." Then it's back to the fun music video countdown, with VJ Downtown Julie Brown introducing Aerosmith talking about Steven Tyler in drag for video #48, "Dude (Looks Like a Lady).