Commentary

The New Stars of Television: Reckless, Uncontrolled Behavior

Okay, so those attributes aren't all that new, but lately it seems that the TV industry is more prone to pandering to personalities who simply lose control of their id and let it all hang out. How else to explain the two big stories circulating through the TV trade and consumer press: MTV's announcement today that it has invited rapper Kanye West back to the stage -- this time officially -- for its annual Video Music Awards telecast; and the way the TV news industry has obsessively covered the story about a JetBlue flight attendant who went berserk.

Both are examples of television indulging, and actually celebrating, bad-boy behavior.

West, of course, became the talk of post-awards coverage following his impulsive act during last year's VMA telecast, when he leapt onstage while country songstress Taylor Swift was accepting an award for the best music video. He stole the limelight, the camera and the microphone to tell the TV viewing world that performer Beyonce actually deserved to win that award.

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West eventually apologized for his behavior, but his antics helped promote the awards to their highest ratings ever, and were the buzz on Facebook, Twitter, and TV sound bites for days and weeks to come. No wonder MTV booked him for a performance at this year's show, headlining its press release: "KANYE WEST RETURNS TO THE VMA STAGE."

"With the highly anticipated release of Kanye West's new album this fall, music lovers and fans alike will be glued to the screen to see what the rapper has in store for the audience when he hits the VMA stage," MTV emphasized in the release, which made no reference to his impromptu 2009 showstopper. But then, they didn't need to, did they?

"Well, that was quick. Just as fast as Kanye West was ushered out of the building for interrupting Taylor Swift's acceptance speech at last year's VMAs, he's back," Entertainment Weekly quipped in a post on its site today, which went on to observe: "But hey, newsflash to all who didn't know: There are no morals in entertainment."

That observation is especially true when you consider the moral perspective TV news coverage has taken with former JetBlue flight attendant Steve Slater, who has been hailed as the industry's "folk hero," according to Hollywood trade The Hollywood Reporter, after he melted down, lambasted a surly passenger, grabbed a beer, and took off down the jet's inflatable evacuation slide, breaking who knows how many federal aviation laws, and setting a low bar for the JetBlue brand.

"Slater's story has the most immediate effect on TV news organizations, with broadcast networks and CNN among outlets trying to book him for interviews. A media scrum followed Slater's brief jail stay. 'Good Morning America' producers jumped into the same car as Slater, but he made them get out," the Reporter reported.

So if you really want to be a TV star, forget about going to Hollywood. Simply go berserk.

2 comments about "The New Stars of Television: Reckless, Uncontrolled Behavior".
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  1. Rob Frydlewicz from DentsuAegis, August 12, 2010 at 9:05 p.m.

    I've heard more than enough about the flight attendant. Now I want to know about the unruly passenger and, frankly, I'm disappointed in the media's seeming lack of interest. I expected more of them.

  2. Kevin Mirek, August 12, 2010 at 10 p.m.

    What did you expect? The Appeals Court gave a green light for bad behavior. TV is just getting what it asked for, and we, the public, have to accept it.

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