• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, August 19, 2014

Seems like a broken record now: MTV’s "Video Music Awards" are nearly upon us (August 24) and everyone wonders how the big renegade TV music awards show will be outrageous this time. What does that mean for your brand?

TV pressure groups don’t want to stop the "VMAs" -- at least publicly -- but would like better labeling of the show via the TV industry rating system, one warning parents and others about MTV’s content.

Question: What person/parent really doesn’t know what MTV is about after all these decades?
And if not, what parent isn’t perhaps more worried about bigger issues -- second-screen media in which much more edgy stuff is available 24/7?  

MTV’s awards shows seem like a drop in the bucket -- even if millennials haven’t totally given up watching TV programming. Should they want to see their favorite artists on any number of video or social media platforms, it doesn’t take much do it.

Last year’s Miley Cyrus/Robin Thicke scandalous performance was shocking (lower-case “s” for me) to many. And, of course, we have countless other instances down through the years. (Hello, Madonna!)
Don't parents with nine, 10, or 13-year-olds who have their own TVs and remote controls know what the dangers are? And especially on MTV?

But what about parents who are channel surfing with their children and stop to see this live-music award, witnessing some sort of beyond-the-edge dance, story line, music lyrics, or costumes? OK, you got me. Now tell me how many homes does this total?

That said, no one wants to see hateful, misogynistic, violent content.

It’s a matter of degree in the media: TV/media leakage will occur.

TV/media isn’t where it was two or even one decade ago. No surprise then that parents need to be well-ahead of the game, in the TV room, ready for discussions -- before and after.  TV program ratings changes? That’s not the answer.

For MTV TV marketers, surely, nothing on this yearly show should be a surprise. Expect movie marketers, video games producers, soft-drink companies, cell-phone services and lots of personal electronic equipment to be in the hunt for millennial impressions.

Overall, shocking content for MTV -- and for all those companies concerned -- pushes brands to new awareness/value levels. But you knew that already.