MTV is Writing Their Constitution

MTV is Writing Their Constitution

Last week, I suggested that parents watch the MTV Video Music Awards (The VMAs) this past Sunday night so they would have a better understanding of today’s pop culture. And, more importantly, they would see with their own eyes how this form of “entertainment” could be a negative influence on families. 

Did you watch? I’m sure that by now you’ve heard on the news about some of the raunchy parts.  

I’ll be honest with you, I’ve been studying pop culture for nearly 40 years and I haven’t been as disturbed as I was after watching this year’s VMAs. Depravity has always been a part of entertainment, but it used to be the fringe culture pushing to be noticed. I’ve never seen it so celebrated as a whole until last Sunday’s program.  

I think I was most disturbed that the audience didn’t appear shocked or bothered at all. They seemed glad to be able to show their support for this social carnage. 

I know I’ve been accused of exaggerating the influence the entertainment industry has on our society, but I believe that I experienced some of the sorrow God must feel when He sees a display like this on national television where performers and the attendees are celebrating and rejoicing in their sin. What I witnessed, along with countless other moms and dads, crushed my soul and depressed me for the past couple of days.   

I can go into detail, but even the secular press is reporting on and mostly justifying the shame that our entertainment stars celebrated. In case you didn’t watch, I believe the best way for me to report about the evening is to simply list some random notes I made while watching the show. 

Lady Gaga started the evening by dancing with a troop of dancers who would shield her every so often during the five times she changed wigs and clothes. Her final outfit was a seashell G-string and two shells to “cover” her top. When she wasn’t performing, the cameras focused on her in the front row of the audience wearing only a few seashells. 

The Pepsi commercial with Beyoncé encouraged us to “embrace the past, but LIVE FOR THE NOW.” I’m sure Pepsi didn’t mean for the commercial to be offensive, but it simply reinforced the empty philosophies of the hippie generation that also told us to just live for today.

The next commercial by Trojan condoms told us we could find pure ecstasy with their product. A nude young man and woman with strategically placed suckers, balloons, and melons were featured in the spot. The condoms’ attributes were described in detail. 

By this time, I felt that a hyperactive ADHD child must have produced this whole program while on crack. The images were coming so fast that I was losing my breath.  I had to mentally and emotionally “step back” and take a deep breath. 

The saddest part of the evening was the appearance by Miley Cyrus. It’s all over the news. She got what she was looking for: attention. But was it worth it? I couldn’t help but think how empty and alone she must feel to act out her shame before the whole world. 

One entertainment reporter commented that Miley was wagging her tongue like a thirsty St Bernard. When she sang her new song “We Can’t Stop,” she pranced around in a skimpy combination stuffed animal-swimsuit-teddy flaunting the lyrics, “It’s our party we can do anything we want . . .” like a spoiled teenager who never had anyone love her enough to tell her, “No.” You can read the complete lyrics here. 

During the song, she quickly stripped away her skimpy outfit, and was left wearing only a vinyl flesh-toned bikini and brandishing an oversized foam sports finger as Robin Thicke sang his sensuous hit, “Blurred Lines.” While he was singing “I know you want it, the way you grab me, but you’re a good girl...” (Completelyrics here), Miley was using the finger to rub hers and Robin’s private parts. It got worse, but you get the point. 

All I could think was “Miley’s poor parents must be embarrassed to death.” She continued to strut around rubbing herself with her foam finger even while the camera was focused on the supporting rappers. As one commentator said, “She was like a drunk girl who stayed too long at the party.” 

It was about this time that I started to feel sick for the emptiness expressed by this little girl. Frankly, Robin Thicke should be embarrassed for allowing a girl half his age twerk a lap dance on his “lap.” He obviously wasn’t embarrassed because he thrust his body into her actions.

I’m sorry for being so descriptive. I’m trying to give you the visual as tastefully as I can and still explain what was taking place. My heart is breaking for this generation as I write this.  

Next, amid roaring applause from the audience, Lil’ Kim was introduced as the announcer of the next award. I was shocked when she was introduced as an inspiration to so many young women. Lil’ Kim is considered the raunchiest female rap artist of all time and SHE’s the inspiration to many young women in the music industry? Now, I’m really getting depressed.

The one breath of fresh air for the evening was 23 year old Taylor Swift who looked and behaved like the lone adult at a drunken frat party as she won for best female video. 

“Same Love” by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis won the best video with a social message award. I knew it was a popular song, but I had never listened to the lyrics closely. I didn’t realize it was an intense dissertation on the “need” for gay marriage. Watching them perform, I felt like I was attending an old fashioned street revival. Only, instead of preaching Jesus, they were preaching “gay marriage.” One was able to experience the power of the song as it swept up the young audience in the emotions of the moment and led them to the “obvious conclusion” that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry. Complete Lyrics here.

Watch Macklemore on video at the VMAs http://www.mtv.com/videos/misc/948771/same-love-live.jhtml#id=1712039.

Wait, I thought this was simply an awards ceremony - an evening of entertainment, fun, and frolic. We should even expect a little sexual innuendo. No harm, no foul, right? Or, could this whole evening be an attack on the very values you’re attempting to teach your children? 

Parents please be alert as 1 Peter 5:8-9 warns, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith . . .” Satan doesn’t have to roar like a lion; on Sunday night he was using willing servants to sing his values to our children. 

Remember, you may live in the United States of America, but your children live in the United States of Entertainment. And, MTV is rewriting that nation’s constitution.       

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