MTV’s Movie Awards Will Honor Profanity…

               

For nearly twenty years, the MTV cable network has produced its own film awards program similar to the Academy Awards. However, the MTV Movie Awards differ from the Oscars in that they are allegedly aimed at the interests of teenagers. Unsurprisingly, given MTV’s relentless drive to push mature sexual content at children, the movies nominated for awards are chosen by MTV executives – with the result that movies of genuine interest to teens, like Twilight and Transformers, rest uncomfortably beside obviously adult-themed films like Pulp Fiction and There’s Something About Mary. MTV’s program also tends to focus on openly sexual and violent content in even mainstream hits – and the more disgusting and openly offensive such content is, the better MTV likes it.

 

Much worse are the MTV Movie Awards’  own parodying treatment of films and host segments, which often feature material almost too crass to be believed. The 2003 Awards opened with a parody of the movie Matrix: Reloaded which showed actor Sean William Scott ogling women as he exclaimed, “Check it out! You can totally see their nipples!"  (which indeed the viewer could, as the camera zoomed in on the women’s tube tops.) This was followed by Andy Dick inviting Scott to a party, reminding him to “bring plenty of lube." The show also included an extensive “comedy” sketch about the cast of the movie Charlie's Angels hiring an “Ass Coordinator," with dialogue like, “Drew [Barrymore] has what I call the Mona Lisa ass...what's your secret, slight smile? I wanna know. What’s more I can't stop looking at you.  And Lucy [Liu] has got that bad ass, that naughty ass. I wanna slap that ass.”

 

The 2005 Movie Awards began with sexualized comments about Paris Hilton, with host Jimmy Fallon joking that Paris would star in the movie remake of Leave it to Beaver and a movie called Herpes Reloaded. This was followed by Adam Sandler remarking that he likes "big bouncy jugs" on a woman, and rapper Eminem performing on stage, accompanied by dancers in costumes with hugely exaggerated breasts and buttocks. In typical MTV Movie Awards style, Eminem sang:

 

“Mary-Kate and Ashley used to be so wholesome

Now they're getting older, they're starting to grow bum bums

I did not even get to see Mary-Kate shower scene

I didn't mean to be obscene or make a great big scene

 

Hilary Duff is not quite old enough so

I ain't never seen a butt like that

Maybe next year I'll say ass and she'll make my slinky go

Doing, doing, doing”

 

Successive MTV Movie Awards shows have contained similar content. In 2006, teen audiences were treated to an opening routine about a squirt gun allegedly filled with urine, comments about Brokeback Mountain characters receiving “ranch hand jobs,” a skit in which Jessica Alba apparently fondles Jimmy Fallon’s genitals, and actor Jim Carrey commenting, "There's some fine-lookin p**** in this room tonight" and "I am a badass mother (bleeped f*****)." And last year’s MTV Movie Awards featured “comedian” Sacha Baron Cohen shoving his naked rear directly into rapper Eminem’s face, among a mass of other equally extreme and offensive content.

 

Shocking viewers is increasingly seen as essential by the entertainment industry’s marketing gurus. With most teenagers simultaneously watching TV and engaged in “social networking” activities like using Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter, a surprising moment can cause teens to instantly communicate what they have seen to others, who then tune in themselves, thus rewarding the content with a larger audience. Last year, for example, there was an immediate increase in Twitter activity after the Baron Cohen/Eminem moment, and shortly thereafter, the Movie Awards ratings soared. Viewers aged 12-34 increased 92 percent over the 2008 show.

 

Finally, the actual Awards given out often glorify sex, violence, and profanity. Alongside such typical categories as “Best Movie” and “Best Performance,” this year, MTV’s teen audience will cast votes for “Biggest Badass Star,“ “Best Scared Ass-S**t Performance,” and “Best WTF Moment.” “WTF” is Internet and teen text-message slang for “what the f***.” Yes, MTV gives out awards with extreme profanity in their titles.

 

Among the nominees for “WTF Moment” are Betty White fondling Sandra Bullock in The Proposal, Ken Jeong assaulting someone with a crowbar while naked in The Hangover, and Megan Fox vomiting in Jennifer's Body. The entire award is proudly sponsored by Orbit gum, manufactured by Wrigley’s – a company which has long enjoyed a reputation as a family-friendly business.

 

Indeed, Wrigley’s is positively brazen about its support for the extreme content award. News reports state that the Orbit brand name will be incorporated into banter between presenters during the awards show. The conversation will include Orbit’s advertising slogan, “Dirty mouth? Clean it up!” as the presenters utter bleeped profanities. That a supposed family company with a product appealing to children should stoop to sponsoring such content is unconscionable.

 

As always, sponsors are the key. The entertainment industry may push extreme violence, explicit sex, and graphic language at children and teens – but without advertisers to sponsor their programs, the entertainment industry would fail. If YOU are tired of YOUR children being targeted by the industry’s extreme content, you can TAKE ACTION!

 

To protest Orbit gum sponsoring the “WTF Moment” on the MTV Movie Awards, contact Mars Inc., the parent company of Wrigley’s.

 

Mars, Incorporated

John Mars, Chairman

6885 Elm St.

McLean, VA 22101

Phone: 703-821-4900

Fax: 703-448-9678

E-mail contact from on Mars website: http://www.mars.com/global/contact-us.aspx

 

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