A Thin Line: Cyberbullying

Iin the classic movie Spinal Tap, David St. Hubbins said, “It's such a fine line between stupid, and clever.” The same stupidity and genius can be said with your interaction with others online.

MTV's ongoing “A Thin Line” project provides stories and resources for anyone who believes they are being cyberbullied or who is looking for ways to stop harassment by digital means. Take a quiz designed for guys through hosted by rapper Asher Roth or for girls from celebrity Michelle Trachtenberg. Discover your quiz score, Get the facts, take control and share your story.

If you or your family need help with online harassment then this project is good place to start.

http://www.athinline.org

The Hills + Web 2.0 Social Media?

Speak over TV with Back Channel
Back in the 90s, “Pop Up Video” was so innovative because as the music video played little tidbits about it would appear in chat bubbles. For example, in the Tiffany video “I Think We’re Alone Now” a chat bubble would appear that would say, “Tiffany wore the same denim jacket again in her next video (All This Time)”. Now MTV’s most popular show “The Hills” has launched “The Back Channel” to give watchers of the show the ability to talk about it as it happens.

MTV promotes “Back Channel” as “Playing online while you watch The Hills.” You type your thoughts on the website as you watch the show and you are awarded points. You can gain points when other players vote for your comments. If MTV identifies you as the most popular or the funniest player, the network will then post your comments on the screen as the show happens. “Back Channel” is like pop-up video on steroids because now the comments are user driven.

Do you think this a good use of Web 2.0 and social media?
http://backchannel.mtv.com/

RIP – TRL 1998-2008

Carson Daly kicked off MTV’s first Total Request Live ten years ago. The premise of the show was to countdown the top videos and interview the hottest musicians of the day.

As MTV started to play less and less videos, the show morphed into teens yelling over top of the videos and giving “shout-outs” to their “peeps”. In the last few years, since MTV plays only 2% videos, TRL would only play 10 seconds of a video and then interview a guest like Jack Black to promote their latest movie. Music isn’t what’s important on MTV anymore and the retirement of TRL is the pinnacle of it.

Do you miss MTV playing videos?
If so, then watch them on their new online video station.

Say goodbye to TRL tomorrow night from 8-10 pm.
http://www.mtv.com/ontv/dyn/trl/series.jhtml

I Want My MTV

Remember when MTV used to play videos? MTV recently opened up their video vault and posted a plethora of their collection online for your viewing pleasure. The website that brings back music videos is called MTV Music.

What’s here?

• VH1 pop-up videos
• 80s music classics – first video played on MTV “Video Killed The Music Star”
• 90s music hits
• The latest hits like “Womanizer” by Britney Spears

MTV finally has a sense of historic perspective.
http://www.mtvmusic.com/