Editing MTV (section)

== Influence and controversies ==
The channel has been a target of criticism by different groups about programming choices, social issues, [[political correctness]], sensitivity, censorship, and a perceived negative [[social influence]] on young people.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Lane|first=Frederick S.|year=2006|title=The Decency Wars: The Campaign to Cleanse American Culture|place=[[Amherst, New York]]|publisher=[[Prometheus Books]]|isbn=1-59102-427-7|url=https://archive.org/details/decencywarscampa0000lane}}</ref> Portions of the content of MTV's programs and productions have come under controversy in the general news media and among [[social groups]] that have taken offense. Some within the music industry criticized what they saw as MTV's homogenization of rock 'n' roll, including the punk band the [[Dead Kennedys]], whose song "M.T.V.{{snd}}Get Off the Air" was released on their 1985 album ''[[Frankenchrist]]'', just as MTV's influence over the music industry was being solidified.<ref>{{cite news|last=The Punk|first=Donny|title=The Dead Kennedys' State of Confusion|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8dHstWRgcM4C&q=dead+kennedys+mtv+get+off+the+air&pg=PA48|access-date=May 25, 2013|newspaper=Spin Magazine|date=February 1986}}</ref> MTV was also the major influence on the growth of music videos during the 1980s.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://hardlinemedia.com.au/broadcast-background |title=Background: Where it Started |publisher=Hardline Media Video Productions |access-date=January 7, 2022 |url-status=live |archive-date=December 4, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211204021759/https://hardlinemedia.com.au/broadcast-background }}</ref>

=== Breaking the "color barrier" ===
During MTV's first few years, very few black artists were featured. The select few in MTV's rotation between 1981 and 1984 were [[Michael Jackson]], [[Prince (musician)|Prince]], [[Eddy Grant]], [[Tina Turner]], [[Donna Summer]], [[Joan Armatrading]], [[Musical Youth]], [[The Specials]], [[The Selecter]], [[Grace Jones]], [[Jon Butcher|John Butcher]] and [[Herbie Hancock]]. [[Mikey Craig]] of [[Culture Club]], [[Joe Leeway]] of [[Thompson Twins]] and [[Tracy Wormworth]] of [[The Waitresses]] were also black. The Specials, which included black and white vocalists and musicians, were also the first act with people of color to perform on MTV; their song "Rat Race" was the 58th video on the station's first broadcast day.<ref>Hoye, Jacob. MTV Uncensored. Pocket Books, 2001. {{ISBN|0-7434-2682-7}}.</ref>

MTV refused other black artists' videos, such as [[Rick James]]' "[[Super Freak]]", because they did not fit the channel's carefully selected [[Album-oriented rock|album-oriented rock format]] at the time. The exclusion enraged James, who publicly advocated the addition of more black artists to the channel. [[David Bowie]] also questioned MTV's lack of black artists during an on-air interview with VJ [[Mark Goodman]] in 1983.<ref name="FINDART1">{{Cite news|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_14_110/ai_n16807343/pg_1?tag=artBody;col1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130802013636/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_14_110/ai_n16807343/pg_1?tag=artBody;col1 |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 2, 2013 |title=Why it took MTV so long to play black music videos |work=Jet |year=2006 }}</ref> MTV's original head of talent and acquisition, Carolyn B. Baker, who was black, questioned why the definition of music had to be so narrow, as did a few others outside the network. Years later, Baker said, "The party line at MTV was that we weren't playing black music because of the research&nbsp;– but the research was based on ignorance… We were young, we were cutting-edge. We didn't have to be on the cutting edge of racism." Nevertheless, it was Baker who rejected Rick James' "Super Freak" video "because there were half-naked women in it, and it was a piece of crap. As a black woman, I did not want that representing my people as the first black video on MTV."<ref>Marks, Craig & Tannebaum, Rob, I Want My MTV, Penguin Books, 2011, pp. 167–168</ref>

The network's director of music programming, Buzz Brindle, told an interviewer in 2006: "MTV was originally designed to be a rock music channel. It was difficult for MTV to find African American artists whose music fit the channel's format that leaned toward rock at the outset." Writers Craig Marks and Rob Tannenbaum noted that the channel "aired videos by plenty of white artists who didn't play rock." Andrew Goodwin later wrote: "[MTV] denied racism, on the grounds that it merely followed the rules of the rock business."<ref>Marks, Craig & Tannebaum, Rob, I Want My MTV, Penguin Books, 2011, pg. 166</ref> MTV senior executive vice president [[Les Garland]] complained decades later, "The worst thing was that 'racism' bullshit{{nbsp}}... there were hardly any videos being made by black artists. Record companies weren't funding them. ''They'' never got charged with racism." However, critics of that defence pointed out that record companies were not funding videos for black artists because they knew they would have difficulty persuading MTV to play them.<ref>{{cite news |last=Izadi |first=Elahe |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2016/01/11/how-david-bowie-confronted-mtv-for-ignoring-black-artists-in-the-early-1980s/ |title=This is how David Bowie confronted MTV when it was still ignoring black artists |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=December 8, 2016 |archive-date=October 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211011103843/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2016/01/11/how-david-bowie-confronted-mtv-for-ignoring-black-artists-in-the-early-1980s/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In celebrating the 40th anniversary of the network's launch in 2021, current MTV Entertainment Group president Chris McCarthy acknowledged that "(o)ne of the bigger mistakes in the early years was not playing enough diverse music{{nbsp}}... but the nice thing that I've always learned at MTV is we have no problem owning our mistakes, quickly correcting them and trying to do the right thing and always follow where the audience is going."<ref name=40th>{{cite news |url=https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-business-music-7368f80439c56516c942eec1867715a0 |title=MTV marks 40th anniversary with a new 'Moon Person' design |publisher=Associated Press |access-date=August 2, 2021 |archive-date=September 12, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210912101308/https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-business-music-7368f80439c56516c942eec1867715a0 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Before 1983, Michael Jackson also struggled for MTV airtime.<ref name=blender>{{cite web|url=http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?ID=1777 |title=Michael Jackson, "Billie Jean |access-date=April 11, 2007 |work=blender.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070312182503/http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?ID=1777 |archive-date=March 12, 2007 }}</ref> To resolve the struggle and finally "break the color barrier", the president of [[Columbia Records|CBS Records]], [[Walter Yetnikoff]], denounced MTV in a strong, profane statement, threatening to take away its right to play any of the label's music.<ref name=blender/><ref>The quote from [[Walter Yetnikoff]] reads, "I'm pulling everything we have off the air ... I'm not going to give you any more videos. And I'm going to go public and fucking tell them about the fact you don't want to play music by a black guy."</ref> However, Les Garland, then acquisitions head, said he decided to air Jackson's "[[Billie Jean]]" video without pressure from CBS,<ref name="FINDART1" /> a statement later contradicted by CBS head of Business Affairs David Benjamin in [[Vanity Fair (magazine)|''Vanity Fair'']].<ref name=VanityFair>{{cite web|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2000/11/mtv200011|author=Robert Sam Anson|title=Birth of an MTV Nation|website=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]|date=June 4, 2008|access-date=February 16, 2022|archive-date=December 27, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141227190233/http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2000/11/mtv200011|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Michael Jackson 1984.jpg|upright=0.8|thumb|right|[[Michael Jackson]], whose discography included music videos such as "[[Beat It]]", "[[Billie Jean]]", and "[[Michael Jackson's Thriller (music video)|Thriller]]"]]

According to ''[[The Austin Chronicle]]'', Jackson's video for the song "Billie Jean" was "the video that broke the color barrier, even though the channel itself was responsible for erecting that barrier in the first place."<ref>{{Cite news|last=Beets|first=Greg|title=Blow Up Your Video|url=http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A82541|work=[[The Austin Chronicle]]|date=August 3, 2001|access-date=January 30, 2008|archive-date=February 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210210221009/https://www.austinchronicle.com/music/2001-08-03/82541/|url-status=live}}</ref> But change was not immediate. "Billie Jean" was not added to MTV's "medium rotation" playlist (two to three airings per day) until it reached No. 1 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] chart. In the final week of March, it was in "heavy rotation", one week before the MTV debut of Jackson's "[[Beat It]]" video. Prince's "[[Little Red Corvette]]" joined both videos in heavy rotation at the end of April. At the beginning of June, "[[Electric Avenue (song)|Electric Avenue]]" by Eddy Grant joined "Billie Jean", which was still in heavy rotation until mid-June. At the end of August, "[[She Works Hard for the Money]]" by Donna Summer was in heavy rotation on the channel. Herbie Hancock's "[[Rockit (song)|Rockit]]" and [[Lionel Richie]]'s "[[All Night Long (All Night)|All Night Long]]" were placed in heavy rotation at the end of October and the beginning of November respectively. In the final week of November, Donna Summer's "[[Unconditional Love (Donna Summer song)|Unconditional Love]]" was in heavy rotation. When Jackson's [[Michael Jackson's Thriller (music video)|elaborate video]] for "[[Thriller (song)|Thriller]]" was released late that year, raising the bar for what a video could be, the network's support for it was total; subsequently, more pop and R&B videos were played on MTV.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-08-25-mtv_x.htm|title=Jackson ends black music prejudice on MTV|work=USA Today|first1=Edna|last1=Gundersen|date=August 25, 2005|access-date=May 13, 2010|archive-date=October 30, 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051030101653/http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-08-25-mtv_x.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

Following Jackson's and Prince's breakthroughs on MTV, Rick James did several interviews where he brushed off the accomplishment as [[tokenism]], saying in a 1983 interview, in an episode of ''[[Mike Judge Presents: Tales from the Tour Bus]]'' on James, that "any black artist that [had] their video played on MTV should pull their [videos] off MTV."<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/3NhmAGKir40 Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the {{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NhmAGKir40 |title=Rick James & Prince Part 2 tour bus tales |website=[[YouTube]] |date=November 17, 2018 |access-date=June 1, 2020 |archive-date=February 29, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200229053711/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NhmAGKir40 |url-status=bot: unknown }}: {{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NhmAGKir40 |title=Rick James & Prince Part 2 tour bus tales |website=[[YouTube]] |date=November 17, 2018 |access-date=June 1, 2020}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

=== Subsequent concepts ===
[[HBO]] also had a 30-minute program of music videos called ''[[Video Jukebox (TV series)|Video Jukebox]]'', that first aired around the time of MTV's launch and lasted until late 1986. Also around this time, HBO, as well as other premium channels such as [[Cinemax]], [[Showtime (TV channel)|Showtime]] and [[The Movie Channel]], occasionally played one or a few music videos between movies.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://populartimelines.com/timeline/HBO/full#668d29a6b8747:~:text=1980%3A%20InterMissions%20Divided%20into%20Categories |access-date=2024-07-09 |website=Popular Timelines |title=History of HBO in Timeline|date=April 15, 2019 }}</ref>

[[TBS (American TV channel)|SuperStation WTBS]] launched ''[[Night Tracks]]'' on June 3, 1983, with up to 14 hours of music video airplay each late night weekend by 1985. Its most noticeable difference was that black artists that MTV initially ignored received airplay. The program ran until the end of May 1992.

[[Playboy TV]] launched their own music video program called "Playboy's Hot Rocks" that premiered on July 15, 1983 featuring uncensored versions of music videos that were shown in nightclubs by artists from Duran Duran and Mötley Crüe to Nine Inch Nails and 2Pac. At times, they would do a certain theme like the all [[Prince (musician)|Prince]] theme on the channel back in the 90s.

A few markets also launched music-only channels including Las Vegas' KRLR-TV (now [[KSNV]]), which debuted in the summer of 1984 and branded as "Vusic 21". The first video played on that channel was "Video Killed the Radio Star", following in the footsteps of MTV.{{Citation needed|date=November 2009}}

Shortly after TBS began ''Night Tracks'', [[NBC]] launched a music video program called ''[[Friday Night Videos]]'', which was considered network television's answer to MTV. Later renamed simply ''Friday Night'', the program ran from 1983 to 2002. ABC's contribution to the music video program genre in 1984, ''[[ABC Rocks]]'', was far less successful, lasting only a year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303417/|title="ABC Rocks" 1984|publisher=IMDb|access-date=March 12, 2012|archive-date=March 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308073620/https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303417/|url-status=live}}</ref>

TBS founder [[Ted Turner]] started the [[Cable Music Channel]] in 1984, designed to play a broader mix of music videos than MTV's rock format allowed. But after one month as a money-losing venture, Turner sold it to MTV, who redeveloped the channel into VH1.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Monopoly Television: MTV's Quest to Control the Music, pp. 48–50|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cbYcUkfUbTkC&q=%22cable%20music%20channel%22&pg=PA48|publisher=Westview Press|isbn=978-0-8133-1821-9|author1=Banks, Jack|date=April 1996}}{{Dead link|date=February 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

The founders of [[Financial News Network]], Glenn Taylor and Karen Tyler tried to capitalize on the concept by launching Discovery Music Network, which was set to be a cable network,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Potts |first=Mark |date=1984-08-10 |title=2 More Music Channels Planned |language=en-US |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/1984/08/10/2-more-music-channels-planned/5ed448b9-fe1b-45af-a7ab-678390d2e21e/ |access-date=2023-09-16 |issn=0190-8286 |archive-date=August 28, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828105344/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/1984/08/10/2-more-music-channels-planned/5ed448b9-fe1b-45af-a7ab-678390d2e21e/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and has plans to set up the Discovery Broadcasting System, which consists of the aforementioned network, along with computer and business networks,<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 17, 1984 |title=Cablecastings |pages=28 |work=[[Broadcasting & Cable|Broadcasting]] |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/84-OCR/BC-1984-12-17-OCR-Page-0028.pdf |access-date=September 16, 2023 |archive-date=October 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231010180118/https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/84-OCR/BC-1984-12-17-OCR-Page-0028.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> but it never got off the ground.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-01-14 |title=Ted Turner Made an MTV Competitor That Died After Only a Month |url=https://tedium.co/2023/01/11/ted-turner-cable-music-channel-history/ |access-date=2023-09-16 |website=Tedium: The Dull Side of the Internet. |language=en |archive-date=October 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231004201131/https://tedium.co/2023/01/11/ted-turner-cable-music-channel-history/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Shortly after its launch, the [[Disney Channel]] aired a program called ''[[D-TV|DTV]]'', a play on the MTV acronym. The program used music cuts, both from past and upcoming artists. Instead of music videos, the program used clips of various vintage [[Disney]] cartoons and animated films (from ''[[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)|Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs]]'' to ''[[The Fox and the Hound]]'') to go with the songs. The program aired in multiple formats, sometimes between shows, sometimes as its own program, and other times as one-off specials. The specials tended to air both on the Disney Channel and [[NBC]]. The program aired at several times between 1984 and 1999. In 2009, Disney Channel revived the ''DTV'' concept with a new series of short-form segments called ''Re-Micks''.

[[Hanna-Barbera]] created ''[[HBTV]]'', similar to ''DTV'' in 1985 and in 1986.

=== Censorship ===
{{Main|Censorship on MTV}}
MTV has edited a number of music videos to remove nudity, references to drugs,<ref name="smut 8">{{harvnb|Williams|2005|p = 8}} In this case, a reference to [[crack cocaine]] was removed from the video for "[[My Band]]" by [[D12]].</ref> sex, violence, weapons, racism, [[homophobia]], and/or advertising.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Nuzum|first=Eric|title=Parental Advisory: Music Censorship in America|publisher=[[HarperCollins]]|year=2001|isbn=0-688-16772-1|pages=[https://archive.org/details/parentaladvisory00nuzu/page/91 91–92]|title-link=Parental Advisory: Music Censorship in America}}</ref> Many music videos aired on the channel were either censored, moved to late-night rotation, or banned entirely from the channel.

In the 1980s, parent media watchdog groups such as the [[Parents Music Resource Center]] (PMRC) criticized MTV over certain music videos that were claimed to have explicit imagery of [[satanism]]. As a result, MTV developed a strict policy on refusal to air videos that may depict Satanism or [[Antireligion|anti-religious]] themes.<ref name="censorthis">{{cite web|title=Music censorship in America|url=http://geocities.com/fireace_00/mtv.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090808082618/http://geocities.com/fireace_00/mtv.html|archive-date=August 8, 2009}}</ref> This policy led MTV to ban music videos such as "[[Jesus Christ Pose]]" by [[Soundgarden]] in 1991<ref name="jcp">Prato, Greg. [{{AllMusic|class=song|id=t2765650|pure_url=yes}} "Jesus Christ Pose" review]. [[AllMusic]]</ref> and "[[Megalomaniac (Incubus song)|Megalomaniac]]" by [[Incubus (band)|Incubus]] in 2004;<ref name="attack fcc" /> however, the controversial band [[Marilyn Manson (band)|Marilyn Manson]] was among the most popular rock bands on MTV during the late 1990s and early 2000s.

On September 28, 2016, on an AfterBuzz TV live stream, [[Scout Durwood]] said that MTV had a "[[Cultural appropriation|no appropriation policy]]" that forbid her from wearing her hair in [[cornrows]] in an episode of ''[[Mary + Jane]]''. She said, "I wanted to cornrow my hair, and they were like, 'That's racist.'"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtUy3Yop2eQ&t=8m38s|minutes=8:38|via=YouTube|date=September 28, 2016|access-date=July 9, 2024|title=Mary + Jane Season 1 Episode 4 Review & After Show w/ Scout Durwood|publisher=AfterBuzz TV|archive-date=February 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202021357/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtUy3Yop2eQ&t=8m38s|url-status=live}} Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/mtUy3Yop2eQ Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

=== Trademark suit ===
[[Magyar Televízió]], Hungary's public broadcaster who has a trademark on the initials '''MTV''', registered with the Hungarian copyright office, sued the American MTV (Music Television) network for trademark infringement when the Hungarian version of the music channel was launched in 2007. The suit is still ongoing.{{citation needed|date=January 2023}}

=== Andrew Dice Clay ===
During the [[1989 MTV Video Music Awards]] ceremony, comedian [[Andrew Dice Clay]] did his usual "adult nursery rhymes" routine (which he had done in his stand-up acts), after which the network executives imposed a lifetime ban. [[Billy Idol]]'s music video for the song "[[Cradle of Love (Billy Idol song)|Cradle of Love]]" originally had scenes from Clay's film ''[[The Adventures of Ford Fairlane]]'' when it was originally aired; scenes from the film were later excised. During the [[2011 MTV Video Music Awards]], Clay was in attendance where he confirmed that the channel lifted the ban.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2011/09/andrew-dice-clay-lady-gagas-jo-calderone-is-me/|title=Andrew Dice Clay: Lady Gaga's Jo Calderone Is Me|first=Sheila|last=Marikar|date=September 7, 2011|work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|access-date=December 30, 2011|archive-date=March 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210307221201/https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2011/09/andrew-dice-clay-lady-gagas-jo-calderone-is-me/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== ''Beavis and Butt-Head'' ===
{{Main|Beavis and Butt-Head#Allegations of promoting dangerous behavior}}
In the wake of controversy that involved a child burning down his house after allegedly watching ''Beavis and Butt-head'', MTV moved the show from its original 7 p.m. time slot to an 11{{nbsp}}p.m. time slot. Also, Beavis's tendency to flick a lighter and [[Pyromania|yell "fire"]] was removed from new episodes, and controversial scenes were removed from existing episodes before their rebroadcast.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tvacres.com/censorship_beavis.htm |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20121119094220/http://www.tvacres.com/censorship_beavis.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 19, 2012 |title=Censorship & Scandals: Beavis & Butt-head  }}</ref> Some extensive edits were noted by series creator [[Mike Judge]] after compiling his [[Beavis and Butt-Head: The Mike Judge Collection|Collection DVDs]], saying that "some of those episodes may not even exist actually in their original form."<ref>{{cite video|people=[[Mike Judge]]|date=2005|title=[[Beavis and Butt-Head: The Mike Judge Collection#Volume 1|Beavis and Butt-Head: The Mike Judge Collection Volume 1]] Taint to Greatness the Journey of Beavis and Butt-Head (Part 1)}}</ref>

=== ''Dude, This Sucks'' ===
A pilot for a show called ''Dude, This Sucks'' was cancelled after teens attending a taping at the [[Snow Summit|Snow Summit Ski Resort]] in January 2001 were sprayed with liquidized fecal matter by a group known as "The Shower Rangers". The teens later sued,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=107141|title=MTV Sorry for Poop-Flinging|work=ABC News|date=April 6, 2001|access-date=September 25, 2011|archive-date=March 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308010322/https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=107141|url-status=live}}</ref> with MTV later apologizing and ordering the segment's removal.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/80166/teens-sue-mtv-over-defecation-incident|title=Teens Sue MTV Over Defecation Incident?|date=April 6, 2001|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=October 2, 2010|archive-date=March 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308232951/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/80166/teens-sue-mtv-over-defecation-incident|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://thattimehascome.blogspot.com/2009/05/more-on-mtvs-dude-this-sucks.html|title=More on MTV's 'Dude, This Sucks'|author=el greco|date=May 29, 2009|work=THAT TIME HAS COME|publisher=[[Blogger (service)|Blogger]]|access-date=October 2, 2010|archive-date=February 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204155842/http://thattimehascome.blogspot.com/2009/05/more-on-mtvs-dude-this-sucks.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show ===
{{Main|Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy}}
After [[Viacom (1952–2006)|Viacom]]'s purchase of [[CBS]], MTV was selected to produce the [[Super Bowl XXXV]] [[List of Super Bowl halftime shows|halftime show]] in 2001, airing on [[NFL on CBS|CBS]] and featuring [[Britney Spears]], [[NSYNC]], and [[Aerosmith]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Aerosmith, N'Sync add spice to MTV-driven halftime show|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/2001/playoffs/news/2001/01/28/superbowl_halftimeshow_ap/|magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]|agency=[[Associated Press]]|orig-date=January 28, 2001|date=January 29, 2001|archive-date=February 26, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080226005204/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/2001/playoffs/news/2001/01/28/superbowl_halftimeshow_ap/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Due to its success, MTV was invited back to produce another halftime show in 2004; this sparked a nationwide debate and controversy that drastically changed Super Bowl halftime shows, MTV's programming, and radio censorship.

When CBS aired [[Super Bowl XXXVIII]] in 2004, MTV was again chosen to produce the halftime show, with performances by such artists as [[Nelly]], [[Sean Combs|P. Diddy]], [[Janet Jackson]], and [[Justin Timberlake]]. The show became controversial, however, after Timberlake tore off part of Jackson's outfit while performing "[[Rock Your Body]]" with her, revealing her right breast. All involved parties apologized for the incident, and Timberlake referred to the incident as a "[[wardrobe malfunction]]".<ref name="cnnfcc">{{Cite news|title=Apologetic Jackson says 'costume reveal' went awry|url=http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/02/02/superbowl.jackson/|work=CNN|agency=Associated Press|date=February 2, 2004|access-date=May 24, 2008|archive-date=February 18, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100218110403/http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/02/02/superbowl.jackson/|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Michael Powell (attorney)|Michael Powell]], then-chairman of the [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC), ordered an investigation the day after the broadcast.<ref name="cnnfcc"/> In the weeks following the halftime show, MTV censored much of its programming. Several music videos, including "[[This Love (Maroon 5 song)|This Love]]" and "[[I Miss You (Blink-182 song)|I Miss You]]", were edited for sexual content.<ref name="attack fcc">{{cite magazine|last=Cave|first=Damien|title=MTV Under Attack by FCC|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/mtv-under-attack-by-fcc-108283/|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=February 23, 2004|access-date=February 15, 2022|archive-date=December 6, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206023332/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5937141/mtv_under_attack_by_fcc|url-status=dead}}</ref> In September 2004, the FCC ruled that the halftime show was indecent and fined CBS $550,000.<ref>{{Cite news|title=CBS hit with $550K Super Bowl fine|url=https://money.cnn.com/2004/09/22/news/fortune500/viacom_fcc/|work=CNN/Money|date=September 22, 2004|access-date=May 24, 2008|archive-date=October 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211011105429/https://money.cnn.com/2004/09/22/news/fortune500/viacom_fcc/|url-status=live}}</ref> The FCC upheld it in 2006,<ref>{{Cite news|title=FCC sticks by Janet Jackson Super Bowl fine|work=MSNBC|agency=Associated Press|date=February 22, 2006}}</ref> but federal judges reversed the fine in 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2574243/court-drops-fcc-fine-for-janet-jacksons-super-bowl-wardrobe-malfunction/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120722015149/http://newsroom.mtv.com/2008/07/21/court-drops-fcc-fine-for-janet-jacksons-super-bowl-wardrobe-malfunction/|archive-date=July 22, 2012|title=Court Drops FCC Fine For Janet Jackson's Super Bowl Wardrobe Malfunction|date=July 21, 2008|first=Gil|last=Kaufman|website=MTV|access-date=February 15, 2022|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==== Nipplegate ====
Timberlake and Jackson's controversial event gave way to a "wave of self-censorship on American television unrivaled since the McCarthy era".<ref name="Feeney">{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/01/the-legacy-of-janet-jacksons-boob/283499/|title=The Legacy of Janet Jackson's Boob|last=Feeney|first=Nolan|website=The Atlantic|access-date=April 19, 2016|date=January 31, 2014|archive-date=May 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210530215023/https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/01/the-legacy-of-janet-jacksons-boob/283499/|url-status=live}}</ref> After the sudden event, names surfaced such as [[nipplegate]], Janet moment, and [[boobgate]], and this spread politically, furthering the discussion into the 2004 presidential election surrounding "[[Morality|moral values]]" and "media decency".<ref name="Feeney" />

=== Moral criticism ===
In 2005, the [[Parents Television Council]] (PTC) released a study titled "MTV Smut Peddlers", which sought to expose excessive sexual, profane, and violent content on the channel, based on MTV's spring break programming from 2004.<ref>{{cite web|last=Williams |first=Casey |title=MTV Smut Peddlers: Targeting Kids with Sex, Drugs, and Alcohol |work=ParentsTV.org |publisher=Parents Television Council |date=February 1, 2005 |url=http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/reports/mtv2005/MTV_Report.pdf |access-date=May 19, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070217064113/http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/reports/mtv2005/MTV_Report.pdf |archive-date=February 17, 2007  }}</ref> Jeanette Kedas, an MTV network executive, called the PTC report "unfair and inaccurate" and "underestimating young people's intellect and level of sophistication", while [[L. Brent Bozell III]], then-president of the PTC, stated: "the incessant sleaze on MTV presents the most compelling case yet for consumer cable choice", referring to the practice of pay television companies to allow consumers to pay for channels ''[[à la carte]]''.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Study: MTV delivers a diet of sleaze|url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-02-02-mtv-watchdog-study_x.htm|work=USA Today|agency=Associated Press|date=February 2, 2005|access-date=May 24, 2008|archive-date=June 28, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120628124725/http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-02-02-mtv-watchdog-study_x.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

In April 2008, PTC released ''The Rap on Rap'', a study covering hip-hop and R&B music videos rotated on programs ''[[106 & Park]]'' and ''[[Rap City]]'', both shown on [[BET]], and ''[[Sucker Free]]'' on MTV. PTC urged advertisers to withdraw sponsorship of those programs, whose videos PTC stated targeted children and teenagers containing adult content.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Moss|first1=Linda|last2=Umstead|first2=R. Thomas|title=PTC Puts a Bad 'Rap' On BET, MTV|url=http://www.multichannel.com/article/132804-PTC_Puts_A_Bad_Rap_On_BET_MTV.php|work=Multichannel news|date=April 10, 2008|access-date=August 26, 2008|archive-date=September 2, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120902013318/http://www.multichannel.com/article/132804-PTC_Puts_A_Bad_Rap_On_BET_MTV.php|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Crupi|first=Anthony|title=PTC Blasts MTV, BET|url=http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/media_agencies/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003788641|work=Mediaweek|date=April 10, 2008|access-date=August 26, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080422053803/http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/media_agencies/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003788641|archive-date=April 22, 2008}}</ref>

=== ''Jersey Shore'' ===
{{Main|Controversies of Jersey Shore}}
MTV received significant criticism from Italian American organizations for ''[[Jersey Shore (TV series)|Jersey Shore]]'', which premiered in 2009.<ref name="Fox News">{{Cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2009/11/25/italian-american-group-asks-mtv-cancel-jersey-shore/|title=FoxNews.com|publisher=FoxNews.com|date=April 7, 2010|access-date=August 7, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110201160000/http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2009/11/25/italian-american-group-asks-mtv-cancel-jersey-shore/|archive-date=February 1, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> The controversy was due in large part to the manner in which MTV marketed the show, as it liberally used the word "[[Guido (slang)|guido]]" to describe the cast members. The word "guido" is generally regarded as an [[List of ethnic slurs|ethnic slur]] when referring to Italians and Italian Americans. One promotion stated that the show was to follow, "eight of the hottest, tannest, craziest Guidos,"<ref>{{cite web|last=Kaufman|first=Gil|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1627353/jersey-shore-castmember-defends-show-against-detractors/|title='Jersey Shore' Castmember Defends Show Against Detractors|publisher=MTV.com|date=December 1, 2009|access-date=February 15, 2022|archive-date=February 16, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220216031119/http://www.mtv.com/news/1627353/jersey-shore-castmember-defends-show-against-detractors/|url-status=dead}}</ref> while yet another advertisement stated, "''Jersey Shore'' exposes one of the tri-state area's most misunderstood species&nbsp;... the GUIDO. Yes, they really do exist! Our Guidos and Guidettes will move into the ultimate beach house rental and indulge in everything the [[Seaside Heights, New Jersey|Seaside Heights]], New Jersey scene has to offer."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtvca/tvshows/show.jhtml?id=22413 |title=MTV.ca |publisher=MTV.ca |access-date=May 23, 2012 }}{{dead link|date=May 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

Prior to the series debut, [[Unico National]] formally requested that MTV cancel the show.<ref>[http://www.unico.org/breakingnews.htm Unico.org]{{Dead link|date = August 2010}}</ref> In a formal letter, the company called the show a "direct, deliberate and disgraceful attack on Italian Americans."<ref>{{cite web|last=Raymond|first=Adam K.|url=https://www.vulture.com/2009/11/italian_group_asks_mtv_to_yank.html|title=Italian Group Asks MTV to Yank Jersey Shore|publisher=Vulture|date=November 24, 2009|access-date=February 15, 2022|archive-date=February 16, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220216043002/https://www.vulture.com/2009/11/italian_group_asks_mtv_to_yank.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Unico National President Andre DiMino said, "MTV has festooned the 'bordello-like' house set with Italian flags and red, white and green maps of New Jersey while every other cutaway shot is of Italian signs and symbols. They are blatantly as well as subliminally bashing Italian Americans with every technique possible."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/TV/2009/12/04/Italian-Americans-slam-Jersey-Shore/UPI-85771259960979/|title=Italian-Americans slam 'Jersey Shore'|publisher=UPI.com|date=December 4, 2009|access-date=August 7, 2010|archive-date=February 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210203033313/https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/TV/2009/12/04/Italian-Americans-slam-Jersey-Shore/UPI-85771259960979/|url-status=live}}</ref> Around this time, other Italian organizations joined the fight, including the NIAF and the [[Order Sons of Italy in America]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.niaf.org/public_policy/images/NIAF_Letter_Viacom-JerseyShore11-09.pdf |title=NIAF.org |access-date=May 23, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120531151858/https://www.niaf.org/public_policy/images/NIAF_Letter_Viacom-JerseyShore11-09.pdf |archive-date=May 31, 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.italianaware.com|title=ItalianAware.com|publisher=ItalianAware.com|access-date=August 7, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190131020041/http://www.italianaware.com/|archive-date=January 31, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/life/article_08fbfbbc-e122-11de-8a9f-001cc4c002e0.html|title=Italian groups target MTV|first=Vincent|last=Jackson|publisher=PressOfAtlanticCity.com|date=December 4, 2009|access-date=August 7, 2010|archive-date=May 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506035825/https://pressofatlanticcity.com/life/article_08fbfbbc-e122-11de-8a9f-001cc4c002e0.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

MTV responded by issuing a press release which stated in part, "The Italian American cast takes pride in their ethnicity. We understand that this show is not intended for every audience and depicts just one aspect of youth culture."<ref name="Fox News"/> Following the calls for the show's removal, several sponsors requested that their ads not be aired during the show. These sponsors included [[Dell]], [[Domino's Pizza]], and [[American Family Insurance]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2009/12/22/2009-12-22_dell_pulls_ads_from_jersey_shore.html|title=Dell pulls ads from 'Jersey Shore'; MTV show loses another sponsor over claims of 'ethnic bashing'|publisher=NYdailyNews.com|date=December 22, 2009|access-date=August 7, 2010|location=New York|first=Gina|last=Salamone|archive-date=December 25, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091225124409/http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2009/12/22/2009-12-22_dell_pulls_ads_from_jersey_shore.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Despite the loss of certain advertisers, MTV did not cancel the show. Moreover, the show saw its audience increase from its premiere in 2009, and continued to place as MTV's top-rated programs during ''Jersey Shore's'' six-season run, ending in 2012.