this post was submitted on 09 Mar 2025

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104

David Bowie Criticizes MTV for Not Playing Videos by Black Artists | MTV News (www.youtube.com)

submitted 1 day ago by qaz@lemmy.world to c/videos@lemmy.world

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[–] fiendishplan@lemmy.world 13 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

I love how he wouldn't drop it, was polite but firm in his stance and 100% right at the time MTV ignored black music.

[–] RowRowRowYourBot@sh.itjust.works 4 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

MTV ignored black music because most radio stations did. MTV was a big risk and the financiers weren't looking to take risks on pushing a new genre of music that wasn't mainstream with most audiences at that time.

[–] SpacetimeMachine@lemmy.world 4 points 18 hours ago (2 children)

That's a poor excuse that doesn't justify anything.

[–] DaveyRocket@lemmy.world 3 points 15 hours ago

People have trouble criticizing things they like. Fact of the matter, America is racist and if you don’t cater to racist you run the risk of “outrage” and “scandal”. Listen to the Vanilla Ice interview where he’s asked if he thinks it’s weird that he’s the face of rap…

Woke is an insult somehow, but listen to how cringe these unaware people sound.

[–] RowRowRowYourBot@sh.itjust.works 2 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

Have you ever run a business before? You need to make money which at the time meant stadium rock and “Top 40” pop radio.

MTV was not started to provide access for smaller acts to break into the mainstream especially at a time when hiphop was very localized.

[–] HobbitFoot@thelemmy.club 1 points 16 hours ago (2 children)

Part of the reason that New Wave became big in the early 80's is because New Wave bands came from more affluent beginnings, so those bands could afford to make music videos at a time when they were relatively rare.

[–] 790@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 11 hours ago

I'd gamble a larger percentage of artists (whether music, acting, or painting) have affluent beginnings than the general population. It's easier to rise through the struggle of a high risk profession if you have a safety net.

[–] Whateley@lemm.ee 2 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

It's true that groups like Duran Duran and the like were mostly comprised of public school brats whose affluent parents bought them the DX7s and Fairlights they wrote their hits on. However, music videos were funded by labels. They were basically commercials for the record.

[–] HobbitFoot@thelemmy.club 1 points 8 hours ago

They became commercials for the record over time, but there was a few years in the early 80's where labels didn't understand a music video's value.

[–] Inf_V@kbin.earth 21 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I miss David so much. such a intelligent and thoughtful human being.

[–] FenrirIII@lemmy.world 2 points 10 hours ago

There was a documentary series on MAX, I think. It was amazing

[–] TokenBoomer@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago

No-one needs anyone, they don't even just pretend

I'm afraid of Americans
I'm afraid of the world
I'm afraid I can't help it
I'm afraid I can't

[–] __nobodynowhere@sh.itjust.works 1 points 16 hours ago

Scared to death by Prince?

[+] Lemmist@lemm.ee -24 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Isn't it just a genre-related situation? Blacks don't make much rock/metal/whatever. And rap/hip-hop have a limited amount of fans.

[–] surewhynotlem@lemmy.world 9 points 19 hours ago

"blacks"

I'm judging you now. It's been decades since this has been ok to say. C'mon, catch up.

"Don't make much rock"

I think you mean to say they literally invented rock.

[–] LeninOnAPrayer@lemm.ee 19 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago) (1 children)

My dude. Please learn a little bit about the history of music. It's ok to be ignorant of it. You grew up in a country that has appropriated and stolen the art forms of black artist since before jazz music even existed.

But some of us use this massive source of information called "The Internet" to actually learn. Seriously, there is so much interesting shit out there. You don't even need to be "woke". You can literally just be interested in where music genres came from and their influence. If you do even a little bit of listening you'll learn about how heavily every form of "pop" culture is heavily heavily influenced by black culture and in turn monetized by capitalist for profit.

Today the "face" of which is exploited black artist. But in the past was often a "white face" that was used to monetize black culture or artist that could never become "mainstream".

This is exactly what a dude from the 80s knew. And he didn't even have the Internet. He just knew the music industry and called it out for its failures. You have no excuse in 2025 to judge a white dude in the 80s pointing to well documented exploitations of black culture.

Black Americans did not only influence rap. They influenced every part of pop music for a century. They were only able to be successfully monetized around the time that rap music became popular. Seriously, you can open yourself up to a whole new world of music and history. You just have to be curious. You have the Internet. Good luck mate.

[+] Lemmist@lemm.ee -20 points 23 hours ago (4 children)

You don't know where I grew up.

History means nothing here. Influence means nothing here. "appropriated and stolen the art forms" -- this doesn't even make sense.

There is a channel that plays a set of genres in some proportions.
There are bands that play different genres in some proportions.
Channel select bands according to its set of preferred genres.

Now do a "Venn diagram" or whatever might help you to think.

[–] Thrillhouse@lemmy.world 10 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago)

…. You know that modern rock music as we know it was directly copying the work of black artists like Little Richard, right?

Maybe “bands play different genres in some proportions” (that you know of) due to the disproportionate marketing and airplay they received at the time Bowie was speaking about this issue.

Channels selected bands based on what they thought they could sell. And they weren’t interested in platforming black artists. Maybe they weren’t selling black music because the white music execs didn’t want to give it a chance (racism). This is exactly what people talk about when they say racism is a systemic issue.

There’s also a little bit of history to know that when Bowie was talking about this MTV was the biggest thing that could skyrocket an artist or a band to popularity. Multiple “channels” didn’t exist.

[–] LeninOnAPrayer@lemm.ee 1 points 14 hours ago

I don't need to know where you grew up. Youre alive right now. So you grew up in a world that was heavily influenced by black artists that you've never even heard the name of. I was trying to give you an "out" for your absolute stupidity and ignorance. But you just decided to doubled down. You clearly have a child's understanding of history. I can't help you with that. You have to seek it out on your own. Otherwise you can keep sounding like the really ignorant but confident uncle at the Thanksgiving table.

[–] clove@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 16 hours ago

Those who ignored history are the most dangerous.

[–] saltesc@lemmy.world -3 points 22 hours ago

No, no, no. This is all about race and not music genres. That's why MTV is always playing Dean Martin instead of Louis Armstrong. /s

If white people want see more black people on MTV then they need to start liking the genres black people are currently doing. But why anyone would listen to music for a skin colour is fucking weird anyway.

[–] Whateley@lemm.ee 0 points 12 hours ago

Bro acting like Jim Hendrix, Chuck Berry, and Little Richard don't exist.

As of 2023, Rap/hip-hop is the most popular genre in the US.

https://www.billboard.com/pro/top-music-genres-2023-rankings-analysis/