I don't blame you for missing the MTV Video Music Awards last night. MTV hasn't paid attention to heavy metal in quite a long time, and wasn't about to start this year. Still, as somebody who watched every VMAs of the 90s and early 00's, I have no problem DVR'ing the event and scanning through it and feeling old about how I don't recognize a lot of the people.
Beforehand, I started getting nostalgic for when MTV did care about metal bands, like when Metallica and Guns N Roses won Video Music Awards, when Marilyn Manson showed his ass on live TV, when Korn won awards and when Mudvayne shocked everybody.
Flashback to when the #VMAs actually included metal bands. pic.twitter.com/nESf1I9Eg2
— Metal Injection (@metalinjection) August 30, 2020
While initially the award show was given the green light to happen at Barclay's Center, MTV decided not to do a live event in an enclosed space, and instead opted for this odd, pre-taped heavily green screened award show. It made for some unique performances. But where was the metal?
Was somebody wearing a metal shirt? No.
Was somebody giving a metal band a shout out? No.
This is literally the closest thing to a metal moment during the whole show:
Yes, that's it. Lady Gaga (barely) giving the horns is as close to a metal moment as we pleb metalheads get at the VMAs.
Not to question Gaga's metal cred, as we know she's a fan, but a look at a press shot from this moment shows she's not even giving the horns correctly. (Also LOL at this tweeter's take on her giving the horns)
Lady Gaga 2020
MTV awards where DeBlasio & Cuomo exempted them from quarantine rules. Fitting.Straight up Satanic pic.twitter.com/8dHwI9LjQF
— Ed ☯️ (@DowdEdward) August 31, 2020
Forget about metal, there wasn't even any rock on the show. The closest thing to rock would be Machine Gun Kelly's performance during the pre-show, where he was joined by Travis Barker for a pop-punk song.
So, yeah, I don't know what I was expecting. But I just wish when companies advertise "a celebration of music," that metal be included in the conversation. Last year wasn't any better.
Did you watch the Video Music Awards at all?
