MTV Unveils Digital Music Awards, Embarrassing Attempts to Be “Hip” with the Internet

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MTV has announced details of its digital music awards show by proving that it’s “down with the kids” and releasing the details on its own Tumblr site. But, wait, it gets better. Officially titled the O__ Music Awards – MTV is officially saying that “the O preceding the Music Awards in OMAs will be purposely left unassigned and open for the audience interpretation” – the nameless blogger over at theomas.tumblr.com offers the best explanation yet for the bizarre name:

We’re calling this music revolution the OMAs, but you’ll probably end up calling it the OMGs.

You see? It’s like an acronym pun! Here’s the rest of the trying-far-too-hard intro:

The first-ever MTV Video Music Awards hit the airwaves back in the dark ages of 1984, when dinosaurs roamed the land, men regularly and without irony wore tank tops and mullets, music came out of boxy little plastic cartridges, and the concept of an “Internet” meant getting your tennis ball stuck in a net. Even though 1984 was an oppressive society, with  no “Like” button to easily express your solidarity with, say, pizza, or your friend’s purchase of a new pair of sneakers, the VMAs were still a Very Big Deal; Madonna humped a stage! The music was loud! Artists dressed to regret, not impress, and MTV’s new awards show grew from a Very Big Deal into a worldwide music phenomenon.

But back then, there was no Internet or Angry Birds to distract people, so people had way more time on their hands. Today we are a modern people! I mean, even the Internet is starting to feel passé. (No one even uses Myspace anymore!) So the idea of a traditional televised music awards show feels a little… yesterday. (EXCEPT DON’T FORGET TO WATCH THE 28th ANNUAL MTV VMAS, LIVE, SUNDAY, AUGUST 28, 2011 AT 9PM!)

Your life and your music are all online. The Internet is an endless well of music (as well as the answer to “Why doesn’t MTV play videos?”). And that’s why MTV  is ushering in the next wave of music award shows. And we’re doing it online with the  first-ever OMAs, an all-out, unhinged online awards show, complete with never-before-seen music collaborations and performances, and music moments honoring artists, fans, and innovators driving – and changing – digital music.

Unfortunate-snark-inviting name and “Hey, we use Tumblr and say OMG just like you!” positioning aside (But at least it’s apparently official now that the internet is why MTV doesn’t play music videos anymore), the OMAs are clearly being considered a big deal by MTV parent company Viacom; the ceremony will appear not only on MTV’s website, but also VH1.com, CMT.com and LOGOTV.com, as well as being heavily pushed through social media. Who knows? Pretty soon, we may just call this “music revolution” the OWhyDon’tYouJustStopForcefeedingUsYourBrandingAndJustLetUsGetBackToFindingThingsWeLikeByOurselvesMAs.

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