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As sorta-predicted in this space Friday, MTV is using the Best Pop Video category in this year’s Video Music Awards to promote a big showdown between the morose Germans of Tokio Hotel and the fresh-faced American boys that make up the Jonas Brothers. Thanks to the online efforts of their fanbases, both bands have clips nominated in the Best Pop Video category, where they’ll do battle with the previously nominated Britney Spears, the shrillly omnipresent Danity Kane, and the more popular than their Soundscans might indicate Panic At the Disco. MTV has also announced the nominees for Best Hip-Hop video, and among them are the earth-shattering collaboration between Kanye West, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, and Hype Williams and Flo Rida’s deathless “Low.” (Click on the moonman for the two categories’ full slates.)
BEST POP VIDEO:
Danity Kane – “Damaged”
Director: Syndrome
Jonas Brothers – “Burnin’ Up”
Directors: Brendan Malloy & Tim Wheeler
Panic At The Disco – “Nine In The Afternoon”
Director: Shane Drake
Britney Spears – “Piece Of Me”
Director: Wayne Isham
Tokio Hotel – “Ready, Set, Go!”
Directors: Warwick & Haering
BEST HIP-HOP VIDEO:
Mary J. Blige – “Just Fine”
Director: Chris Applebaum
Lupe Fiasco – “Superstar”
Director: Hype Williams
Flo Rida – “Low”
Director: Bernard Gourley
Lil Wayne – “Lollipop”
Directors: Gil Green & Dwayne Carter
Kanye West – “Homecoming”
Director: Hype Williams
Video Music Awards [MTV.com]
But all of these videos are terrible! I suppose MTV viewers who vote for things online aren’t really going to pick high-art videos but not ONE video with even a shred of visual interest outside of the star (”hot” for JB/TH, “trainwreck you can’t tear away from” for Britney, “just perplexingly fascinating” for Lil Wayne, “look at those steroids” for Flo Rida) made it through?
SO WRONG
@Nunya B: The JBs video at least is deeply entrenched in the conventions of music video. It’s hardly a mere performance; it adopts the trope/cliché of artists speculating on their own video treatment while reifying the cultural ideas within the “treatments” (Miami Vice, James Bond, and kung fu). I don’t think it’s a particularly great video, despite the winking cameos that probably fly over the heads of many JB fans, but to say there’s not a shred of visual interest is a bit excessive.
i actually don’t hate most of the pop videos–though i can’t stand britney’s furs or tokio hotel in general. i’m surprised chris brown didn’t sweep both categories, though. and let us give thanks and praise that soulja boy wasn’t nominated, too.
@bcapirigi: Soulja Boi shoulda been nominated for this video:
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