The title 2019 "MTV Video Music Awards" is fairly telling as this includes the year when this came out as well as the specific kind of show this is and also, even more specific, who is behind this. There are two directors here, both really experienced with this kind of ceremonies. One has even won multiple Primetime Emmys over the years, the other not so much, but this does not mean that one is less prolific or anything. On the contrary. Just less successful perhaps. Both have also been part of previous MTV Video Music Awards editions. The names are Rudzinski and Dugdale by the way. The latter has worked a lot with German artists like Helene Fischer or Die Toten Hosen. Not that I like those one bit. None of these two were part of the writing team here, a gigantic writing team, and I will not even start to talk about those in detail. Just check out the names if you care. This was a pretty long show at over 2 hours and 15 minutes and this does not even include commercials yet, so the live broadcast was perhaps three hours. This aired in late August 2019, half a year before corona started causing trouble, so it is not even 16 months old now. Relatively recent, although probably more time has passed depending on when you come across this review of mine. Maybe years even. Anyway, the quality here was not good in my opinion. Not at all. I probably would have given two more stars if it wasn't for the exaggerated quantity of music performances here. Like so many other awards shows, they forgot what this is about at its most essential. The consequence was basically a concert DVD with occasional awards interruption. Not the right approach by any means. And as it was really long, it felt even longer. The photo here on imdb also makes it pretty obvious what quality to expect. Or absense of quality. Style over substance all along really. Very disappointing. I have seen some other of these shows, but while those weren't particularly glorious either, this one is definitely right there, right down there with the weakest. Gotta admit with this kind of quality I would not expect the show at all if they decide to discontinue it. Which they won't obviously. Tough to find solid moment here. But there were some if you look closely enough. Wyclef's "Gone Till November" is definitely a classic. Kinda telling that such an old number has to save the show and also some of the old stuff by Missy Elliott. The only newer number I kinda liked was "Señorita" by Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes. Catchy tune. Not really challenging, but Cabello has solid talent and nice recognition value. I just hope she takes a better route than Grande. Definitely liked her a lot more a few years ago. Now her songs really all sound the same. Anyway, Miley was okay too and she has a great body no denying. The b&w aspects was fine as well. I like that. Who would have thought though that is is her dad and not her who gets one of the biggest hits of 2019. I am of course talking about "Old Town Road". Cool song. The quality did get a bit better in the middle no denying. The show started really poor with an annoying Taylor Swift number and even if I won't deny that it is a bit catchy, there is no doubt that she is wasting all the talent she displayed early in her career with one forgettable pop song after the next. But what is worse is probably that they are still giving her awards for something with abysmal lyrics like that one that is also a number that is zero challenging. And don't even get me started on her calling the people in the music video "her cast". Or how she is talking about politics. No offense, but she seems like such a simple girl. It feels all fake. And of course, she also has to emphasize that what she won was an award by the fans. Good for her I guess. Maybe the fans are not the smartest or at least their taste in music is very questionable. Speaking of undeserving awards recognition, what is up with Lizzo even getting awards recognition for her performance during this show? No words for that. Probably, even if she did not win, a decision even worse than all of the bad decisions made during this broadcast. In terms of awards winner, but also in general. Speaking of Lizzo, I see nothing in her, so kinda nice she lost this 1v1 award versus Billie Eilish. The latter is also overhyped, but not as bad as Lizzo at least. Anyway, a bit of a surprise to see the big Black woman lose to the slim White girl in times like these.
I just see that I haven't mentioned the host even. That one would be Sebastian Maniscalco. Who? That's right. I had no clue either. And after watching this show, I don't think it's my loss. His material was okay, his line delivery though could not have been any more stale and wooden. Disappointing. Then again why would they get somebody good to host an awards show where BTS, Cardi B, Jonas Brothers, Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande succeed. Enough said. Would have made no sense at all. As for Cardi B, she is basically just Nicki Minaj reloaded. The latter did nothing for me, same for Cardi. These people should not be famous at all. Look at Cardi B coming out with the background music "She's a B*tch". And how she clearly liked it. Self-explanatory. What else is there to elaborate on? The glory days of MTV seem to be long over. I mentioned this term before, but it is so fitting that I will do it again. If you take a look at dance moves, sets, make-up, clothing you will see many spectacular things. Too bad that you will not see a lot in terms of what this should be about, namely good and talented singers. Besides, in the sense of BLM etc, I guess they put political correctness over everything and this almost feels like a BET Awards ceremony. Country music is also absent unless you count the Billy Ray Cyrus song, but that is also at least as much Black music. Not that there is anything wrong with it. Lil Nas X does a pretty good job there with his voice, certainly a better job than with his solo number in here that by the way also got presented by Cyrus. But a little more variety would be nice. I mean just take the two medleys. So much screen time there for one and the same basically, just different songs and the fact that these medleys were nonetheless among the better moments of the night really says nothing positive about this show at all. Difficult to mention something positive here. I guess there were many really attractive girls in the crowd, more than usual. Also the eternal question comes to mind why are certain categories not part of this show. Really disrespectful to excluse those winners and nominees, so they have time and space to show even more live performances. I don't get why somebody would like this approach unless they are maybe right there where the event takes place and some of their favorite singers are performing live. Well, "live". We all know there is so much autotune and lip-syncing there because these kids don't need great, not even good, voices anymore to become famous. Kinda sad really. Also some of the awards announcers are questionable choices. I am not only talking about the football (or soccer) girls, but also some of the others that have no connection with music altogether. Like I said, they really made all he wrong choices for this event, no matter which decisions we are talking about. Not only in terms of who won the categories because let's be honest: Most of the other nominees weren't more talented either. Also kinda sad to see the Sopranos there. I lost a bit of respect for this show to be honest. May Gandolfini rest in peace and I hope he would not have been a part of this mess. Okay, time to end now. Just a few final words: Hailee Steinfeld is still a stunner, but even if she has been in music a lot, her appearance here is symbolic for all the wrong choices she made over the last decade after giving an absolutely mesmerizing child performances that could have paved the path to greatness. Look where she is instead. This is not even mediocrity. It was a terrible awards show. "Awards show". Highly not recommended. Somebody save the music. Oh well, you just have to look elsewhere and you will still find quality stuff. What we got here is the exact opposite.
I just see that I haven't mentioned the host even. That one would be Sebastian Maniscalco. Who? That's right. I had no clue either. And after watching this show, I don't think it's my loss. His material was okay, his line delivery though could not have been any more stale and wooden. Disappointing. Then again why would they get somebody good to host an awards show where BTS, Cardi B, Jonas Brothers, Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande succeed. Enough said. Would have made no sense at all. As for Cardi B, she is basically just Nicki Minaj reloaded. The latter did nothing for me, same for Cardi. These people should not be famous at all. Look at Cardi B coming out with the background music "She's a B*tch". And how she clearly liked it. Self-explanatory. What else is there to elaborate on? The glory days of MTV seem to be long over. I mentioned this term before, but it is so fitting that I will do it again. If you take a look at dance moves, sets, make-up, clothing you will see many spectacular things. Too bad that you will not see a lot in terms of what this should be about, namely good and talented singers. Besides, in the sense of BLM etc, I guess they put political correctness over everything and this almost feels like a BET Awards ceremony. Country music is also absent unless you count the Billy Ray Cyrus song, but that is also at least as much Black music. Not that there is anything wrong with it. Lil Nas X does a pretty good job there with his voice, certainly a better job than with his solo number in here that by the way also got presented by Cyrus. But a little more variety would be nice. I mean just take the two medleys. So much screen time there for one and the same basically, just different songs and the fact that these medleys were nonetheless among the better moments of the night really says nothing positive about this show at all. Difficult to mention something positive here. I guess there were many really attractive girls in the crowd, more than usual. Also the eternal question comes to mind why are certain categories not part of this show. Really disrespectful to excluse those winners and nominees, so they have time and space to show even more live performances. I don't get why somebody would like this approach unless they are maybe right there where the event takes place and some of their favorite singers are performing live. Well, "live". We all know there is so much autotune and lip-syncing there because these kids don't need great, not even good, voices anymore to become famous. Kinda sad really. Also some of the awards announcers are questionable choices. I am not only talking about the football (or soccer) girls, but also some of the others that have no connection with music altogether. Like I said, they really made all he wrong choices for this event, no matter which decisions we are talking about. Not only in terms of who won the categories because let's be honest: Most of the other nominees weren't more talented either. Also kinda sad to see the Sopranos there. I lost a bit of respect for this show to be honest. May Gandolfini rest in peace and I hope he would not have been a part of this mess. Okay, time to end now. Just a few final words: Hailee Steinfeld is still a stunner, but even if she has been in music a lot, her appearance here is symbolic for all the wrong choices she made over the last decade after giving an absolutely mesmerizing child performances that could have paved the path to greatness. Look where she is instead. This is not even mediocrity. It was a terrible awards show. "Awards show". Highly not recommended. Somebody save the music. Oh well, you just have to look elsewhere and you will still find quality stuff. What we got here is the exact opposite.
