A Kiss For MTV

In a transformative age where surrealism, experimental narratives and countercultural art has so vehemently infiltrated the mainstream, it would be a crime not to pay homage to the revolutionary origins of these aesthetics. 

On August 1st, 1981, MTV aired on cable television for the very first time, marking a pivotal moment in media history and visual language as we once knew it. Though initially conceived as a music video channel, MTV's creative ambitions quickly transcended this format, giving rise to content like the avant-garde animation showcase Liquid Television and full-length television series flooded with raw, witty and sarcastic cultural commentary such as Daria. While the network was destined to gain mass popularity, the content  appeared vastly unconventional for its time. This cable upstart would soon evolve from a scrappy music video jukebox into a global tastemaker that would redefine artistic boundaries across film, television, and popular culture at large. It is important to acknowledge that despite its revolutionary aesthetics, MTV faced significant criticism in its early years for predominantly featuring white artists – a contradiction to its countercultural posturing that revealed the limits of its progressive vision. While the network has made great strides towards inclusivity since, its discriminative history should be kept in mind throughout the following analysis of its artistic legacy. This article will focus on MTV's often overlooked, non-music video programming, examining their creative experiments and significant contributions to contemporary visual culture. 

While music videos garnered the spotlight, MTV's most subversive artistic statement arguably resided in its interstitial programming–specifically, its bumpers. These brief segments played between videos, shows and commercials, featuring the title and logo of the MTV channel. Said "indents," as they came to be known in the industry, progressed into infamous representations of innovative broadcast design, motion graphics, and experimental, mixed-media art that influenced generations of designers and visual artists, such as myself, to come. MTV indents, featuring animated and mixed media art that ranged from comedic, disorienting, audacious, comforting, absurdist, and sincerely nauseating, cultivated a stage on which starkly expressive and unorthodox artworks were offered their moment in the limelight. 

Henry Selick, visionary director behind cult classics like Coraline and The Nightmare Before Christmas, found some initial footing as an animator for MTV indents which exemplify the channel's distinctive aesthetic and experimental approach to visual storytelling. The stop-motion techniques and darkly whimsical sensibilities – that would later define Selick's cinematic masterpieces – expose their roots in his early surrealist indent works. One such work titled “Doorway Butler,” broadcast in 1987, seamlessly exemplified his budding visual language at the time. MTV’s indent artworks evidently became an unexpected breeding ground for what would eventually revolutionize mainstream animation.

Now, it is imperative we discuss the triumph that was MTV’s animation showcase broadcast, Liquid Television which ran from 1991-1995, each episode a montage of mixed media shorts. The intention of the broadcast was to highlight the work of independent artists. This meant MTV was commissioning independent artists and scouting festivals left and right–the show’s sole source of content. Have you ever seen Adult Swim’s Off The Air? It’s great. And it’s the same thing. 

Liquid Television perfectly embodied MTV's embrace of the unconventional–a collection of visual languages that could only be described as unfamiliar and fundamentally strange (and I mean that as the highest of compliments). The fragmented narratives and mixed media techniques cultivated a dreamlike atmosphere that transcended reality. Not only did the showcase put a spotlight on alternative aesthetics, but by sourcing from and elevating underground artists, Liquid Television built a bridge between counterculture and mass media. 

The direct parallel between Liquid Television and Adult Swim's Off The Air stands testament to MTV's enduring impact on modern media culture. Both shows share a commitment to experimental animation and mixed-media shorts, non-narrative storytelling, and showcasing the work of independent artists. This wasn't mere imitation but a continuation of the artistic lineage Liquid Television established. Unsurprisingly, the similarities between MTV and Adult Swim extend far beyond these two programs. Each network, cut from remarkably similar cloth, despite their differences in media format, built their identities as artistic outsiders. 

In the late 1990s, MTV began producing its own television shows that most prevalently captured youth perspectives with unprecedented authenticity. A particularly notable series of theirs was titled Daria, starring an intelligent, unapologetically disaffected female protagonist whose sardonic commentary on high school life resonated deeply with teen audiences. Similarly, the ridiculously under-appreciated sole season of MTV Downtown employed a fascinating documentary-inspired animation style and slice-of-life approach to the exploration of urban youth culture in New York City. For this show, the creators took an extra step outside the box. Basing their characters and storylines off every-day New Yorkers with stories and feelings to share, they first conducted random interviews on the streets of the East Village, and even recruited some interviewees to voice their character on the show. Both of these shows do a remarkable job at speaking directly to young viewers while refusing to pander or moralize. 

MTV's influence permeates contemporary television and general media in both obvious and subtle ways From the rise of animated programs targeting adult audiences to the influx of raw, uncensored youth-centered narratives, MTV’s profound impact on modern media is epitomized in the world of television alone. The willingness of MTV to platform unconventional artistry and authentic voices has, over time, established a template for programming that shocks, bewilders, and intimately acknowledges its audiences. The network's greatest achievement has been providing undeniable proof that technically experimental, socially challenging content was never destined to remain on the fringes. This being said, the roots of unconventional art will forever lie in misrepresented and alienated identities. Revisiting the MTV archive in 2025 serves as a reminder of numerous creatives who blurred the lines between the ordinary and the strange so that today we may appreciate individualistic, eccentric art on popular media platforms or even the big screen. 

Kisses for MTV,

Another freak