We are MTV

In 1981, our future had been decided... we were destined to a forever-changed society, revolving around the visual;  Or rather, MTV decided this future for us.  We were entranced from the very first video they played ("Video Killed The Radio Star,"), to a sudden emersion into this world of sex, drugs, and Pop Culture.  I honestly can't help but laugh at the completely unplanned irony that the producers decided upon.  The video DID kill the radio star, and instead created a puppet ready to dance for us 24/7; complete with scrunchies, extreme hair, fake tans, botox, and anything else our hearts desired.

"Video killed the radio star..."

MTV became an eye opener to the public, we began to realize the artist was no longer just a voice.  We wanted a "side of visual please"... we wanted everything that these people had.  So they don't have have vocal talent, WHO CARES! We always get what we want...
Manson chose to amuse us with his lipstick montage, Jackson became obsessed with making his body just right, and preforming females all over went into rehabilitation for eating disorders trying to impress us.  We quickly reject anything that makes us look inward.  These are what we've began to call the "independent" music.  But don't you see?  Because we have given it a title, they TOO are part of this influential mass.  WE WANT TO BE JUST LIKE THEM TOO!  It's not that we have become different from the MTV genre, it's that we have created more of them to fit our specific 'individualness'.  We now have this drive to be 'unique' so we reject cliques, but instead gather with those who think just like us, forming A WHOLE NEW CLIQUE ALL IN ITSELF!
We are not individuals... we are doing what we are told...

Our minds have begun to twist... we want to be exactly like those who are preforming for us, we want to look, think, act, BE them.  We want to be skinny, weird, tan, perfect because that's what we know. The visual is endangering those who preform, and it's quickly beginning to endanger us.

These past 20 years have been so influenced by the music video that we have willingly given away our ability to think freely; we acknowledge the fact that we want to be controlled, told what to wear, who to listen to, and where to buy clothes; If they show us, we don't have to decide on our own.  We gave up freedom of choice, which we had so desperately fought for since the formation of time...