VH1 Loses Creator of Hit Shows

GOP candidate channels VH1's late-'90s hit

(NEWSER) - GOP hopeful Rick Santorum's latest campaign ad doesn't exactly scream 2012. The video is seemingly inspired by VH1's cult classic TV show Pop Up Video, which was a huge hit after it debuted in 1996 (it was resurrected in October of this year ). In the 60-second spot, the former Pennsylvania senator plays backyard sports with his kids as trivia bubbles pop into view containing fascinating tidbits, such as "All the Santorum children were homeschooled." New York's Daily Intel blog notes: "It's the bubble-popping sound effect that really makes it." More»

Even so, you might appreciate the nostalgia: critics

(NEWSER) - Beavis and Butt-head are back—but two decades later, MTV’s pair of dimwits is no longer critiquing just music videos. They have now added reality shows, movies, and viral videos to their repertoire. But do we still need them?

• Matthew Gilbert, Boston Globe : Back in the early 1990s, Beavis and Butt-head was perfect for the time. Kids were starting to become “media-savvy”—AKA, “growing cynical and ironic”—and the show “perfectly captured that punchy tone.” But nowadays, reality shows will be the first to mock their own ridiculousness, and most audience members are already laughing at them. “Plus, we still have South Park” for our necessary dose of snark. The new Beavis and Butt-head, therefore, “works just OK” and “isn’t as essential as it once was."

And 'Dark Knight' just might end up filming them, too

(NEWSER) - Participating in Occupy Wall Street might actually get you a job … on the Real World. The New York Observer points to a Craigslist ad that showed up Monday: “MTV's Real World is seeking cast members to tell their unique stories on our show,” it reads. “Are you a part of the OCCUPY WALL STREET movement?” If so, better get your bio and three recent pictures over to Bunim/Murray Productions lickety split! But if you "appear to be" over the age of 24, you need not apply... More»

The ladies pull in 12 of 15 awards yesterday, led by Adele with 4

(NEWSER) - Katy Perry won the top prize at last night's MTV Video Music Awards, in an event that was dominated by women. Perry took home three Moonmen, including one for video of the year for "Firework," reports the Hollywood Reporter. "There's nothing like your first time, your first Moonman, right?" said Perry as she accepted her award. "Now this is a time you want to interrupt me right, Kanye?" she asked Mr. West, who has been known to do that sort of thing . Perry also won for best collaboration (with Kanye West) and best special effects for "ET." More»

'Village Voice' highlights the frighteningly specific warnings

(NEWSER) - Want to appear on MTV's Real World? First you might want to take a look at the contract, an "amusingly specific ... 30-page spectacular" the Village Voice got its hands on. Highlights, as interpreted by Camille Dodero:

• "You may die, lose limbs, and suffer nervous breakdowns."
• "If you undergo any medical procedures while involved in the show, they carry the risk of infection, disfigurement, death."
• "You may be humiliated and explicitly portrayed 'in a false light.'"
• "If you contract AIDS or other sexually transmitted diseases while filming ... MTV is not responsible."