It’s that time of year again. The MTV Movie Awards air this weekend and we’re all looking forward to it with equal amounts of anticipation and dread. Let’s face it – most of us should have probably stopped watching 10 years ago. But every year the producers slip something into the show to hook us right back in.
You aren’t a pop culture phenomenon until you’ve made it onto the MTV Movie Awards. And for those of us into that sort of thing, it really is an unmissable event.
Maybe you can only tolerate watching clips of the show the following day, other people will tune out after the red carpet arrivals, and the total martyrs will valiantly sit through the whole thing… Either way, most of us can’t escape being a little interested in what’s going on and somehow it always manages to ping the radar.
Guilty pleasure
Listen, here’s a fact. There are a lot of popular beautiful people that show up to the MTV Movie Awards. People we like to stare at, talk about, and mock relentlessly. There is something dark and wonderful about watching the dismay unfold live. It’s not the most flattering time to be a part of the human race but it is a pretty entertaining experience nonetheless.
You really haven’t lived until you’ve live blogged an award show. And experiencing the horror of a Katy Perry dress with the world isn’t something you want to say you missed out on. Plus, all the pop culture nerds know it’s not about what you’re watching, it’s about embracing the trends of our time and having fun with it! Even if that includes fart jokes and dresses we would rather see lit on fire.
Rare Enjoyment
Nine times out of 10, the show really is a train wreck. Awkward pauses, jokes that fall flat, terrible hosts, and people going totally off the rails – ‘because screw it, it’s just MTV after all’. But occasionally, there are these shining moments of perfection that we cling to for years later.
For instance: If Kristen’s famous trophy drop wasn’t a PR stunt, then it totally should have been. Because nothing says ‘I’m awkward Kristin Stewart – Being awkward and adorable – Please love me’ like the actress dropping her golden popcorn in front of the whole world.
Best Female Performance – 2009
Or how about the time that Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams wowed the audience with their little on stage makeout? We have it under good authority that there are people STILL rewatching this clip and dreaming of the day these two get back together.
Best Kiss – 2005
And for the older crowd, you know your soul died a little while watching Jim Carrey stumble around in a fake identity to receive his award back in 1999. In pre nip-slip days you really had no idea what was coming next. Even long before the rise of Twitter or other social media sites, the moment lives on in infamy. A testament to its epicness.
Best Male Performance – 1999
Fandom Influence
Aside from the rare glimmering moment’s of awesomeness – that’s not what really draws audiences in anymore.
At some point MTV caught on to just how powerful and passionate the fandom crowd is. They always knew teenagers had a special ability to latch on and dedicate themselves to a specific interest, but it wasn’t until the late 2000’s that they started to cash in on the enthusiasm.
If you weren’t into the Twilight fandom, fair enough, but there was a time when MTV basically partnered with the movie franchise. There were promos, trailers, cast appearances, skits… Basically, anything and everything Twilight related was featured. And let’s not even talk about the crowd reaction to one Mr. Robert Pattison. If you didn’t awkwardly squirm in your seat every time that boy took to the stage, you have no soul. Poor thing always looked like he’d rather be having four root canals at once than being paraded in front of the shrieking masses.
All things come to an end though. Twilight has departed and the Hunger Games reign is upon us. This year’s audience is being promised the Catching Fire trailer.
‘Catching Fire’ trailer preview at MTV Movie Awards!
Do you know how many people will be tuning into the event just to see this trailer? Hint: it’s a lot – Hypable writers included. Plus, the Teen Wolf fandom has reason to get excited as well. Word on the street is that they will be getting their own little preview during the live event. So it isn’t just the movie industry that tries to cash in on this collection of beautiful people acting a little bit ridiculous. Fandoms of all shapes and sizes benefit.
Reluctant Acceptance
One day, ONE DAY, we’re going to be old and wise enough to let this show slip by without ever giving it a thought. But for many of us, we’re kidding ourselves to think that this is the year. The Pitch Perfect cast is slated to perform, Macklemore is doing his thing, the Catching Fire trailer is something that can’t be missed, and the ever amazing Rebel Wilson will be hosting.
Now, we’re not suggesting that you should actually get your hopes up or anything. But this year is actually shaping up to have some potential. If you want to survive/make-the-most-out-of-the-experience, here are a few suggestions:
1). Designate an official watching partner. Preferably a friend with a super sharp tongue and hoards of pop culture knowledge. Basically, anyone who will provide you with an entertaining stream of commentary.
2). Keep Twitter open at all times. If done correctly, you can distract yourself long enough with hilarious tweets to make the secondhand embarrassment worth it.
3). Get drunk (21 and over crowd), because everything is fantastically more amusing when it’s in double. So take a shot every time there’s a terrible pun or a reference to a movie you hate.
Follow these steps and you might be surprised how much fun you have watching this year!