MTV wasn’t mad at Kanye West using a chunk of his 11-minute Video Vanguard Award acceptance speech to take shots at the network at Sunday night’s VMAs. In fact, they liked it so much they’re debating giving the entire broadcast over to Kanye next year.
According to TMZ, West hosting next year’s Video Music Awards is a concept that’s “on the table” at the network. Apparently, Kanye was only supposed to talk for two minutes, but the network let him go on because they loved his speech that much, even if he had some things to say about awards shows in general, and MTV in specific. After alluding to the infamous incident when he interrupted Taylor Swift’s speech at a previous VMA ceremony, West went on:
You know how many times MTV ran that footage again because it got them more ratings? You know how many times they announced Taylor was presenting this award because it got more ratings? Listen to the kids, bro! I still don’t understand award shows. I don’t understand how they get five people who work their entire life, sold records, sold concert tickets, to come, stand on a carpet and for the first time in their life, be judged on a chopping block and have the opportunity to be considered a loser. I don’t understand it bro! I don’t understand what the biggest album or the biggest video… I’m conflicted bro. I just wanted people to like me more.
But f*ck that, bro!
West’s emotional, brutally honest talk (does Kanye do any other kind, really?) was probably the second most talked about moment from the ceremony, after Nicki Minaj tossing verbal daggers at Miley Cyrus. Cyrus getting this year’s hosting gig proves MTV is willing to do anything to spark interest in its once-signature-but-now-stale event. Given Kanye’s willingness to say and do whatever he feels, and his ability to get people riled up on both sides of the divide, it makes sense the network would want to give him a mic for three hours next year and see if he can help save the VMAs. He’s like that scene in the Howard Stern biopic Private Parts:
Researcher: The average radio listener listens for 18 minutes. The average Howard Stern fan listens for – are you ready for this? – an hour and 20 minutes.
Pig Vomit: How can that be?
Researcher: Answer most commonly given? “I want to see what he’ll say next.”
Pig Vomit: Okay, fine. But what about the people who hate Stern?
Researcher: Good point. The average Stern hater listens for two and a half hours a day.
Pig Vomit: But… if they hate him, why do they listen?
Researcher: Most common answer? “I want to see what he’ll say next.”
That’s Kanye West: Whether you love him or hate him (and there’s no gray area), you watch him, and you want to talk about what he’s just done. But, of course, just because MTV wants Kanye West doesn’t mean West wants MTV. It remains to be seen if he has any interest in actually hosting the VMAs. I’d guess the answer to that is “no” but, then again, Mr. West has surprised us before.
(Via TMZ)