CrunchGear

Ruined by tacky music..

His talent and personality got him the show but, old (pre-UTube/Internet) media had ways for cream like this to rise to the top. Whether skateboarding would be a such a major sport/entertainment sector without technology like Camcorders, cheap digital editing, self-publishing on self-burned DVD’s (something that I don’t you can do yet with Blue-Ray or HD-DVD yet easily) and lately self-publishing on the internet that with some devices doesn’t even have a middle step with some digital camcorders… Whether skateboarding would even be here in the same way it is now or at all is another discussion but, clearly looking at the video, he has a show because he is supremely talented with a skateboard and has a fearless personality.

Another discussion is how MTV isn’t a traditional company or even a traditional media company as what they do isn’t make products like shows, or even make lifestyle brands but, rather do something that some have named “marketing cool”. It’s something along the lines building a youthful context for marketers to associated with. Long gone are the videos and the idea of MTV as a music channel. They don’t even make TV shows really. It’s a sort of educational channel now. It’s like Sesame Street for pre-teens to young adults.

Take someone from the middle ages, sit them infront of a MTV for a month and (assuming it doesn’t kill them) after that they should be ready to assimilate into the modern global consumerist world we live in. They won’t know how an Cadillac Escalade works but they will want it to come with chrome 26’s.

His show on MTV is nothing special. They’ve given shows to people that come off the street. It’s a network where that’s seen as an asset. They want to keep having that socially relevant context for their advertisers and the fact that he’s a fresh amateur (media-wise) is a selling point. His buzz on UTube might have an impact on his contract negotiations and made him more expensive to MTV but, for them it’s the same ‘old game. And what they loose in higher sale price they probably make back in lower auditioning costs from people pre-vetting themselves as marketable entities and able to package a product. That is forgiveable because again, the product isn’t important, it’s the context.

that last trick was CGI’d, IMO.

It took one nasty fall on my old skateboard to swear off ever participating in this sport again… although these shots look amazing, broken bones and even concussions aren’t worth it. MTV show or not… stunts are usually performed with an incredible margin of safety, some of what is seen here is simply suicidal in my opinion, they are really burning through their 9 lives at a quick rate.

These guys set a very bad example, wearing NO safety equipment (helmet at the very least) and they shouldn’t be rewarded… they are talented but you only need one bad fall to end up 6 ft under.

Jon

^not true at all. as a skier myself, i have gotten seriously injured, but it is worth it. for some, huge injuries are worth it. I just watched a documentary (im blanking on the name) of a ski movie where the main skier dies. the movie is then devoted to other athletes who know of the danger, and who know many people who have died doing what they love. for some, obviously not for you, sports like these are a way of life and are worth the risk.

You don’t have to like what they’re doing, but that guy did a flip onto a damn skateboard. It was awesome.