Music Video.

MTV, or Music Television, a cable television network that devotes most of its programming time to video clips that accompany popular songs, has had a profound influence on young people, and on popular culture in general, since its first broadcast in 1982. Although originally conceived as a promotional tool for the popular music industry, it quickly assumed a life of its own and was embraced by young America as a source of information on the latest trends in music, fashion, and opinion. As a visual companion to rock 'n' roll, the video clips shown on MTV were frequently juvenile, vulgar, tasteless, and violent — which inevitably delighted teenage viewers and offended their parents. Advertisers and studio executives attempted to capitalize on the network's enormous success, and soon commercials, television series, and feature films were being shot in the style of music videos — with glossy visuals...