Throwback Thursday-Punk’d (2003-2015)

Practical jokes are funny, the only catch is that they are funny when you are not the one who the joke is being played on.

Punk’d (2003-2015) aired on MTV for most of the time that it was on television. Hosted and produced by Ashton Kutcher, it was the Candid Camera of the MTV generation. The premise of Punk’d was that Kutcher would play elaborately staged pranks on his celebrity friends while the audience got their chuckles in at home.

Among the shows that was part of the MTV lineup during the early 00’s, Punk’d ranks high (which is not saying much). It was not a mind numbing reality show, but it was enjoyable and entertaining, at least for the viewers at home.

I recommend it.

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Throwback Thursday-Total Request Live (1998-2008)

Music and television were made for each other.

For a decade, Total Request Live (1998-2008) or TRL for short, was a staple of MTV’s schedule. Hosted by Carson Daly for most of the original run, TRL was sort of American Bandstand for the MTV generation. Guided by the fans, the crux of the show is the countdown of the most popular music videos of the day. In addition to the countdown, artists and actors would stop by, often to promote their latest project.

For a generation, TRL was appointment television. Airing just after school had ended, it gave us a chance to show our love to our favorite artists and perhaps act like a crazy teenage fan-boy or fan-girl.

I recommend it.

Flashback Friday- MTV Cribs (2000-Present)

One’s home says a lot about who they are, how they live and what they believe. When it comes to celebrity, those of us who do not live that lifestyle might be a tad curious to see how the other half lives.

MTV Cribs has been part of the MTV lineup for nearly two decades. A variation of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous for the MTV generation, the show takes viewers inside the homes of their favorite performers.

I have two reactions to show. My late teens and early twenties self enjoyed MTV Cribs because it was a window into a world that is not my own. But my thirty something self says that it feels weird to want to take a tour of another person’s home because of their fame.

Do I recommend it? Not really.