‘Best Fight Against the System’ Award Completes the VMA’s

In addition to going gender neutral in their music video award categories, which makes sense, since nobody actually knows who produces the music videos, certainly not the artists themselves, the MTV VMA’s this year are adding a “Best Fight Against the System” award. Before you hear what it entails, imagine something incredibly sermonizing and inane. In this way, you’ll be prepared for the truth.

Because of Trumps policies so radical they’re endorsed by the majority, so the opposite of radical, MTV is honoring music artists speaking truth to power. Or millionaires looking to cash in on the current young kid anti-Trump memes. The videos nominated all “inspire viewers to stand up and fight injustice”. Largely with hashtags and HuffPo OMG shares. Maybe yelling at their parents about the religion of peace and their curfews.

This year’s Best Fight Against the System nominees include:

John Legend, ‘Surefire’ where a Muslim and an illegal immigrant fall in love before ICE ruins everything.

John Legend, ‘Immigrants: We Get the Job Done’ from Hamilton. There seems to be a trend.

Logic, ‘Black Spiderman’ a rap song about racial diversity from a half-black rapper, demographically, enough said.

Big Sean, ‘Light’ bringing up the obstacles of racial discrimination.

Alessia Cara, ‘Scars to Your Beautiful Body’, encouraging body positivity.

Taboo (the guy you don’t remember from Black Eyed Peas), ‘Stand Up / Stand N’Rock #NoDAPL’, protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline. A real hit in the clubs.

It’s a dream Spotify playlist for suburban slacktavists. Leave it to the geniuses at MTV to bore right into the 25 and under zeitgeist, and exploit it cynically in all ways possible to turn a buck. 

There was a time when all teen music was anti-system. Though the system was broader than one guy in an orange toupee. Things like war and school principals and hard-ass parents and not being able to get laid. Imagine Dee Snider’s I Wanna Rock. Now imagine removing all the fun and making it bitter and preachy. Can’t wait to see who wins.