ROUND 1: VJ DISMAY
MUCHMUSIC: The VJ is a coveted job in Canada with only about 20 across the country. MTV Canada’s hosts are Daryn Jones and Jessi Cruickshank whose hair is so red, she could pass for a Weasley. Sadly, there’s nothing magical about their VJ talents.
MTV: On the other hand, Matte Babel and Sarah Taylor are two of the video jockeys on MuchMusic. The whole cast of Much personalities have a passion for the part and a natural ability to connect with the audience without annoying the viewers.
It’s a good thing Daryn is a comedian because the VJs on MTV Canada are a joke.
SCORE: MUCHMUSIC – 1
MTV CANADA – 0
ROUND 2: SHOW SCUFFLE
MUCHMUSIC : MuchOnDemand, or MOD, is MuchMusic’s flagship show, but otherwise most of the Much programming is rerun after rerun. From Video On Trial to The IT List, Much packs a lot of the same old punch.
MTV: One needs only mention Pimp My Ride, Laguna Beach, and The Hills (the list goes on) to prove that MTV is a reality TV treasure. The only snag is MTV Canada’s boring counterpart to MOD, MTV Live.
Simply put, MTV has better shows. MTV ties it up.
SCORE: MUCHMUSIC – 1
MTV CANADA – 1
ROUND 3: ROOTS RUMBLE
MUCHMUSIC: MuchMusic was launched in 1984 to compete with the success of MTV. Today, it has established itself as a permanent part of Canadian pop culture. Where would we be without it?
MTV: It may be called MTV Canada, but let’s not forget that MTV is originally an American invention formed in 1981. The MTV invasion has taken over the world, from Brazil to Holland and everywhere in between.
The Much identity has a unique Canadian flair that you can’t import. MTV drags behind…
SCORE: MUCHMUSIC – 2
MTV CANADA – 1
ROUND 4: AWARDS ACTION
MUCHMUSIC: The MuchMusic Video Awards attract top-notch talent from Canada and the US, including the likes of Hedley and Nelly Furtado, for the biggest party in the country! Best of all, it’s great to see a Canadian station actually honouring Canadian music.
MTV: The VMAs always put on a great show (remember the Britney and Madonna controversy?). However, MTV Canada doesn’t host its own awards for Canadian artists. Instead, the channel broadcasts the American awards. In that case, you might as well watch the real MTV!
And the award goes to…MuchMusic! The MMVAs steal Round 4.
SCORE: MUCHMUSIC – 3
MTV CANADA – 1
ROUND 5: MUSIC MATCH
MUCHMUSIC: MTV is where the M stands for Miserable. Actually, it stands for Music, although you’d never know it. MTV Canada is more talk than rock, pop, and rap combined. In fact, I haven’t even seen a FULL music video on MTV Canada…ever.
MTV: MuchMusic has much more music to offer than MTV Canada. You can catch the latest tunes and beats on the Countdown and watch exclusive new videos as they premiere on MOD.
MuchMusic makes MTV look like Monkey Television.
SCORE: MUCHMUSIC – 4
MTV CANADA – 1
ROUND UP: MTV Canada, welcome to “The Real World”. Jimi Hendrix said, “Music is my religion” and for millions of youth, MuchMusic is their Bible. Both music stations have inspired a generation of youth to sing it loud and proud, but only MuchMusic was “Born To Be” #1.
Web Links:
www.muchmusic.com
www.mtv.ca