Instagram/@comiclonilove
Loni Love, stand-up comedian and TV host, had given her social media followers one of the most viral recollections ever in the hottest recapitulation so that it could be considered one of the most chaotic and memorable ones into the world. Patty Pop Culture, the punster in pop culture, was included in the post with Loni Love. The post garnered a huge response mainly because the audience congratulated themselves on their ignorance of generational knowledge of today’s music stars. The interaction only makes it more evident how the gulf is charting between generations of music fans and award show viewers.
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Poster Loni Love is always hip to culture and shared the clip of “Patty Pop Culture” with the detailed breakdown of this year’s VMAs captioned: “Stay hip with what the young boo boos are doing … thxs @pattypopculture!!!” The video gushes about every whirlwind moment of the night and takes the viewers on a rollercoaster ride up and down memory lane from Ariana Grande’s heartfelt win and reunion with Mariah Carey to what looked like Doja Cat’s mad dash on the red carpet where she ate her lipstick! Sabrina Carpenter’s politically charged performance for trans rights was documented as a landmark occasion, with Tate McCrae’s ferocious dancing being praised as “Britney Spears status.”
The real highlight was undoubtedly the tsunami of comments in the comment section, which connected succinctly with many of her audience who bemoaned their own unfamiliarity with most of the artists being celebrated. So really, the generational disconnect was the real story that unfolded.
staidneyaharris set the tone with a comment: “2006 baby here, I didn’t know HALF of the people😂.” From there license_refuse initiated a bevy of comments of people siding themselves as “old souls” who prefer the music of the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Many spared their compliments. Adding to the confusion, nvanschyver said, “In my best Keke Palmer voice I’m sorry to these people I don’t even know who they are.😂”
Puzzlement made way for humor. User ililybeth decided to invent a drinking game: “Everyone take a drink each time you think or say ‘who?’ 🤣.” Recording-users rationed a comment saying that they’ve been drinking for a while already. isa_lukmanulhakim posed a question of whether VMAs still exist: “VMAs is still a thing? Lol,” shortly followed by agreement from islandcupcake: “I honestly didn’t know they still had the VMAs.”
Attempting to list off all that they knew, including the classic ones Mariah Carey, Busta Rhymes, and LL Cool J, and tossing a few of today’s mega-stars in Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga, gtheprince22 said, “The only people I knew was LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes, Mariah Carey, Ariana Grande, Ciara, Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, Ricky Martin, Lady Gaga, Paris Hilton, and Tyla. Some of the rest I barely knew 😵💫”
Several users tried to defend the new generation artists and the point of being current. itsme_reab declared, “I love pop culture & stay on top of music so I do know these people👀.” Yet they were disappointed in that the younger generation didn’t seem to know Busta Rhymes’ music at all and suggested that “they shoulda moved that whole front pit to the back!!”
A reaction from Loni Love’s page is a microcosm to the larger conversation about the moving and changing music industry, and being older demographics of certain award shows. The VMAs are supposed to herald most popular and cutting-edge music videos of the year, but clearly, their audience is divided. To the younger generation, this is just another opportunity to see their idols, such as Chappell Roan and Ice Spice, while, to the older set, it almost feels like tuning into a foreign broadcast, where only the established legends float through the wall of familiarity.
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It surely did get them staying informed at Loni Love’s post. But the reaction just proves the point: for many, being informed is merely realizing just how far removed one is from the current pop landscape. The VMAs keep happening, but it seems like the shared cultural experience they birthed may very well be expired and gone. Loni Love also reminds us of the importance of staying aware of the evolving pop culture.