Some things — whether you love to hate them or actually just hate them — will never go away.
Even if you’re not a fan of television, prepare for MTV to make a cultural revival this fall, one that’s likely to be harder to escape than any before it — the return of Beavis and Butt-Head.
Regardless of the fact that the golden age of this show took place well before my MTV-viewing days, I could have readily told you its plot before any aspect of its popularity resurfaced.
Although this is partially due to the intentional simplicity of the animated hit, it’s also because of the impact that it left on American pop culture during its first go.
Who’s to say MTV isn’t true to its roots? Lately they’ve been upping the ante on controversial content, and the return of their classic Beavis and Butt-Head is sure to add to the trend.
How well it will go over with the new generation of viewers is another question altogether.
For everyone’s sake, let’s hope it’s better (and less promoted) than the network’s latest breakthrough attempt, Skins.
There is no doubt that the moronically entertaining show had its day, but it is a product of a different era. Word is that the reincarnation will include updates that will welcome Beavis and Butt-Head into the age of reality television and YouTube.
I have to say that, although I’m skeptical that I’ll be able to stomach much more than two minutes of the crude humor, I am excited to see what the boys will make of JWoww from Jersey Shore.
Even if my hopes aren’t the highest for this revival, there’s already a lot of noise about the first airing, projected for Oct. 27.
So far it seems to me that the audience is out there, but I doubt it’s the same audience that usually tunes in to MTV. This could either do good things for the company, or bad things for the returning show.
Beavis and Butt-Head is guaranteed at least one sliver of success, due to the fact that the current MTV generation always yearns for a little reminder of the ’90s. Perhaps this show can gain the status of Hey Arnold! re-runs on Nick.com, rollerblading around town or fashionable neon windbreakers.
But, as the Jurassic Park sequels prove, bringing back a classic certainly does not guarantee a success. It’s just as likely that it will only defame the original.
The return of the absurd characters of Beavis and Butt-Head may be a hit, or it may prove that MTV is just trying to sell out on a once-original idea. Either way, what we can draw from this is that they’re going to give it a try.
Love it or hate it, this comedy is soon to return to the pop culture radar.
Nicole Spears is a sophomore studying public relations and a columnist for The Post. Email her at ns307109@ohiou.edu if you’re tuning in for the big comeback.
