Linkin Park's Chester Bennington Blasts VMAs
Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington recently lashed out at the organizers of the MTV Video Music Awards for turning the prizegiving into an annual mess.
The rockers picked up a Best Rock Video gong for their "Shadow of The Day" promo - but the singer was far from happy about the overall event, which saw Britney Spears pick up three awards and comedian/host Russell Brand relentlessly poke fun at the Jonas Brothers.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly magazine, Bennington admits he was disappointed with the September 7 event.
He says, "Where were Foo Fighters and Nickelback? Or even a band like Three Days Grace, who had a pretty big year? There was no Vampire Weekend or Daughtry. It was very one-sided."
And he accuses the show itself of "raising the bar of confusion and disarray," adding, "The VMAs are consistently clusterf***s, and this year set a new standard.
"You had people who were invited sitting out in the streets. Plus, everybody was texting, no one was watching the show. I got super bummed out.
"I think the VMAs have completely lost touch with a broad scope of music. It was very bubblegum and Disney, which is why bands like Foo Fighters and everybody else in my group weren't there."
Source: IHeartMusic.com
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49 Comments on "Linkin Park's Chester Bennington Blasts VMAs"
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4. writes:
I hate Russell Brand so much. He's truely one of the most untalented, unfunny, pieces of sh** in the universe. I bet I could search every f***ing galaxy and not find anyone as worthless as he is. Bigger douche than John Edwards. I haven't watched a VMA show in years either and him hosting this years was good enough reason not to bother.
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5. writes:
100000% agreee with diamond....first of all when somebody first told me he was hosting i was like "who that f*** is that?" and i started seeing more and more of him out of nowhere...the most unfunny person on the earth...f***ing a$$ ugly with his horse-like grin. and the show itself was by far the worst in years...like 3dg or not one X was a good rock record and they didnt get anything im glad chester came out and said something
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6. writes:
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10. writes:
What a joke, he's sitting there whining about the pop leanings of the VMAs while advocating that Nickleback, the most generic, unoffensive and neutered band in rock isn't getting a share of the pie? Oh jeez, cry me a f***ing river. He should wake up and realise how waist deep he is in a shallow pop scene eating itself to survive.
Now Playing: Slough Feg - "Hardworlder"
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14. writes:
I disagree with Cynic/Kali - not in the point that Nickelback are mediocre and mainstream. That is true. There's totally no need to complain on their behalf. But I think, for a band that IS waistdeep in radio-friendly, accessible, mainstream, shallow music, Linkin Park are actually quite talented. Every once in a while they come up with an interesting hook. And they manage to include some quite well-thought out metaphors and similes in their lyrics, even managing to make them rhyme (not that I necessarily condone rapping, in general).
"A little piece of paper with a picture drawn
Floats on down the street 'til the wind is gone,
And the memory now is like the picture was then:
When the paper's crumpled up, it can't be perfect again."
^Poetically beautiful imagery, and surprisingly deep for a band in Linkin Park's genre. Nickelback, and most bands like Linkin Park, on the other hand, lack even that small amount of eloquency.
That is ALL that I will say in favour of Linkin Park. Though they are correct about the VMAs.
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20. writes:
Well, unfortunately for Chester and us metalheads, MTV is a company in the business of making money. While they don't seem to be wearing the hat of music purist, they did do their 'job' in pulling in higher ratings than the VMAs of '06 and '07 and thus, more advertising capital to satisfy the stock holders of this publicly traded company. I'd love to see Opeth, Behemoth, Gojira and the like receiving the airplay I know they deserve, but they are not money-makers compared to the rap and pop stars currently in that position. I dream of the day when 'Headbanger's Ball' is replaced with 'Booty Shaker's Party' and heavy music is played around the clock while hip-hop is relegated to their two-hour slot once a week. We can hope!
Lesson: MTV wants to be popular; they play pop music.
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24. writes:
Wow, most of you guys really do only know what you read. As someone who has met the guy let me tell ya... he is a whole hell of a lot more metal than a lot of people I've met.
The reason he tossed out bands like Nickleback is because he (Amongst a lot of others, most of which havn't won awards from the VMA) has said it time and time again that VMAs and shows like it will never have "offensive" music that would break the statis quo that is the more popular end of the music industry. If it was the early 90s when MTV had bands like Pantera being interviwed then I'd be on your side, but all he is saying is that instead of even so so bands, or people who actually WRITE their music being recognized, its "groups" and individual "artists" who think they are so fukin special that they don't need a last name.
25. writes:
I can't stand Linkin Park, but the little turd is right. The VMAs sucked! The host sucked! One of the worst VMA shows ever. And worse yet, MTV will replay the f*****g show over and over. Oh, and Headbanger's Ball sucks now because it's all commercials. Thank God for DVD players and the Web.
27. writes:
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29. writes:
He does have a point.
Even thought Linkin Park and Nickelback are piles of poo, they DO make the effort to produce something on their own, where as Britney... well, she just f*cking suck in everything sense of the word.
I'd rather see the VMAs taken over by wannabe metal bands than by blow job artists.
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32. writes:
because they always take away from the personal experience i feel myself by when i listen to the music. music vids, for me anyway, give songs sh**ty visual representation (that is often irrelevent to the lyrics and meaning of said songs) that have actually ruined songs for me in the past. a lot of vids are just bands lyp syncing on stage anyway. and if i want to see a band on stage i'd much rather listen/watch the band performing a live concert than the recording polluted with worthless imagery. that's just me though.
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33. writes:
Ah... good points. I do love a good video though. Never been disapointed with any Dimmu video, and do like live music videos. I hate the videos where bands set up a "live show" with fake fans! In that Slipknot video where they use real fans, you do see alot more of a pure emotion with the fans going crazier.
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36. writes:
I try to be lighthearted Kalis...Which reminds me:
Okay, I get that I'm not exactly the type to smile (that pic of me in the avy, that really is my face everywhere I go). But do people have to avoid me and assume I'm some kind of psycho? Whatever happened to talking to me first before making the assumption?
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42. writes:
Chester is right. The world has become obsessed with the piece of sh** tween idols of today. Hanna Montana, Jonas Brothers, High School Musical, it all f***in blows. I can't waith to catch one of the Jonas Brother faggets on the street. I'll knock the sh** outta him and then go listen to Pantera or Slipknot (real f***in music).
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45. writes:
Muslim chicks are hot, and they are held back by their tradition, whatever, having to where a veil in public, and cover up..right? I guess I should rephrase that, Hindu chicks are hot..but Muslim women, are women too. I agree with you CF...completely. Metal chick fukkin' rule..and a HINDU/Muslim metal chick would be that much better. Of course, Texas has some hot freakin' ladies...
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48. writes:
^Yeah, but the majority of American women are dog-ugly, too. Doesn't matter where you go, there'll be hot chicks and not-so-hot chicks. Race doesn't really have anything to do with it. As for Muslims, since you often can't see their face or body, it's not that they're less attractive, but simply that it is more difficult to tell if they're attractive or not. And if you can't immediately see that a person is good-looking, you tend to assume they're not.
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1. tirentu writes:
I hate him and his band, but he has a point.