Jennifer Lopez will receive the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award on August 20th at the VMAs. If you were paying attention last year when Pink was awarded this honour, you know that I was not impressed. I am still not impressed. I will not rest until MTV puts some respect on Missy ‘Misdemeanor’ Elliott’s name.
MISSY ELLIOTT HAS NOT WON A VIDEO VANGUARD AWARD YET. The all-caps are necessary. I am yelling. It’s unacceptable. This is getting embarrassing for MTV. Missy did not go this hard in the “Work It” video to be overlooked year after year. The most annoying thing about MTV’s blatant disregard for Missy’s mind-bending body of visual work is that Jennifer Lopez is not a terrible choice. I mean only a small amount of disrespect to JLo when I say that she does not deserve to be a Video Vanguard this year.
The word I kept repeating when I wrote about Pink’s videography was “iconic.” None of Pink’s videos are iconic. I’m not sure you can say the same about Jennifer Lopez. The “Jenny From The Block” music video will forever be remembered in gossip history for that shot of Ben Affleck caressing JLo’s million-dollar booty.
That shot IS iconic. I am in the exact right demo to remember every frame of JLo’s other most famous videos so I may be biased but there are a lot of memorable moments. I know you remember the “I’m Real (Remix)” music video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sjx9oSJDAVQ featuring Ja Rule and JLo’s pink velour tracksuit. That outfit is 2001. Her look in this video was copied by teenagers everywhere. I also remember the “Love Don’t Cost A Thing” video well because it introduced us to JLo’s second husband and backup dancer, Chris Judd.
JLo’s music videos are remembered sometimes for the fashion but mostly for the gossip. They are iconic in different ways than Missy Elliott’s. If we’re going on creativity and choreography, Missy wins every damn time. From that era, Missy is peerless. Even though JLo has given us some iconic frames, like this one from the Flashdance-inspired “I’m Glad”…
... it has still been more about Jennifer Lopez, the celebrity, than Jennifer Lopez, the music video artist. The closest JLo has come to delivering a video worthy of her Vanguard title is “Get Right.” She plays multiple characters and it’s her best choreography to date.
It’s a good video. And still, it doesn’t come close to “Get Ur Freak On” or “Pass That Dutch". I haven’t even brought up “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” or “Gossip Folks.” Missy deserves this. Even Jennifer Lopez knows Missy deserves this.
JLo didn’t exactly say that Missy deserves the Video Vanguard award over her but when she was asked who should get it next year and Missy Elliott’s name came up, she jumped at the chance to give Missy some love.
Jennifer Lopez says that her 2 choices for the recipient of the Video Vanguard Award for the 2019 #VMAs are Missy Elliot and Lady Gaga! pic.twitter.com/x8mWD2N1LE
— Gaga Tour News (@GagaTourNews) July 31, 2018
“Cutting edge” and “revolutionary.” This is how Missy’s videos are described in that clip. Can JLo say the same about her own catalogue? Lady Gaga was also on my short list over Pink for last year’s honour. Next month’s VMAs would have been a great kickoff to the A Star Is Born Oscar press tour. I don’t understand what happened. I have one final thing to say to MTV and for that I’m going to quote Sarah dragging me (as she does) on Twitter yesterday:
I just don't understand why you like being wrong
— Sarah (@Cinesnark) July 30, 2018
Attached -JLo all over New York yesterday.