If you're of a certain age, it's fashionable to make fun of MTV by complaining that the cable network airs everything *but* music videos. Granted, it's a bit awkward at times, but I understand the business reasons why MTV quickly backed away from music videos--especially in primetime.

Music videos are produced by the labels and to a lesser extent the artists. And no cable network can afford to have their destiny tied to people they have no control over. If MTV had stuck with a video-rich programming schedule, they would either be on life support or under the creative control of the music labels.

What does bother me about MTV is the cynical tackiness of the sales weasels seemingly in control at the network. There seems to be no paid tie-in too shameless, no commercial opportunity too tacky to be turned away. When it comes to programming, MTV seems to have no problem whoring itself out at the drop of a ten dollar bill. Which might make it a godsend for the bottom line of Viacom, but it makes it pretty damn tough to watch.

That institutional tackiness was in full view during the one hour VMA pre-show that aired on Sunday night. While the program promised a look at the VMA red carpet, what it really delivered was a few short snippets of interviews and enough commercial plugs to fill the Home Shopping Network for a weekend.

From the endless plugs for Verizon Wireless to the Visa ticket giveaway to the Sears air band contest, it was a non-stop orgy of commercial plugs. The producers of "Fame" paid to have the cast pop up on the red carpet just long enough to introduce the "world premiere" of their music video, which will probably be the only time it airs in primetime on the network.

I get that music isn't the counterculture anymore, that bands have to sell out to get ahead. But the clumsy, awkward production values of shows like this are embarrassing to the artists and tough for viewers to wade through. Every moment was scripted and rehearsed in this way that was just soul-deadening. Aftert watching it, I stopped my DVR and vowed I was fast-forwarding through much of the VMAs.

If I wanted to watch programming this practiced and dull, I'd stick to ice skating.

"The Video Music Awards Preshow" aired on MTV on Sunday, Spetember 13th, 2009.