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  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 11, age appropriate for kids over 13; suggested age 14.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0

  • Common Sense says

    The history of music videos in all its tacky, fleshy glory.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 14 and Up

The good stuff

  • Educational value:

    Not an issue.

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Lyrics and images are censored on the site, but that doesn't keep users from posting harsh comments and suggestive profile pictures. In videos like 2 Live Crew's "Me So Horny "and Eminem's "Stan," much of the violent or sexual content is blocked, but there are plenty of suggestive videos.

  • Violence:

    Guns, bodies, and blood are shown. Lyrics are edited and words like "bullet" and "killed" may be edited, but there are graphic images.

  • Sex:

    A lot of skin and booty shaking. You can watch Shakira grind on "Hips Don't Lie" and Madonna writhe in "Justify My Love," but these are all things that have been shown on MTV. Although there's never full-frontal nudity, the music videos usually do a clever job of including as much flesh as possible.

  • Language:

    Music videos feature the "clean" version of most songs. However, words like "b-tch" and "-ss" make it past editing.

  • Consumerism:

    There is very little advertising on the site. However, MTV collects information from the membership process, including email addresses, and the user terms explain that members may be contacted by advertisers for promotions and contests. The site has plans to send messages over registered digital devices, so members can receive text message promotions.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Some songs include references to drugs, such as the Wu-Tang Clan's "C.R.E.A.M.," which includes the line "no question I would speed for crack and weed, the combination made my eyes bleed." Alcohol is shown in many videos although the labels are blurred on bottles.

What Parents Need to Know

This review of MTVMusic was written by Jacqueline Rupp

Parents need to know that the videos on this site run the gamut from kid-friendly pop to street-smart gangsta rap to super sexy R&B.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about how the quality, content, and direction of music videos has changed over the years. This might be the first time your kids have seen the music videos that began the medium. What can you learn from these videos about what was in style and popular ten or 20 years ago?
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More on MTVMusic

What’s the Story?

MTVMUSIC.COM offers nearly 20,000 music videos (and some MTV concerts) dating from the early 1980's when the ground-breaking cable station first wedded music and TV. The site offers social networking spaces, including a membership area, profile pages (ala MySpace), and user comments. Eventually, amateur musicians will be able to upload their own music videos.
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Is It Any Good?

There's an addictive quality to this site that can lead music fanatics on a time-hogging -- but entertaining -- video-viewing trail. But beware, the trail can lead to some raunchier content. While only the "clean" versions of the songs are offered, many images, lyrics, and user comments are inappropriate for young viewers.

The site represents the high production values you'd expect from such an established institution. And for now, it's all free, the buffering times are quick, and the content is easy -- and fun -- to find.

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Parent Reviewer
    Julie P
    Lives in Pennsylvania
    I rate this title on for age 12 and give it 3.0

    MTV Shows Videos Again!

    Great site---still some kinks to work out. Could be addictive for kids and adults alike, especially those like me that were early watchers of the original MTV (when all they did was play music videos). Definitely need to set time limits---not sure if there are filters for some of the more objectionable videos.

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate

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