Most Canadian cable subscribers, being bereft of MTV, are spared the televised abortion that is Total Request Live (TRL), hosted by Carson Daly. Unfortunately, it has managed to sneak into our airspace under a different label. Those whose bad luck and nocturnal ways have led them to stumble upon Last Call with Carson Daly will know and fear this fact.
Most consumers of pop culture know about Carson from Eminem’s slur against Christina Aguilera. Beyond his name, little is needed to describe him. He is a quintessential air-headed TV show host.
And he is extremely successful. Ordinarily, this would not merit much consideration, but a recent question asked of Busta Rhymes during an interview so offended decent sensibilities that action must be taken. Thus, to paraphrase Cato the Elder, Carsono Delenda Est.
Back in the day, the Roman statesman Cato had a problem with Carthage and so took to ending every speech with “Carthago delenda est”—Carthage must be destroyed. Carson provokes wrath on this level with his question, the thing that tips him over the line from merely insipid to horrifyingly offensive. Busta Rhymes had an endearing habit during the waning years of the 20th century of predicting doom and disaster around the year 2000 with bizarre proclamations like “There’s only X years left [X=2000-present year]!” Carson brought this up, and instead of asking why the world in general has not fallen into utter calamity, he tried to rationalize our favourite rapper’s nonsensical shouts as some sort of prediction of the September 11 attacks.
Even in an industry that expects the public to swallow the inviolate nature of Britney Spears’ breasts and virtue, Daly’s folly blazed far past the limits of absurdity and well into the realm of bellicose stupidity. His continued employment reflects badly on all of MTV, and much of television in general.
People should be free to air such idiotic views, certainly. But the fact that such an influential organization as MTV has picked this man to be the voice that speaks to so much of today’s youth is a problem. No one has yet stormed MTV’s offices and defenestrated, pressed, or otherwise disposed of Mr. Daly. This would be palliative at best, but better than allowing this sort of thing to go on. The decline of North American civilization continues apace. This would warn other media personalities against fouling such tragic events with their vile inanity in front of their audiences of millions.
