As cool as it is that anyone can vote for the MTV Movie & TV Awards, it also becomes painfully obvious that the general public just doesn’t watch much beyond Marvel’s catalog and Netflix young adult romances. That makes me sad inside, but I guess there’s got to be something for the average viewer. With that being said, let’s jump into the somewhat predictable results of the show!
Before I get to all of that though, I want to share that I was able to be a part of the virtual audience! Not as cool as being there in person, but I saw myself up on the screen a good two dozen times during the live two hour broadcast! The MTV Movie & TV Awards marked the first hybrid event welcoming fans back into the fold since the pandemic started. Now, they definitely followed some rigorous protocols to let the very small audience in, but it’s a step in the right direction. Also, as someone who lives on the opposite side of the country from LA, it was nice to hear that all future events will likely include a virtual audience component. Yay! While I was essentially forced to watch the ceremony on my laptop, it was still a pretty fun thing to be a part of.
Anyway, let’s dive into the show. It was pretty obvious to me while I was checking social media in between commercial breaks that pretty much any celebrity that showed up in person was likely either presenting or winning an award last night, so there weren’t really any big surprises in store. The biggest winners of the night included the shows WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, along with their lead actors. It won in all six of the thirteen categories it was nominated in. Unsurprisingly, Outer Banks and Rege-Jean Page of Bridgerton walked away with a golden popcorn, but I was most sad about Cobra Kai and The Boys walking away empty-handed. And don’t get me wrong, as much as I love the To All the Boys franchise, did I really think this last installment deserved Best Movie over the likes of Promising Young Woman? Hell no! But, that’s what the masses have seen, so I can’t really fault them for their lack of taste. Hell, even Leslie Jones beat out Jason Sudeikis in Ted Lasso for best comedic performance – it makes no sense!
Speaking of Leslie Jones, she was the night’s host, and I think they made an excellent choice in her. Firstly, she’s hilarious, but she’s also loud and high energy, which is exactly what a show with the first live and small audience back needs! She looked like she was really enjoying herself, too, so that was nice. Adding to the cool factor was having Snoop Dogg as the in-house DJ. What’s better than playing your own hits in between categories and commercial breaks? Unfortunately, the two special award recipients of the night, Sacha Baron Cohen for Comedic Genius and Scarlett Johansson for MTV Generation, weren’t physically present, although they made the most of their pre-taped acceptance speeches. I imagine Cohen fans were especially pleased with his.
All in all, it wasn’t a great awards show, but then again, it never really was. I think being a part of the virtual audience this year made it more special and memorable, but I do hope in the future that fans expand their viewing horizons. I want more exciting and varied winners! Until next year!