John Seabrook’s “Rocking in Shangri-La”

From The New Yorker's archive: a deeply immersive article about the evolution of MTV, which Seabrook describes as "a landmark in the history of media."  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   View in browser | Update your preferences     The World of Television Rocking in Shangri-La From 1994: How MTV both redefined American popular culture and created a new kind of corporate culture. By John Seabrook The investigative journalist Eric Schlosser has called John Seabrook one of America's finest non-fiction writers. Since 1989, Seabrook has contributed hundreds of pieces to The New Yorker on a multitude of subjects, including the creation of K-pop, the mystery surrounding an ancient Roman library, George Lucas's original vision for "Star Wars," and the hitmaker behind smash songs by Rihanna and Nicki Minaj. In 1993, he published a report on some of his earliest e-mail correspondence, with the Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, which offered a fascinating glimpse into the early days of the revolutionary new technology. Seabrook has also published four books, including "Flash of Genius" and "The Song Machine." Seabrook has been such a prolific writer that it's difficult to pick just one of his pieces to share. One of my favorites is "Rocking in Shangri-La," a deeply immersive article about the evolution of MTV, which Seabrook describes as "a landmark in the history of media" because of how the network erased the boundary between entertainment and advertising. Published in 1994, Seabrook's piece offers a keen look at what happens when a company builds its empire on selling a fantasia of edgy artistry and musical images to a younger generation. "The older executives watch MTV with the sound off, which is the purest way to watch it, in the sense that you've stripped away the music, which MTV does not own, and are left with the images, or, rather, the process of blending the images into precisely the right cocktail of programming, which is the thing that does belong to MTV," he writes. As Seabrook delves deeper into the channel's inner workings, he finds that nostalgia for the days of unburdened adolescence can be a potent marketing tool. The real purpose of the network for older viewers, he discovers, is a chance to feel perpetually young. As the piece progresses, it becomes a tale about the commodification of youth—and how that process ultimately alters our appreciation of the music that serves as the soundtrack to our adolescence.   —Erin Overbey, archive editor More from the Archive     A Reporter at Large E-Mailing with Bill Gates A report on early e-mail correspondences with the Microsoft co-founder, offering a fascinating glimpse into the early days of the revolutionary new technology. By John Seabrook     A Reporter at Large The Takedown of Tupac Tupac Shakur was one of gangsta rap's biggest stars. But he got caught in a collision of cultures when inner-city gangs met up with the multibillion-dollar record industry. By Connie Bruck This e-mail was sent to you by The New Yorker. To ensure delivery, we recommend adding newyorker@newsletters.newyorker.com to your contacts, while noting that it is a no-reply address. Please send all newsletter feedback to tnyinbox@newyorker.com.    For more from The New Yorker, sign up for our newsletters, shop the store, and sign in to newyorker.com, where subscribers always have unlimited access. Contact us with questions.   View our Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe.   Copyright © Condé Nast 2020. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.