Camp MTV
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''Camp MTV'' is a 6-hour special (including commercials and music videos) produced by
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
that aired on that channel Sunday, July 30, 1989. MTV's then-current personalities invaded
Camp Scatico Camp Scatico is a brother-sister sleep-away camp for boys and girls located in the upper Hudson Valley of New York State, in the hamlet of Elizaville, which is in the town of Gallatin in Columbia County. History Camp Scatico has been in operat ...
, a brother-sister sleep-away camp in Columbia County of New York state. During the special, the film ''
UHF Ultra high frequency (UHF) is the ITU designation for radio frequencies in the range between 300 megahertz (MHz) and 3 gigahertz (GHz), also known as the decimetre band as the wavelengths range from one meter to one tenth of a meter (on ...
'', which was about to be released by
Orion Pictures Orion Pictures (legal name Orion Releasing, LLC) is an American film production and distribution company owned by Amazon through its Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) subsidiary. In its original operating period, the company produced and released films ...
, was promoted. It was the brainchild of executive
Doug Herzog Doug Herzog (born July 16, 1959) is an American television executive. He was formerly the president of Viacom Music and Entertainment Group, he oversaw MTV, VH1, Logo, Comedy Central, Palladia, TVLand and Spike, Herzog has been credited with ...
, who was the vice president of programming at the time. Scatico was chosen because Herzog attended the camp during the 1970s.Tomer, Susan E. "Generations Return to Work and Play at Scatico." ''The Times Union'', August 13, 1989, p. F1. Retrieved fro
Timesunion.com
on March 27, 2009.


Segments

The special's segments, not including repeated interstitials, were as follows:


Hour 1

* Randee of the Redwoods announces that camp has begun by raising the Camp MTV flag and then by performing
air guitar Air guitar is a form of dance and movement in which the performer pretends to play an imaginary rock or heavy metal-style electric guitar, including riffs and solos. Playing an air guitar usually consists of exaggerated strumming and picking m ...
while
Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...
’s rendition of “
The Star-Spangled Banner "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the b ...
” is heard. *
Adam Curry Adam Clark Curry (born September 3, 1964) is an American podcaster, announcer, Internet entrepreneur and media personality, known for his stint as a VJ on MTV and being one of the first celebrities to personally create and administer Web sites. ...
welcomes viewers to Camp MTV in the radio shack and gives a rundown of things to come. Afterward, he introduces the song “ Hey, Ladies” by the
Beastie Boys Beastie Boys were an American rap rock group from New York City, formed in 1978. The group was composed of Mike D, Michael "Mike D" Diamond (vocals, drums), Adam Yauch, Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (voca ...
. * Camp director “Weird Al” Yankovic opens Camp MTV with the assembled campers and staff in the dining hall, and Stanley Spadowski wants to go hiking. No one else wants to go, so Al offers to take everyone out for banana-slug burritos. *
Colin Quinn Colin Edward Quinn (born June 6, 1959) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and writer. Quinn first gained widespread attention for his work as a cast member and writer for the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1995 to 20 ...
, John Ten Eyck,
Mario Joyner is a character (arts), character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the title character of the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise and the mascot of Japanese video game company Nintendo. Mario has appeared in ...
, and Chris Connelly discuss tattoos in their bunk.
Ken Ober Ken Ober (July 3, 1957 – November 15, 2009) was an American game show host, comedian, and actor. Early life and career Born Kenneth Oberding in Brookline, Massachusetts, he was raised in a suburb of Hartford, Connecticut, where his fir ...
arrives, personal assistant in tow (played by a camper whose name was misspelled in the article that appeared in ''The Times Union''—see reference #1), and shakes things up. * Ken settles in and is welcomed by Al and Stanley. *
Kevin Seal Kevin Seal is an American television presenter and voice actor. Biography Seal was an MTV VJ in the late 1980s, the host of the pilot of '' Club MTV'' (according to an MTV special) and one of the hosts of the influential alternative-music pro ...
lectures about fire safety and introduces Ranger Bob (also Ten Eyck) to some counselors. The lecture's boring, so it's drowned out by loud music and a crawl at the bottom of the screen. *
Victoria Jackson Victoria Jackson (born August 2, 1959) is an American actress, comedian, and singer who was a cast member of the NBC television sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' (SNL) from 1986 to 1992. Early life Jackson was born in Miami, Florida ...
discusses bugs with a hockey-masked maniac.


Hour 2

* Adam and Ken, all but set to win the 3-legged marathon, are interviewed by Kevin at the end of the race and are upset by a pair of campers. Kevin promises to interview the winners, but it never happens. * Colin discusses activities that are against the rules. They lead to punishment in the Hard-Time Box—which turns out to be quite luxurious. * Ken, Mario, and Colin discuss their love of camp and the hardships they suffer at home. * In the radio shack, Adam talks about a mosquito problem and introduces the song “ 18 & Life” by
Skid Row A skid row or skid road is an impoverished area, typically urban, in English-speaking North America whose inhabitants are mostly poor people " on the skids". This specifically refers to poor or homeless, considered disreputable, downtrodden or fo ...
. *
Ed Lover James Roberts (born February 12, 1963), better known as Ed Lover, is an American rapper, actor, musician, radio personality, and former MTV VJ. He hosted "The Ed Lover Show" on SiriusXM's old-school hip hop station BackSpin. As of April 12, 2 ...
,
Doctor Dré André "Doctor Dré" Brown (born December 5, 1963) is an American rapper, radio personality and former MTV VJ. Early life André Brown was born and raised in Westbury, New York, on Long Island. Career In the early 1980s, Doctor Dré was a DJ ...
, Randee, Ken, Mario, Colin, and Chris discuss the women of MTV while stuck in a rowboat. * Victoria and Angela discuss boys at the girls’ waterfront.


Hour 3

* Two Jasons—Mario and Randee—realize that they're in each other's movies because of a scheduling mistake. * Victoria
rhymes A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds (usually, the exact same phonemes) in the final stressed syllables and any following syllables of two or more words. Most often, this kind of perfect rhyming is consciously used for a musical or aesthetic ...
with Ed and Dré. * Ranger Bob discusses snake bites and faints from one that he suffers. * In the radio shack, Adam discusses rats, the counselors’ bunks, and a toilet-paper shortage. Then, he introduces the song “ What You Don’t Know” by
Exposé Expose, exposé, or exposed may refer to: News sources * Exposé (journalism), a form of investigative journalism * '' The Exposé'', a British conspiracist website Film and TV Film * ''Exposé'' (film), a 1976 thriller film * ''Exposed'' (1932 ...
. * In the arts-and-crafts shack, Randee makes a paperweight while Ed, Dré, and some campers watch. * Chris discusses film theory and
Sergei Eisenstein Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein (russian: Сергей Михайлович Эйзенштейн, p=sʲɪrˈɡʲej mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪtɕ ɪjzʲɪnˈʂtʲejn, 2=Sergey Mikhaylovich Eyzenshteyn; 11 February 1948) was a Soviet film director, screenw ...
with campers—and then introduces a clip from ''UHF''.


Hour 4

* A visit to Chez Mario's Kitchen, which prepares inedible food. * Ranger Bob has fun with a bear on the potty and its droppings. * Al and Stanley go fishing. * Martians land in Grover's Corners, à la
Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...
, and possess Adam in the radio shack. He becomes Lorgin, who introduces the song “ So Alive” by Love and Rockets. * Ed, Dré, Mario, and Ken play basketball with some young campers and win by cheating, announcing that
Downtown Julie Brown Julie Dorne Brown, better known as Downtown Julie Brown, is an English-born actress, television personality, SiriusXM DJ and former MTV VJ. Brown is best known as the host of the television music show ''Club MTV'', which ran from 1987 until 19 ...
has come to camp. * Angela answers questions about boys for
Alicia Coppola Alicia Coppola is an American actress. She became known for playing Lorna Devon in the soap opera '' Another World'' from 1991 to 1994. Afterwards, she made regular and guest star appearances in various television series, notably ''Jericho'' an ...
(billed as Allicia Coppola) and some ''
Club MTV ''Club MTV'' is a half hour television show modeled after ''American Bandstand'' that aired on MTV from August 31, 1987, to June 26, 1992. ''Club MTV'' was part of MTV's second generation of programming, as the channel was phasing out its origi ...
'' dancers.


Hour 5

* Doctor Al defends the radical surgical techniques that he learned at the Sore-Bonie after removing a camper's eye with a bug in it. * Head counselor Mario confronts Al about the radical surgical techniques he learned at the Sore-Bonnie, complete with a different pronunciation of the place from the previous segment. * Colin, Ken, and Mario make deals to acquire
contraband Contraband (from Medieval French ''contrebande'' "smuggling") refers to any item that, relating to its nature, is illegal to be possessed or sold. It is used for goods that by their nature are considered too dangerous or offensive in the eyes o ...
items, such as soft toilet paper. * Smelly sneakers and a funeral for a group of campers who tried to escape make for another round of announcements from Adam in the radio shack, who then introduces the song “ Express Yourself” by Madonna Ciccone. * Play rehearsal with Kevin, who hopes that the campers can provide him with a show-business connection after their parents see their performance. An 11-year-old Julie Klausner is one of the rehearsing campers. * Stanley has fun with an oversized boogie board. * Chris interviews Kevin about the camp play, and Kevin's ego has grown so big at this point that he renames himself Kevin Eisenstein.


Hour 6—campfire and talent show

* Victoria sings “The Boyfriend Song.” * Ed and Dré start to perform Public Enemy’s “
Don't Believe the Hype "Don't Believe the Hype" is a song by hip hop group Public Enemy and the second single to be released from their second album, ''It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back''. The song's lyrics are mostly about the political issues that were cur ...
,” complete with call-and-response, but finish with the much more benign theme from ''
Gilligan’s Island ''Gilligan's Island'' is an American sitcom created and produced by Sherwood Schwartz. The show's ensemble cast features Bob Denver, Alan Hale Jr., Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer, Tina Louise, Russell Johnson and Dawn Wells. It aired for thr ...
''. * Ken and Colin discuss roasting marshmallows with disastrous and harmful results. * Randee tries to get everyone to sing a corny song, but when Dré begins to
beat box Beatboxing (also beat boxing) is a form of vocal percussion primarily involving the art of mimicking drum machines (typically a TR-808), using one's mouth, lips, tongue, and voice.
and Al joins in with his accordion, everyone joins in the merriment. * Alicia sings some campfire songs a little too nonchalantly, so Steve Treccase, accompanying her on a
Roland Roland (; frk, *Hrōþiland; lat-med, Hruodlandus or ''Rotholandus''; it, Orlando or ''Rolando''; died 15 August 778) was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the ...
keyboard, breaks into a song about dead bodies that ruins the vibe completely. * Everyone sings Three Dog Night’s “ Joy to the World,” accompanied by human beat box and keyboards. Al says good bye.


Credits

* Director: David DeGiovanni * Producer: David DeGiovanni * Executive Producers: Joel Gallen, Doug Herzog (uncredited) * Writers: Bat Mondavi, Peter Gaffney, David DeGiovanni, Peter Elwell, Keith Kaczorek * Associate Producers: Norman Champion, Lisa Erlich Rapkin * Production Manager: Susette Hsuing * Production Coordinators: Beth Greenbaum, Marilyn J. Papa, Jackie Olensky (uncredited) * Editor: Andy Kadison * Technical Manager: George Epley * Technical Coordinator: Harvey Gold * Lighting Director: Bill Berner * Camera: Paul Koestner, Richard Smith * Video Engineer: Roger Miller * Chyron: JT Tavares * Gaffer: John Berry * Electricians: Andy Hiliger, Gerard Macavoy * Talent Assistants: Gerri Bulion, Stephanie Kahn * Props: Jaime Bishop, Dan Fischer * Make-up: Maria Matteos * Director of On-Air Services: Rachel Gruhin * Manager of Operations: Hank Kiechlin * Director of Talent: Drue Wilson * Production Associate: Stacey Wolf * Production Assistants: Wyatt Baker, Jacqueline Barba, Mike Daole, Mike Flanagan, Jack Madrid, Dan Michaels, Bill Miller, Amy Rachlin, Jonathen Swain, Holly Tooker, Eric Whepley, Tony Wilesko, Doug Wilson * Production Support: Lydia Cannito, Barbara Milberg * Interns: Raquel Alvardo, William Costell, Jillian Harris, Scott Mitchell * Concept: Vinnie Longobardo * Special Thanks: John Hickey, Gwenn Howard, the Fleischner family, Camp Scatico


References


External links


The original teaser (YouTube)

Camp MTV at the Internet Movie Database

"Notes on ''Camp MTV''" (May 28, 2010) by Julie Klausner, from ''The Awl''
{{MTVNetwork Shows MTV original programming 1980s American television specials 1989 television specials