If Stereogum can get fat by simply opening their email and posting it, then I want to be able to just write random thoughts while I visit music video websites. Plant your tongue in your cheek and enjoy.

New long-winded kid on the block: Obtusity

Obtusity has taken the long-winded, pretentious music video essay ball that I have been known to play with every now and then and made a whole goddamn sport out of it. The good news is that we have a new voice making insightful observations about music videos, which brings the count up to exactly one. This follows similar movements in video game prose (a similar demographic, I’m sure) where elements of New Journalism have begun chipping away at the typical review structure of old. The bad news is that precisely 112 people care and everybody else is watching My Super Sweet Sixteen.

Wordstatic: Videostatic

Speaking of Obtusity, Steven Gottlieb of VideoStatic has decided to consume any literate music video blogger he can find in an effort to a) combine into Devastator or b) form some sort of music video editorial super-team consisting of himself, Mr. 30Frames , and Imran Siddiquee of Obtusity. As if music video sites weren’t insular enough. The irony of this post has been noted.

New embedded video kid on the block: Videology.

Videology is another new-ish kid on the block, appearing to be some sort of blended drink consisting of Videostatic, us, an embedded Flash player, and a twist of lime. Two points for not being a blogspot blog. If you already have a degree in Purpology, do you then get a degree in Videology? I already have a masters in Pimpology from the University of Too Short and I don’t really want to go back to school.

All your video are belong to us: Gumfork

Remember when I declared that music video on the internet needs dealers? Remember when I asked who would be the Pitchfork or Stereogum of the music video world? Well, we’re getting closer to having an answer. Who is it? Uh, Pitchfork and Stereogum, actually.

Both have been upping their video reporting ever since YouTube showed up to allow them to do it on the cheap, but recently things have reached unprecedented levels. Stereogum has even begun hosting their own videos with their own players. Ker-azy.

In the small puddle that is music video dealing on the internet, those two fish just keep getting bigger, leaving nothing but mud for the rest.

MTV Chopping Block: altmusictv

altmusictv provides a nice summary of why you shouldn’t dream of working for MTV and also why we shouldn’t expect any more videos on their channels any time soon. Subterranean looks to be safe for now, but don’t be surprised if this last bastion of MTV video hope is obliterated sometime soon.

Final thought: since, as altmusictv points out, MTV is just a reality TV show network now, are Pitchfork/Stereogum truly the new MTV? Not just MTV in terms of video, but “MTV” in terms of everything. MTV was a force in music through video, so I don’t think it’s a stretch to say a news/gossip/mp3 site upgraded with video can be the internet-age equivalent. Damn, somebody tell the MTV executives that Jim Shearer needs a blog.