Sucker Free (known as Direct Effect from 2000 to 2006) was an urban music video program that originally aired from 2000 to 2008. Hosted by MTV video jockey Cipha Sounds, the show played the top hip-hop and R&B music videos that viewers vote for online.[1][2]
History
It debuted on September 25, 2000[3] under the title Direct Effect, by which it was known until May 2, 2006[4], being renamed Sucker Free on MTV as the similar program on MTV2 under a similar name and genre. In addition to the top five videos requested it occasionally plays Off The Radar videos which are popular music videos at that time, and it also plays "Hot One" videos which are videos that are below the top five. Sometimes well-known rappers are featured as guest stars usually to announce their new albums. In addition, the program occasionally features "Straight From the Streets" interviews featuring underground or alternative hip hop artists.[5]
In April 2008, the show became a subject of criticism by the Parents Television Council, whose research report The Rap on Rap claimed that Sucker Free and BET programs 106 & Park and Rap City were deliberately marketing adult content to minors.[6] In response to the PTC's report, Procter & Gamble proposed withdrawing advertising from BET and MTV.[7] An executive for MTV responded:
This report unfairly and inaccurately paints MTV with a brush of irresponsibility. During the time outlined in this report we did not receive a single complaint about the content of the videos. We take our responsibility to our viewers very seriously. And have a self-imposed standards group that looks at every video and appropriately rates all of our programming.[8]
MTV ceased broadcasting the series in June 2008.
Spinoffs
The show has two spinoffs - MTV2's Sucker Free on sister channel MTV2, which plays only hip-hop videos, focuses more on obscure artists, and runs for one hour, and Sucker Free Latino on the Latino-oriented MTV network MTV Tres, focusing on Latino urban music, including videos by American artists of Latino descent as well as videos from Latin American artists, and also running an hour. On weekends, MTV2 airs the Sucker Free Countdown, covering the top 20 hip-hop videos of the week.
References
- ^ Marriott, Michel (2000-09-28). "Merging TV With the Internet", The New York Times. Retrieved on 2008-07-18.
- ^ Zahed, Ramin (2000-12-20). "MTV's Direct Effect". Variety. Retrieved on 2008-07-18.
- ^ Carter, Bill (2000-09-10). "Ken Burns, Napoleon and Plenty of Pseudo 'Sex'", The New York Times. Retrieved on 2008-07-18.
- ^ "Sucker Free" episode for May 29, 2006
- ^ Sucker Free on MTV | Interviews | MTV
- ^ Moss, Linda (2008-04-10). "PTC Puts a Bad 'Rap' On BET, MTV". Multichannel news. Retrieved on 2008-08-26.Crupi, Anthony (2008-04-10). "PTC Blasts MTV, BET". Mediaweek. Retrieved on 2008-08-26.
- ^ Haugsted, Linda. "P&G Weighs Pulling Ads From MTV, BET". Multichannel News. Retrieved on 2008-08-26.
- ^ Report by Kareen Wynter, American Morning. CNN: June 26, 2008.
External links
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