{"version": "1.0", "type": "rich", "title": "How Total Request Live Created the Boy-Band Boom and Saved MTV (for a While)", "author_name": "kontextmaschine", "author_url": "https://kontextmaschine.com", "provider_name": "kontextmaschine", "provider_url": "https://kontextmaschine.com", "url": "https://kontextmaschine.com/post/168278899148/", "html": "<a href=\"http://www.vulture.com/2017/11/mtv-total-request-live-history.html\">How Total Request Live Created the Boy-Band Boom and Saved MTV (for a While)</a>\n<blockquote><p>Not everyone was comfortable reckoning with the show\u2019s demographic. \u201cA lot of celebrities were terrified of coming on TRL,\u201d\n says Tim Healy, the show\u2019s head writer. \u201cThey were fine with Letterman \nor Conan because that was an adult audience, but they found TRL\n a challenge. I remember Mel Gibson rolling in, and he was not in the \nmood to be there. One of the recurring bits we did was having guests \ndraw a self-portrait. And after his appearance \u2014 and it was an unnerving\n appearance \u2014 I looked at his drawing. It was terrifying, and in bold \nletters he\u2019d written, \u2018I offer you my decrepit soul.\u2019\u201d</p></blockquote>"}