Beavis and Butt-Head Are Coming Back. But Can They Recapture Their Former Glory?

There were rumors last year that Beavis and Butt-Head might return to our television screens -- now, it's been confirmed that the brain-dead, music video-critiquing metalheads will reappear on MTV this summer. And while I should be nothing short of thrilled -- I watched this religiously as an eight-year-old -- I'm kind of worried that the new Beavis and Butt-Head will be a shell of its former self.

When Beavis and Butt-Head first debuted as its own show in 1993, one of its big selling points was that it was more controversial than most anything else on TV. Making boner jokes as they sat around watching music videos, or lighting each other on fire with hairspray, the show's main characters managed to draw the ire of soccer moms (and, uh, other moms) everywhere. These days, you might still hear a grumble or two about this kind of mischief. But it's hard to imagine Beavis-style pranks ruffling the protective parental feathers of a nation.

Also, MTV has changed. In the early 90s, the network still had some edginess to it. Now? Not so much, unless you think Jersey Shore pushes the envelope. And even if the show's producers tried to generate the same controversy it used to, would the corporate bosses running MTV allow it? Maybe -- but maybe not.

Still, the show has at least two things going in its favor. Most important is that creator Mike Judge is still heavily involved, which will ensure a certain level of quality control. Even if Beavis and Butt-Head isn't the same as it used to be, it will still probably be funny. (Judge gave us Office Space and Idiocracy, after all.) Second, the show's return means we might actually see some music videos on MTV again. The network essentially gave up on itself as a music video station last year, but seeing as the segements where Beavis and Butt-Head offered up commentary on music videos were as good, if not better, than the shorts themselves, we'll almost certainly see them again.

In the meantime, we can only watch the boys tear these awful videos to critical shreds and hope for the best from their return.



[via The Atlantic]

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