MTV Inaugural Ball to Celebrate Change, Volunteerism

By Ira Teinowitz

The Democrats are returning to Washington. Now MTV is trying to take back its place in the sun at the presidential inauguration.

Sixteen years ago, MTV’s Rock ’n’ Roll Inaugural Ball for Bill Clinton—featuring the Eagles, Don Henley and U2, among other performers—became one of the year’s hottest inauguration tickets, attracting not only the new president but the new vice president as well as the crème de la crème of Hollywood.

As in 1993, the “Be the Change Inaugural Ball,” celebrating the Jan. 20 inauguration of Barack Obama and Joseph Biden, will feature major musical stars and air live on MTV and other MTV channels. The cable channel said it hasn’t finalized talent or the exact length of the broadcast, but it likely will air for at least two hours.

This time MTV will join with ServiceNation, a group that promotes volunteering, to host not only the inaugural ball but activities showcasing youth volunteering in schools, workplaces, churches and community institutions.

The live broadcast will feature rock bands, but also will include stories of the volunteers.

Still unclear is whether the ball will draw the night’s big names, the Obamas and the Bidens.

After drawing President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore with their wives to its first ball in 1993, MTV lessened its inauguration involvement; it didn’t do any similar event for President George W. Bush’s inauguration.

In 1997, for President Clinton’s second term, MTV held a party rather than a ball, with no musical performers. MTV held no 2001 inauguration ball in part because the delay in deciding the election made planning an event difficult. MTV covered the 2005 Bush inauguration on MTV News, but it had neither a party nor a ball.

Jeannie Kedas, an MTV spokeswoman, said the decision to do a ball this time wasn’t a reflection of political parties, but reflects the involvement of youth in the election this time.

“It's not about the candidate as much as it is about youth involvement,” she said. “This was clearly an election that was driven by youth activism, and it felt appropriate to celebrate that and do what we can to keep that spirit of activism going.”

“Over the last year and culminating in this election, we have seen a groundswell of engagement and a refreshed spirit of activism from young people,” said Stephen Friedman, general manager of MTV. “ServiceNation is the perfect partner for this inaugural event, given they encompass a broad coalition of youth service organizations. We want to celebrate young people across the nation who are answering the call and working to make changes in their communities and beyond.”