The Kennedy Chronicles
The Golden Age of MTV Through Rose-Colored Glasses
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3.6 • 32 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Kennedy's off-the-wall memoir reliving the pop music and the madness as an MTV VJ in the 1990s
"I am Kennedy from MTV, and no matter where I go someone has a story to tell me about the time we grew up together."
Known to millions simply by her middle name, Kennedy helped bring the cutting edge of culture into our living rooms during the 1990s through her outrageous segments as an MTV VJ, host of Alternative Nation, and on-the-spot correspondent for MTV News. She interviewed everyone from fame-averse Seattle rock musicians to vapid celebrities and politicians, asking the taboo questions no one else would as she navigated between true artists and phony poseurs. In The Kennedy Chronicles, she gives us a backstage pass at the last golden years of the cable network that defined a generation.
As only Kennedy can, she takes us back to unforgettable moments such as Nirvana's seminal performance on MTV Unplugged, the unbridled bacchanalia of the MTV Beach House and Woodstock '94 festival, and the game-changing "Rock the Vote" campaign. We read of priceless moments—on and off set—with such performers as Bjork, Pearl Jam, Weezer, No Doubt, Nine Inch Nails, Radiohead, Oasis, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. And Kennedy dishes on behind-the-scenes antics with MTV colleagues including Jon Stewart, Bill Bellamy, Kurt Loder, and Tabitha Soren.
Straddling the line between witness and participant, Kennedy recounts a blitz of surreal encounters: Dragging Stewart to a strip club. Getting naked with Jenny McCarthy. Playing dice on the men's room floor with Michael Jordan. Wrestling with Trent Reznor. Taking "Puck" Rainey from The Real World to church—and living to regret it. Making out in a coffin with Dave Navarro. Dodging calls from Courtney Love. Serving as John Rzeznik's muse for the Goo Goo Dolls hit song "Name." And there was that…incident…with New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani at the Video Music Awards. Finally, Kennedy intersperses her riotous narrative with priceless, candid interviews with Navarro, Henry Rollins, Billy Corgan, Pat Smear of Nirvana, Matt Cameron of Soundgarden and Pearl Jam, former VJ John Sencio, and more.
In her characteristically edgy and irreverent voice, Kennedy delivers a juicy and revealing narrative perfect for Gen X and beyond—and for anyone who wants to know what really went on at MTV.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Former MTV VJ Kennedy offers a backstage look at her glory years, 1992 1997, when she came to fame as the music network's only self-proclaimed virgin Republican. The book is chock-full of excerpts from her many on-air (and off-the-record) interviews, where she perfected her signature style of "striking a balance between being the girl who will do what takes to get a laugh and the devil that can't be trusted." She dishes about her encounters with a huge range of '90s music culture heroes, including Henry Rollins, Courtney Love, and Dweezil Zappa, as well as her MTV colleagues such as news reporter Tabitha Soren ("Let's just say that for a bottle ginger she was every bit as fiery as her strands when things didn't go well"). But while Kennedy states that "there was never a greater collision of culture and media" than in the 1990s, she doesn't really explore this idea, preferring instead to equate her privileged life with the decade itself. And while she states that she wrote this book "for all the people who came of age during that time," she is invariably dismissive of those same people when describing MTV's liberal bent: "I virulently opposed what most of these yahoos were championing". Overall, her account is thin and superficial.
Customer Reviews
Ah, the memories!
I was an MTV junkie. It was on ALL the time. It seemed like a local cable show in those early years. But, blossomed into a full fledged music channel complete with great VJ's and games shows (Remote Control ... I could have won!). And, Kennedy. I loved Kennedy. Might have been my first tv crush after Penelope Pit Stop! Irreverent, funny, and cute as heck. She seemed real. Reading her book not only provided a ride in the Way Back Machine, but validated my thoughts about her. No, the other thoughts. A great read. A true Behind the Scenes. I mean, really behind the scenes ... and doors ... and pants. The fact that's she's reemerged with her own political program is the true epilogue of the book. It also validated my general opinion of most 'rock stars.' Bleech. If you grew up with MTV, you'll love this book.