It’s a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll--or even report on it. But is there life after “I want my MTV?”
FROM Kurt Loder to Carson Daly, here’s a look at MTV VJs who used to be the coolest--and where they are now.
MTV VJs: Where Are They Now?
Dude. Kurt Loder is 70.
•
Published Jun 17, 2015
The Loud Girl: Kennedy
Kennedy, the polarizing early '90s-era host of Alternative Nation, introduced bands like Nirvana to Middle America. Currently, she’s a right-wing political pundit, hosting a self-titled show on the Fox Business Network.
The Nerd: Adam Curry
Straight-laced Adam Curry interviewed celebs like Michael Jackson in the late '80s and early '90s. Always a digital maven (he was once was sued for registering mtv.com before the network had a chance to), Curry later went on to become a tech entrepreneur and is often called “the father of podcasting.”
The Prof: Kurt Loder
Kurt Loder is now 70. Let that sink in for a moment. The flagship host of MTV’s The Week in Rock, the man who told you Kurt Cobain was dead, is well into his Social Security years. He’s currently writing really funny movie reviews for online Libertarian gazette Reason.com.
The Class Clown: Pauly Shore
Ah, '90s. You had a name for wacky and it was Pauly Shore, who hosted Totally Pauly and peaked with his ’92 movie Encino Man. He’s currently running a production company and has a podcast where he interviews comics.
The Exchange Student: Downtown Julie Brown
Downtown Julie Brown funked the network into the dance music craze, hosting the late-'80s Club MTV. Her British lilt can now be heard on SiriusXM’s radio broadcast "'90s on 9."
The Girl Next Door: Duff
New York City-born model Karen Duffy appeared on MTV in the early '90s using her nickname, “Duff.” A rare brain disease left her partially paralyzed in the mid-'90s; she chronicled her recovery in the 2000 memoir Model Patient: My Life as an Incurable Wise-Ass.
The Bad Boy: Jesse Camp
Jesse Camp was the gangly, floppy-haired heavy metal musician who won the network’s ’98 contest Wanna Be a VJ. The Connecticut private school kid’s act as a homeless hoodlum was a hit with audiences, but after TMZ recorded him trying to buy drugs (Camp says it was a gag), he didn’t work much. He’s now sober and helps other addicts through his fundraising program, Musicares.
The Jock: Dan Cortese
In the late '90s, Dan Cortese was a coach on MTV Rock ‘n’ Jock. Later he became the WCWF Heavyweight Champion. Now he’s an actor and a Bill Hader joke on “Weekend Update.”
The Brain: Serena Altschul
Serena Altschul’s cool, clipped delivery and icy beauty classed up MTV News in the '90s and '00s. No surprise that she’s now a host of CBS Sunday Morning.
Most Likely To Succeed: Carson Daly
Carson Daly, the late-'90s and early-aughts host of TRL, was always known for his bland, inoffensive personality. He’s since gone on to become the bland, inoffensive King of All Media by hosting both Last Call with Carson Daly and a little thing we like to call The Voice.
