MTV's History of Violence: A Movieline Timeline

2001: Madonna, "What It Feels Like For a Girl"

MTV was one of the few networks to air Madonna's violent music video. Directed by her then-husband, Guy Ritchie, the video showed Madonna assaulting cops, blowing up a gas station, running over people and then committing suicide. The network aired the video late at night after a news special about the controversy surrounding the video's violence aired first. It was the first video to be banned from MTV's daytime programming since Prodigy's "Smack My Bitch Up."

2002: Guido Death Threat, True Life: I'm Getting Married

Back in 2002, MTV's True Life cast a Staten Island couple named Charlie and Sabrina who made the documentary series a cult favorite overnight, mainly because of one scene in which Charlie threatened to gut and hunt down a limo driver who got lost on the way to pick up the groom's party. While no actual punches were thrown, this remains one of the most haunting moments in MTV history. In many ways, Charlie and Sabrina paved the way for Jersey Shore.

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