The Hip--Hot Bash : MTV Ball Becomes the ‘Hottest Ticket in Town’

WASHINGTON —  With the inauguration just days away, tuxedo and women’s formal wear shops are just about tapped out. But for the lucky few who received invitations to MTV’s inaugural ball, not to worry: The dress code is “creative black tie.”

“It’s a license to do a lot of different things . . . to be as liberal and carefree or as funky in dress as you like,” said Kip O’Neill, a Washington lawyer who represents Viacom Inc., MTV’s New York-based parent company.

MTV’s inauguration bash, hosted by comedian Dennis Miller and featuring such acts as Don Henley, En Vogue, Boyz II Men and 10,000 Maniacs, will undoubtedly stand out in a town that will be awash in ultra-formal, black-tie-and-sequined-gown parties celebrating the incoming Bill Clinton Administration. And not just for the attire of its guests.

Scheduled for next Wednesday, the same night as the 10 official balls commemorating Clinton’s swearing-in as President, the invitation-only MTV event at Washington’s Convention Center will be the only ball that is absolutely free. It also will be one of the few televised live across the country; MTV will cover the 90-minute event from start to finish (airing in the West on tape-delayed basis at 10 p.m.). To add to the festivities, the President-elect’s brother, Roger Clinton (who has reportedly signed a recording contract with Atlantic Records), is expected to make a guest appearance.

Perhaps more important, say political observers, “‘MTV’s 1993 Rock ‘N’ Roll Inaugural Ball” will highlight the passing of a generational torch in presidential politics, as the baby-boom generation ushers one of its own into the White House.

“Hollywood is good for two things in politics: generating money and conveying a sense of style . . . and there’s no better symbol of the baby-boom generation than the MTV network,” said Larry J. Sabato, professor of government at the University of Virginia.

Although Sabato noted that Clinton drew a smaller portion of baby-boomer votes than did President Bush, he said the President-elect did extremely well with the younger “Generation X” voters who now make up the lion’s share of MTV’s audience.

Along with the “Rock the Vote” promotion sponsored by a coalition of recording artists, MTV’s $1-million “Choose or Lose” promotional campaign during last year’s presidential race was credited by some with energizing the generally apathetic 18-to-25-year-old voting bloc.

“Bill Clinton really made an effort to reach out to young people and listen to their concerns by doing things like going on MTV,” said Ethan Zindler, the 23-year-old former youth outreach coordinator for the Clinton campaign. “I think that showed that Bill Clinton had a much better understanding of young people, their lives and their culture.”

MTV’s entry into the inaugural business tops off a year in which the 11-year-old music network significantly raised its profile in the world of politics.

The cable music video network for the first time covered the Democratic and Republican national political conventions. What’s more, the network invited all three major presidential candidates to appear on televised youth forums, although only Clinton and Vice President-elect Al Gore accepted. (President Bush later agreed to be interviewed by MTV’s political reporter Tabitha Soren.)

After his campaign victory, Clinton returned the gesture and asked MTV Chairman Tom Freston to air his views at the President-elect’s economic summit last month in Little Rock, Ark.

MTV officials said their decision to hold an inaugural ball was a natural outgrowth of the network’s increased political involvement.

“We thought it was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the fact that young people got involved this year in the political process,” said Carole Robinson, a senior vice president at MTV.

Yet with music industry, cable television and advertising insiders all jockeying for tickets, few young campaign supporters or even veteran political operatives may get a chance to attend the event, which is co-chaired by Democratic National Committee Chairman Ron Brown and MTV’s Freston. Tickets to the MTV ball are among the most sought after in town.

Time Warner Inc. lobbyist Tim Boggs, whose company provides significant exposure for MTV through cable television systems that reach 7 million subscribers, groused less than two weeks before the ball that he hadn’t received his invitation. When told that some tickets had already been mailed, he hastily placed a call to MTV to make sure his tickets were forthcoming.

Meanwhile, an executive of a major Washington trade association whispered to a reporter that his bosses unsuccessfully tried to secure tickets through an association employee who had a relative who works for MTV. The association, the executive said, couldn’t get tickets through its usual entertainment industry sources.

Among the lucky invitees is O’Neill, the 43-year-old son of former House Speaker Tip O’Neill.

He said he plans to attend the MTV inaugural ball in “conventional black tie” because he is going to several other more formal outings inauguration night. But O’Neill said his kids, who will accompany him to the MTV party, want him to dress less formally in keeping with their style.

“The MTV ball is the hottest ticket in town,” gushed Washington lawyer Mickey Gardner, who also is attending. He said his daughters, ages 21 and 19, cut short their vacation in Asia this month after he told them he could get them into the event.

MTV’s inaugural ball in Hall A of the Washington Convention Center will be paid for with advertising revenue from the televised program.

Although the President-elect has been invited to the MTV ball, he has not indicated whether he will attend. But network officials hope that Clinton will put in an appearance. The convention center in which the MTV event will be held will also host the Arkansas ball--where Clinton is expected to spend a significant portion of Wednesday evening.