MTV just cancelled one of their staple shows as the Paramount restructuring continues. Ridiculousness, starring Rob Dyrdek, is no more as the entertainment giant scrambles to cut costs. TMZ reports that MTV has made the decision this week. This current season will continue, but after that it’s time to hang up Steelo Brim’s weird remote console thing for good. Skydance is now trying to figure out what MTV is going to be headed into the future. And, it doesn’t seem like endless repeats are on the docket for the future.
What’s going to happen at MTV has been a hot topic around entertainment in recent months. The TV network just canceled Catfish: The TV Show recently. It seems like Skydance is trying to turn the page on the current era of MTV. Viewers have wondered about the state of this pop culture staple for a while now. There was a time where a lot of popular things ran right through MTV as an institution. It’s safe to say that time has passed.
If you haven’t been plugged into basic cable for a while, Rob Dyrdek, Steelo Brim, and Laren “Lolo” Wood host the show now. Chanel West Coast left Ridiculousness back in 2023. She was a part of their goofy viral video shenanigans for 12 years. Now, Chanel West Coast is into executive producing instead. She put out a statement when she stepped away.
“After years of being a part of the Ridiculousness family, I’m sad to say goodbye to the show but very excited to announce my next big venture with MTVE/Paramount. It’s time for me to step off the red couch and step into the role of executive producer.”
Why Ridiculousness got cancelled
While TMZ’s reporting gestures towards Skydance trying to figure out the path forward for MTV. There is another easy reason why Ridiculousness got canceled. To put it simply, host Rob Dyrdek was earning a ton of money hosting this series. Vulture reported on the longtime host recently, and their piece was basically the writing on the wall. The outlet cited Bloomberg’s numbers for Dyrdek’s yearly salary and the numbers would shock most people who watch Ridiculousness. Rob Dyrdek earns around $35 million to handle what some would argue is MTV’s signature show.
If Skydance had made the decision to renew ridiculousness for the 2028 and 2029 fiscal years, Dyrdek’s annual salary would have jumped to a projected $45 million. (It’s not like that’s the only wild money being thrown around at one of these companies. Keep in mind Paramount used to have 3 CEOs not too long ago!)
Still, when you take these numbers into account, it’s easy to see why Ridiculousness might not be in the future plans for MTV. The rates for on-camera fees for talent and other expenses are the things that these new leaders at Skydance basically wake up dreaming to cut. 1,000s of episodes will still be broadcast. But, it’s a sad time to be an MTV fan on the Internet as the brand continues to scuttle basically everything associated with its 2000s peak.
(featured image: MTV)
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