{alltv} Stars flock to Teen Choice Awards

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Teens rule.

You may not like it. You may not want it. You may not understand it. But in the 21st century, there's no getting around it.

That's no different than the past couple of generations, you might say. But here's what we perceive as the difference:

When a wider sense of teen culture first emerged with Elvis Presley in the 1950s, and right through the Beatles in the '60s, disco in the '70s and new wave in the '80s, the ruling teen class consisted of older teens - 16-year-olds, 17-year-olds, 18-year-olds.

But today the group that dominates pop culture is much younger than that. Still teens, yes, but the big money these days is with 13-year-olds and 14-year-olds and 15-year-olds. Financially speaking, those are the people driving the show-business bus.

Further evidence will be on display at Teen Choice 2010, the annual awards show that airs Monday, Aug. 9 on Fox and Global.

Singer Katy Perry and four of the dudes from the cast of Glee - Cory Monteith (Finn), Chris Colfer (Kurt), Kevin McHale (Artie) and Mark Salling (Puck) - will co-host the event.

Perry also will perform during the two-hour extravaganza, alongside scheduled appearances by the likes of Jane Lynch, Taylor Lautner, Robert Pattinson, Ellen DeGeneres, Kristen Bell, Miranda Cosgrove, Zac Efron, Kim Kardashian, Zachary Levi, Leighton Meester and Jim Parsons.

It's quite amazing what has happened to awards shows over the past five years or so in terms of generational appeal.

Every year when the established grownups' awards shows come along - Oscars, Emmys, Grammys, etc. - all we hear are complaints.

Too long. Too dull. Ratings may go up and down from year to year based on a variety of factors, but generally speaking, many adults seem to have grown weary of the awards-show genre.

But teens? Good lord, they can't get enough of these goofy things.

There are tons of teen-oriented awards shows now, from Teen Choice, to the MuchMusic Video Awards, to the MTV Movie Awards, and on and on. Each one promises to be more crazy than the last. Anything can happen, blah blah blah.

But that's the thing. For young teens who are watching this kind of stuff for the first time, there really is no blah blah blah.

It's like a televised party with all the coolest people you know. And it just might drive a teenager's mom or dad crazy, which always is an added bonus for young people who are just starting to feel rebellious.

What's really interesting is how complicit the artists have become.

Actors and singers of previous eras might have scoffed at having to pander to an audience that is this young.

Now what happens is that actors and singers are afraid of not being included. Rather than risk being seen as stodgy, they leap at the opportunity to share the stage with a whip-cream-covered Katy Perry.

Adults are tired of awards shows. But young teens are lapping them up.