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The Curse Of The Hot MTV VJ

It sure does pay to be an MTV VJ…or does it? Throughout the years, some fine women with memorable personalities have introduced videos for the network. Each leaves their post for a bid at true superstardom, only to fade back into obscurity. While their male counterparts like Tyrese and Pauly Shore have gone on to semi-success, the females seem to be cursed.

The latest recovering VJ to make a run at it is Vanessa Minnillo, who is jump-starting her acting career with a role in this summer’s action parody Disaster Movie. Whether she’ll transcend the MTV label or retire to become Nick Lachey’s baby mama remains to be seen, but the patterns of history are definitely against her. After the jump, we compiled some of the fly chicks who couldn’t overcome the curse.

IDALIS DELEÓN

This fly Puerto Rican mami had a stint in the ’90s as part of the freestyle group Seduction, then parlayed that into an MTV VJ spot. After popping up on the occasional TV role, she’s most recently landed a recurring role on USA’s moderately successful series Burn Notice.

AMANDA DIVA

MTV went the artsy route by enlisting this aspiring rapper/poet to host hip-hop-based shows like Direct Effect and MTV2 video countdowns. After leaving the network and releasing a few mixtapes, it was announced that she has become the new member of R&B group Floetry. She has yet to release a song or perform with the group.

DAISY FUENTES

The Cuban bombshell cut her teeth in broadcasting as a weather girl on Telemundo before becoming the first VJ to regularly appear on both the American and Spanish-language MTV. Since then, she’s continued modeling and hosting past their prime shows like America’s Funniest Home Videos. In 2007, Fuentes’s clothing line was pulled from Kohl’s because of sweatshop allegations.

HILARIE BURTON

This TRL VJ turned actress found some success with the teeny-bopper set with her starring role on the CW’s One Tree Hill. Her all-American good looks and goofy personality were a winning combo when the show devuted in 2003, but her career hasn’t progressed at all in the last 5 years. In her first real attempt to cross over to the big screen, she will appear with Queen Latifah in this fall’s The Secret Life of Bees. Stay tuned.

SUSIE CASTILLO

2003’s Miss USA got a nod from Complex when she appeared in the magazine for a photo spread last year. In all fairness, Susie recently signed on as a spokeswoman for Neutrogena and is still a current VJ, so perhaps she’ll have a bright future ahead of her. However, the fact that her first movie, Underdog, was a flop is not a good sign.

KENNEDY

We’ve always had a sweet spot for the Kennedy. Sure, her horn-rimmed glasses were dorky looking, and she didn’t ooze sex appeal like the ladies on The Grind, but her dead pan humor made us LOL while watching late night episodes of Alternative Nation. After hosting a few failed reality shows, her career is in need of a major boost. Perhaps hosting “I Love The ’90s” could be next?

“DOWNTOWN” JULIE BROWN

Julie Brown helped paved the way for tall amazonian black women from the UK like Naomi Campbell, and Melanie Brown. The host of dance shows on MTV in the late ’80s, she’s more known for coining a meaningless phrase “Wubba Wubba Wubba” and posing nude for Playboy.

ANANDA LEWIS

We’ll forever miss the intelligent, funny, and of course beautiful Ananda Lewis. She jumped ship from BET’s socially conscious Teen Summit to host TRL. Her own talk show on UPN (now My 9) tanked, so she now dedicates her time to speaking to kids at seminars.