Forget those animated twerps who invade TCI channel 36 every night at 10:30 -- MTV has bigger fish to fry.

With the recent addition of "The State" and "The Jon Stewart Show," MTV has once again overstepped its bounds and moved farther away from its original intent. The network has jumped on the nameless generation of the '90s and proclaimed itself spokesperson for the masses, dividing an already disjointed age-group in the process.

When The Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star" ushered in the big "M" back at the dawn of the Reagan administration, the world cheered as Tipper Gore cringed. No longer would music lovers have to lose sleep catching their favorite artist's new clip on "Friday Night Videos." We now had the nymphlike grace of Martha Quinn and company bringing us music television 24 hours a day.

But now the network seems to forget the "M" is for music, not messiah. MTV has succeeded in subdividing popular music and working against its own "Free Your Mind" slogan. Shows such as "MTV Jams," "Alternative Nation" and "Headbangers Ball" categorize music and limit its exposure.

Instead of mixing everything up to produce a melting pot, MTV has pigeonholed and stereotyped its heavy rotation. What makes MTV think that people who listen to alternative music like to stay up late, anyway? And how many headbangers older than 14 are home on a Saturday night? I say slop the whole thing together and play whatever comes on the video jukebox.

MTV has also gone beyond the musical realm in its coverage. While "House of Style" and "The Big Picture" are logical entertainment industry departures, what makes MTV think a few Rockumentries validate covering an election? MTV News should be for concerts and new albums, not Congress.

Now, instead of talking about President Clinton's shortcomings, MTV keeps bringing up motor-voter bills and student loans because they helped his election.

MTV's latest addition to its repeat-ridden lineup is the sketch comedy show "The State." Sketch comedy may be hip these days, but MTV is working against the diversity it so desperately tries to embrace.

Having a bunch of white guys and a girl performing skits a notch below "The Kids in the Hall" makes a statement in itself -- that MTV may play minority music, but when it comes to expanding its other programming, MTV is a pale, male, homogeneous mixture.

I suppose MTV isn't all bad; it offers a forum for new performers and occasionally has shades of brilliance, although "Liquid Television" did produce "Beavis and Butt-Head."

But the network is well into its second decade and should get off its high horse. The VJs are too busy plugging themselves to notice what's going on in the real world instead of "The Real World."

MTV has forgotten it is something viewers watch during commercial breaks, not the forerunner of modern society. Its contrived self-importance is getting old fast and the network may find some viewers have just unplugged.