AceShowbiz -

As if taking the heat over Lady GaGa's and Miley Cyrus' raunchy stage acts is not enough, MTV is facing another backlash. Jared Leto slams the music network for ignoring rock genre at the live telecast ceremony of Video Music Awards over the weekend.

"Rock music deserves a place there," the 30 Seconds to Mars lead singer told the HuffPost Live. "I don't think people will be bored by it. But we live in a world right now that seems to want to be anesthetized, that seems to want to just feel one thing. It's this slight sedation."

On the growing popularity of Passion Pit and Fun. who usually took on dark themes in their music, he commented, "I'd push back and say the songs of theirs that are very, very successful are the ones that probably people are seeing something they want in those songs, which is something that fits in the scope."

Leto and his bandmates won Best Rock Video at the VMAs last Sunday, August 25 for their "Up in the Air" music video, but they were presented the award on the pre-show. Leto did take the stage during the main show later to introduce Kanye West's "Blood on the Leaves" performance.