This years MTV Video Music Awards aired live from Staples Center last Thursday. Although the breakaway from a traditional Sunday air date, and competition from the Democratic National Convention may have caused a drop in ratings compared to last year’s show, several key moments stood out as exceptionally memorable, whether good or bad.
1. Katy Perry and Rihanna – Smash-hit singers Rihanna and Katy Perry were seated next to each other near the floor of Staples Center, and were shown chatting like school-girls the entire show. Gossip magazines and celebrity blogs have since been abuzz, speculating that the two were acting as the “mean girls” of the night. The highlight of the pair’s girl-talk came when they patted one another’s thigh for good luck as they waited to hear the winner of the ‘video of the year’ category, which they were both nominated for.
2. Stage dives- The performances were noticeably riddled with stage dives; some looking rehearsed while other appeared to be spontaneous. Host Kevin Hart, Taylor Swift and Lil Wayne all crashed the crowds while performing their numbers. Wayne was even courteous enough to visibly clear it with the people in the pit before jumping on top of them, pointing and shaking his head “yes.”
3. Bieber bombs- This year, Justin Bieber failed to win any of his three nominations for his recent song “Boyfriend,” which has been criticized for being cliché and charm less. Instead, One Direction took the win for both ‘best pop video’ and ‘most share-worthy video’ while Chris Brown beat Bieber in the ‘best male video’ category.
4. Pattinson’s toast- Robert Pattinson seemed suspiciously ‘loose’ while introducing the latest trailer for the final chapter of the “Twilight” saga, “Breaking Dawn-Part 2.” Perhaps he needed some liquid courage for confronting the public following his embarrassing relationship fall-out. At least he seemed to be enjoying himself.
5. Gabby Douglas- During Alicia Keys’ performance of her new song “Girl On Fire,” after Nikki Minaj appeared at the opposite end of the stage from Keys and delivered a surprisingly heartfelt rap verse, Olympic Medalist Gabby Douglas appeared and performed a short gymnastics routine, outfitted in a glamorous black dress instead of her usual gymnast garb. Girls and girls-at-heart everywhere shed a tear.
6. Green Day- Although the punk-rock band has been performing for over 20 years, Billie Joe Armstrong and the boys brought their A-game with a banging performance of their new song “Let Yourself Go” while surrounded by a raging crowd of VMA attendees, even inviting them to “be on TV” and rush the band. Steady vocals and an all-together perfected sound reminded viewers why they’ve remained so successful over the years.
7. Drake’s take – Accepting the award for best hip-hop video, Drake opened up and shed some knowledge on life. Despite his obvious attempts to sound extra hood while Lil Wayne stood next to him, not paying any attention to anything other than his headphone music, the Canadian rapper gave a shout out to “any kid who’s ever had a long walk home by yourself.” Yes Drake, we know what you’re saying.
8. Rebel Wilson- The unpredictable comedian-actress and “Bridesmaids” star made her way to the stage with the hunky guys from “The Wanted” to present the award for ‘best female video’ as she munched on a bag of potato chips and proudly sported a body-length white t-shirt with the image of a sexy bikini bod. She relentlessly hit on the guys and proved to the world that confidence is the sexiest thing about any woman.
9. Swift slays- Taylor Swift was arguably the most heavily-hyped performance of the night, even being saved for the very end of the show. Swift re-enacted parts of the music video for her mega-hit “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” while dressed in a “Where’s Waldo” striped sweater with a 1950’s Barbie-style pony tail. A sleek, sexy look to rock as she sassily acted out the words of her song with her hands and arms. The performance looked like an intense vogue delivered straight to the heart of the recipient of her song’s message- allegedly actor Jake Gyllenhaal.
10. Frank Ocean- Despite having recently won the music community over for his successful debut album and public bravery regarding his sexuality, the R&B singer was not well-represented at the VMAs. Ocean lost all three categories that he was nominated for, including ‘best new artist,’ ‘best male video’ and ‘best direction in a video’ in addition to nervously flubbing his performance with a falsetto that seemed fit for a “Saturday Night Live” imitation. Sorry Frank, maybe next year.