MTV VMA's 2008

Out of all the MTV award shows, this usually isn't my favorite due to MTV's brown nosing of all the typical artists they overplay and overexpose in every way possible. It's not really a huge surprise who wins (or who is nominated for that matter) or the performances they dub "outrageous" or "spectacular", when it's really a watered down, lip-synced, album version of the song.

Secondly, I watch MTV to get away from all the normal (i.e. important) news of the day and be entertained. When I turn on this channel, I know there's not going to be any educational program to get those brain cells moving....

So when the VMA host, Russell Brand, opens the show asking America to vote for Barack Obama.....WTF? I had no idea I was tuning into CNN and having some British "celebrity" ask me to vote for Obama since he is tired of the "dumb cowboy". Last time I checked, American citizens have the option of casting a vote in deciding the leader of the country. If Brand is clearly that passionate in the politics of the U.S., he should become a citizen and vote for Obama himself. Instead of getting on his soap box, at what couldn't be a more inappropriate venue, shut the hell up and tell some jokes about the industry that is present. MUSIC.

I would say this regardless of the candidate Russell was going to choose because I think it's wrong to use this platform to try and sway youngsters one way or another. If a message is to be said, it should be to go out there and do your research on each candidate to make the most informed decision on the platforms that are important to you. Not because some unknown bonehead on MTV says "vote for him".

He also chose to harp on the Jonas Brother's decision to wear purity rings. Really? Let's just give the message to kids who are like them that it's not cool to have a commitment to something as important as abstinence until marriage. Good going, MTV, no wonder there are so many teen pregnancies.

I have cringed (and booed) every time he takes the mic between all the performances and awards...

Now on to some of the awards and performances...

Britney Spears won best female video and pop video. Really? Really? Way to recognize the "train wreck of the year" and try to shove her "comeback" to the MTV crowd (even though we haven't stopped hearing her damn name considering she hasn't done anything substantial with her music). I'm glad this award show is honoring the main star of the supermarket tabloid trashy magazines.

Surprisingly, I liked Pink's performance. I liked the song she chose for the venue (very energetic) and I thought she looked fantastic.

I also liked Rihanna's performances. I think she can genuinely sing and she put on a good live show. She's got a unique voice, style, and doesn't look like a skinny bobble head doll.

As for the rap performances/awards: I'm clearly too old for this genre now. I don't get how a guy walking around without a shirt, his pants hanging past his butt, and holding his crotch, is appealing. I don't even remember what he was singing, or who it was, because I was distracted by the constant crotch-grabbing and trying to figure out if it was due to keeping his pants from sliding clear to his knees.

I heart Christina Aguilera. I just love her songs, her voice, and the fact that she can reinvent herself realistically. She's just who she is, take her or leave her. I was leery of her Lady Marmalade days, but I'm glad that was one of her shorter phases. I loved her recent album Back to Basics because I absolutely love the blend of genres she used. I also respect that her albums are so different and it clearly shows her growth as an artist, and as a woman.

There's less than half an hour left in the show and I'm over it.

"The joy of music should never be interrupted by a commercial." ~Leonard Bernstein