CLEVELAND - For me, last night's MTV Video Music Awards caused a gamut of emotions. There were tears, jeers and cheers from me during the two and a half hour spectacle that began and ended with Michael Jackson.The in-between was something else.
The good: Pop legend Madonna opened the show (held at New York's Radio City Music Hall) with a moving, occassionally funny and heartfelt speech about Michael, noting a range of similarities between the two of them, then detailing her friendship with the man that she dominated 1980's music and pop culture with. She extolled his kindness and brilliance and labeled him a "human being," but still very much a "king." Though they grew distant, she was quick to assert that "we abandoned him."
After Madonna finished, a troupe of dancers filled the stage clad in various trademark Michael Jackson outfits and ran through a short medley of a few of his iconic songs. Against a large, video screen backdrop, the dancers mimicked Jackson's choreographed dance numbers in sync with him on the screen, which featured him performing in those groundbreaking short films. When MJ's futuristic 1995 clip for the song "Scream" came on, his sister Janet (who featured on the song and video) took to the stage and reprised her dance sequences as well as Michael's while it played out on the screen behind her. It was an electrifying performance by all, and it caused me to shed buckets of tears.
The Bad: Hip-hop musician and producer Kanye West, a notoriously egotistical sore loser, stormed the stage when young newcomer Taylor Swift won an award over a group of nominees that included Beyonce Knowles. West interrupted Swift's exuberant acceptance speech to declare that Beyonce should have won instead of her, which prompted a chorus of boos from the star-studded crowd. Knowles appeared stunned in her seat, as did Swift on stage. West wasn't seen again the rest of the night.
What a total creep.
The Odd: Eccentric pop star Lady Gaga showed up with Kermit the Frog as her date, whom she kissed while she sported a Phantom of the Opera-style face mask. She later performed her hit song "Paparazzi" with heavy theatrics that included a glittery wheelchair and fake blood dripping from her torso. She switched outfits often, at one point wearing a red lace shroud which covered her entire face with matching crown. After that? Gaga's face was encased in a circular haystack. Incidentally, I love her style. I felt that her "oddities" were also among the "good" simply because she is original and isn't afraid to go to extremes to express herself.
More good: Pink has become a favorite of mine. She looked and sounded great during her performance as did Beyonce, who surprised me with how thick and curvy she is. Taylor Swift is a 19-year old knockout and brushed off the Kanye debacle with an awesome performance of her song "You Belong With Me" on a subway train before running through the station and finally, outside the building. Later, Beyonce won an award and asked Swift to take to the stage and use her (Beyonce's) time to finally have "her moment" since West ruined hers. That was true class at its finest.
Great to see Eminem win an award for his music video "We Made You." He stepped onstage and thanked his fans for sticking by him during his hiatus from music, then dedicated the award to his fallen friend, Proof.
Jay-Z made a grand entrance after his motorcade traversed the streets of Manhattan before dropping him off at an exclusive, backstage door. He walked in calm, yet confident, grabbed a mic, then stepped out on stage and launched into his new song "Empire State of Mind" while Alicia Keys crooned the hook and played the piano.
The Odd: Host Russell Brand, who also emceed the show last year. His over-the-top and often racy humor tends to border on the peculiar, and he can be quite disturbing.
The Good: We were finally treated to the trailer for the forthcoming Michael Jackson feature length documentary, "This Is It." The film is comprised of footage from Michael's rehearsals as he prepared for what was to be his swan song as a touring artist. Due in theaters October 28 for a two week run, it also features interviews and other behind the scenes access that we've never seen. From what I saw, it looks and sounds incredible.
Great show overall, but someone needs to invest in a muzzle for Mr. West. Or maybe even a restraining order.
That wasn't a joke, either.
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