Hatorade: The 2008 VMA's

Wow - could the 2008 VMA's have been a shittier show? I get that the idea of shooting at the paramount studios probably seemed like a cool idea in theory, but executed the idea turned out to be a serious flop.

Aside from the 500$ set that looked like it may have been featured on Trading Spaces, why was the crowd so minimal? Why did the Jonas Brothers perform on Sesame Street? Why did Kid Rock scream at the crowd to kiss his ass if they didn't like him and then gracefully transition into his rendition of 'Sweet Home Alabama?'

Although the video music awards have long lost credibility as a true showcase of upcoming and current talent, the VMA's are still generally a pretty monumental event. Remember that ridiculous performance by Kanye at last years VMA's?



Remember gym class heroes winning best new artist last year?



Any trace of that sort of grandiosity was completely absent this year.

Also - Britney Spears won THREE awards? Pieces of me is a great song but what an awful video. I smell a sorry-you-embarrassed-yourself-last-year-please-open-this-year apology in the form of a moon man. Three, actually. Don't even get me started on the opening...I actually thought Jonah Hill was pretty funny but really? That's how the VMA's were opened???

Anyways, its one thing to knock the performances and the artists of the VMA's -- it seems like that's an inevitability, but MTV itself jumped the shark this time. Russell Brand (who I didn't think was actually as bad as reported after his initial monologue of screaming into the microphone), an apparently slim budget (at least I hope that was the case) and really just an overall half-assed job on their part.

Jez. sums it up fairly accurately.