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Mixed messages
©Associated Press NEW YORK -- With the American Museum of Natural History as the backdrop, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band kicked off the MTV Video Music Awards on Thursday with a rousing yet poignant performance that served to celebrate the spirit of the city. Springsteen sang the title cut to his new disc The Rising, which touches on the emotions and the aftermath of Sept. 11. But the MTV Video Music Awards being what they are, that reverent spirit didn't last for long. Switching back to Radio City Music Hall, where the awards were held, host Jimmy Fallon lampooned some of the evening's nominees by spoofing their videos, including rappers Eminem and Nelly and teen rocker Avril Lavigne. One of the evening's first surprises was an appearance by the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, who sashayed on stage at the end of Fallon's skit. Perhaps the biggest surprise was when pop queen Britney Spears emerged to give an "Artist of the Millennium" award to Michael Jackson, whose first album of the new millennium, Invincible, only garnered two hits and was a commercial disappointment. The award coincided with the King of Pop's 44th birthday. Despite some early thrills, there were plenty of lulls. Scripted banter between celebrity presenters like twins Mary-Kate and Ashely Olsen and actor Brittany Murphy and Anthony Kiedis from the Red Hot Chili Peppers fell flat. When the camera panned the audience during some of Fallon's skits, they appeared confused -- or worse, bored. The fashion show started early. Spears arrived in a black leather outfit with a cap that made her look like an auxiliary member of the Village People, while Pink looked punk with a short black hair style, tattooed arms and a black-and-green striped dress. And a streaky-haired Christina Aguilera donned a halter that barely seemed to cover her. Of course, there are the awards. Eminem, Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott and the rock band P.O.D. led the nominees with six each. Among the early winners was No Doubt, which won best pop video and best group video for Hey Baby, and Eminem, who won best rap video for Without Me. Jennifer Lopez won best hip-hop video for I'm Real, her collaboration with Ja Rule. Lopez, dressed semiconservatively in a black dress with a plunging neckline, seemed stunned to best competitors such as Elliott and Outkast. "I'm a girl from the Bronx and hip-hop is everything to us," she said. Typically, the awards are held after Labor Day. But because of the approaching first anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the network pushed the show up to August.
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From the wire |
