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Gothamist can only suspect that the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards were so stultifyingly boring is because somehow, Miami and the huge US Air Arena sucked the energy out of everyone. We think the overly manufactured entertainment industry is digging its own grave (A&R guy: "Hey, we need another 'rock' group...it's be a bunch of guys with spiky hair and punkish clothing...let's give 'em a wacky one-word name, too!"), because watching commentary-less CSPAN coverage of the anti-war protest was a billion times more interesting that the off-key singing and horrible pre-fab banter. Gothamst is not opposed to manufactured entertainment - that's what last year's Madonna-Britney-Christina stunt was all about - but this year just smacked of a lack of imagination. The promos for the new Real World were better! There was ONE awesome thing about the show: Glass artist Dale Chihuly's sculpture, the clear and blue glass tentacles that rose 20 feet. More about Dale here.
Hey Ya! won four awards; there was a day when Gothamist didn't think we could get tired of Hey Ya! by Outkast, but it seems that day came like two or three months ago. We're sad that Jay-Z's incredibly beautiful and brutal video 99 Problems won most of its awards in the pre-show; directed by Mark Romanek, it shows Jay-Z in Brooklyn with a motley cast of supporting character, in a last hurrah of sorts. See the video on Romanek's site here. And our other Larry-King-in-USA-Today type thoughts:
- Thankfully, Shaq did not rap.
- The Olsens made an appearance, and it seemed like the kids in the crowd were crying, they were so overcome with emotion seeing them.
- That kid from Hoobastank TOTALLY missed a note.
- Simpson sisters rant: What gives with people waving their cellphones like lighters during Jessica Simpson's song? It's not that good - Gothamist wants to know how much the cellphone company was paying those kids in the pit. And Ashlee can't sing and isn't interesting.
- Bruce Willis dancing to Fat Joe - didn't need to see that!
- People are jerks awards: The booing of Kerry and Bush daughters; it's not their fault their dads are politicians. And the Red Cross is a great cause. But maybe it's as Adam of Slice says: "They were booing because they weren't wearing see through dresses."
- Many men were wearing white (luckily there's still a week before Labor Day!), but there was Farnsworth Bentley to wear that splash of color and leave it to the Beastie Boys to eschew fads and wear jumpsuits like they usually do.
- Hulk Hogan's 16 year-old daughter looks like a 45 year-old beauty queen turned hooker.
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holy crap. i thought that hogan chick was hulk's WIFE!! oh my...his daughter? gasp.
from a recent NYC to miami transplant: it's the AMERICAN AIRLINES ARENA not the USAir ARENA. lighten up... it's the MTV/VMAs. do you really think that can compete with anti-war protest coverage ANY day?
thanks always GOTHAMIST for keeping us in touch with THE city!
the MTV-easels really suck for moving the vmas tout of new york...what's the matter? they couldnt afford radio city?
tools.
thanks gothamist for your absolutely spot-on coverage thouhg....
So Jay-Z won a few awards from a Network that refused to show his video..now that's some good ole "Alanis" irony.
kowgurl -- it's another thing you can blame the Republicans for. I think Radio City was booked up because of the convention.
16 ?!? Wow, that's hot.
I'd have to say, unfortunately, the boos of the Kerry and Bush daughters are fair. They are actively participating in the campaigns of their fathers. They made the choice to be on that stage to help MTV "rock the vote" so they have to deal with the consequences.
Anyone else get the feeling that all of MTV's voting push is actually turning people AWAY from voting?
Actually, I think that the Bush daughters were cheered while the Kerry daughters were booed. Alexandra looked like she was going to cry. It was definately the low point of the night.
I'm glad the 15 year old teeney boppers can't vote.
Stone - I agree with you. But I'm not so sure the well-educated MTV crowd knew who was who. But the Kerry's did indeed look like they were going to cry.
radio city is booked because the convention is in the garden. the wnba's liberty have to play there while the RNC is in town.
last night was unbeWEAVEable. ladies, what is up? it's like Black Dynasty exploded up in that piece.
AND
is it possible to ban Bruce Willis' constipated face from TV forever? EW.
The only highlight was Diddy's frohawk.
By far the most culturally irrelevant VMAs in years. No surprises. Totally boring. I can't believe people cheer for the band Jet. Do they have any other songs besides that Ipod one? They've been milking it for a long aggravating time. Jet clearly hates themselves--you can see it in their eyes. Could the VMAS be any more trapped in the 90s too? Shaq, Usher, the Beastie Boys, Kurt Loder, ugh...I'm tired of these people.
How is it MTV went from something that embraced left leaning social issues to something that's afraid to take any political stance whatsoever?
Also, despite the fact I watch MTV all the time, I can honestly say I've never seen any of the videos up for nomination!
the vmas are normally in september.... so i'm not buying the RNC excuse....they suck.
You are right about that picture of Hulk Hogan with his daughter. It looks weird. And submliminally, notice where Hogan'sleft hand is positioned--(blushers skip this part)--it seems to me that the daughter is a total sex object for him and nothing more. It's a very sad picture.
brooke hogan ... what a skank! great observation, Gothamist. excellent recap and thanks for the propers. bovs.
Here's another review:
http://scamboogah.blogspot.com/2004/09/belated-vma-review.html