After Kanye West Steals Taylor Swift's Moment, Beyonce Steps Up

Last night, the MTV Video Music Awards returned to New York City with its usual mix of spectacle and a heavy dose of nostalgia (mostly Michael Jackson-related, with a remembrance from Madonna, then a performance of Scream by Janet Jackson). However, the whole thing was upstaged by Kanye West's antics—the rapper decided to storm the stage when Taylor Swift was the surprise winner for Best Female Video with her song "You Belong With Me." He took the microphone from the 19-year-old to declare Beyonce's "Single Ladies" "one of the best videos of all time." Here's video:

MTV Shows

West was booed by the audience—while Swift looked confused—and he was asked to leave (possibly for his own safety—security had to keep Pink from him!). Apparently Swift and her mother were crying backstage. Gawker declared Kanye "a dick" and Cajun Boy at Animal New York decided, "The thought did occur to me that this whole thing might just be another of the many VMA pranks we’ve seen over the years, but this just seems too bizarre to be a hoax, and Kanye West is enough of an asshole to do something like this, so yeah, it all makes perfect sense."

Swift did manage to perform in the subway and on the city streets later (she actually took the F train from 42nd Street to 47th-50th, leaving the station via an emergency exit —yes, the alarm went off—video after the jump). And when Beyonce won Video of the Year for "Single Ladies," she remembered her first VMA nomination, "It was one of the most exciting moments in my life, so I'd like for Taylor to come out and have her moment." The two embraced and Swift said, "Maybe we can try this again." (Video after the jump.)

Kanye, who said that he had a little "sippy sippy" before the show, apologized on his website, adding, "I'M NOT CRAZY YALL, I'M JUST REAL."

Taylor Swift sings on the F train:

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Beyonce welcomes Taylor Swift onstage:

MTV Shows

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By Jen Chung in Arts & Entertainment on September 14, 2009 2:38 AM

Comments [rss]

Past Taliban

Unemployment is hovering around 16.5% (the REAL number BTW), our entire national banking system is probably insolvent but, YES ..I DO see the importance of this issue. Completely.

Past Taliban

79 comments already within just a few minutes of being posted. No wonder Goldman Sachs is azz-raping this country unimpeded.

Shinobi Shaw

I think it's interesting to see the underlying psychological themes running through both Kanye and the Public themselves.

Kanye clearly was immature, tacky, and tasteless, who is utterly starving for attention.

The backlash from the Public (as well as the whole Serena controversy) also shows that the Public to are....

a. bored, they want some drama in their lives and being part of this gets their Ego going (just like Kanye!)

b. They project their own Shadow archetype and look like they are ready for a hanging.

If they really cared they should have never given Kanye's stupidity any more publicity, any more fire.

The Public feeds on the judgement as Kanye feeds on the drama from Sunday.

hubcap

is this the guy who pissed on people? how is this worse?

was that shakira handing out the silver spaceman? she's fine

inoyourider

definitely not fake I can vouch for that

valeriob

Not fake, agreed and can also vouch.

dadoc

Nice to see everyone has fallen for the prop to increase the new Leno show's ratings. This show biz stuff is just as real as "professional wrestling". Have no idea who these people are, and don't care. Will await their overdoses, and again say: "who?".

marcasm

This is the same man who said we should "Give Chris Brown a break" and "O.J. Simpson, amazing. Is he not? What he did, when he did, what he did. Was he not amazing, though?"

robingee

Kayne, it's barely English, is it not? Is it not?

bigmikebrooklyn

If i was taylor swift i woulda asked him if he was ready to record "through the wire 2" as i wound up with my moon man trophy...

Wza

Kanye West does not care about white people.

Clarice City

I wish Talor Swift had pointed at his stupid ass haircut and laughed.

Clarice City

I wish Taylor Swift had pointed at his haircut and laughed.

bornbrednewyorker

This is the state of music today? How sad.

Think2wice

What a muthafuckin' gayfish......y'all.

Nice work with the subway car concert Taylor.

callo282

That fool was swigging from a bottle of Henny all night. Even had it with him on the red carpet........since when was it legal to have a opened bottle of alcohol in public in NYC? Yet ANOTHER celebrity who thinks that they're above the law. F Kanye

Spirit of 76

Wait a minute. MTV still has some kind of connection to music videos? I thought they went music video-free years ago.

farleft

I have to admit that Kanye was right.

Before today 95% of the world never even heard of Taylor Swift. This is probably the best thing that could've happened to this kid.

valeriob

You do realize that you've lost your mind, amiright?

You didn't see the part where beyonce actually won the very award kanye was bitching about?

I hear kanye's up for next years' Artist of the Millenium Award.