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:

New Music - More Music Videos

Beyonce welcomes Taylor Swift onstage:

MTV Shows

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in Arts and Events 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.

farleft

My point exactly. Taylor lost the big video award, but she won big with this media hype of a non-story.

ides_of_march

Can't have all these white people winning music awards now can we? Next thing you know they'll be upsetting black people by beating them at tennis.

S.D.

Wow, can you act anymore Racist?

Geez...

ides_of_march

Can't have all these white people winning music awards now can we? Next thing you know they'll be upsetting black people by beating them at tennis.

valeriob

PS what a complete animal this guy is.

Here's a new video right after he's asked to leave where he's cursing "f* MTV, blah blah blah".

Two giant steps back for mankind.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-631TgPP2s&feature=player_embedded

valeriob

gay fish apoligizes in complete and utter sarcasm mode.

someone please dissect this with me:

http://twurl.cc/1laz

sexisicilian

Just goes to show you money does not always buy class. He such a DICK!!

Bernie Madoff-Goetz

MTV = more and more like professional wrestling from the 80s each and every day.

smitty

The F train wasn't one in service and I believe it was on one of the tracks used for filming.

If you looked inside the train there were maps and an MTA sign inside that said "Rockefeller Center" - not real.

Wza

It was filmed on the 42nd Street shuttle line.

The "S" was replaced with an "F".

blondeinthecity

also there were 2 F trains... one on the local and one on the express... so realistic. i didnt even think there were that many f trains in the entire city.

freddynyc

Beyonce is so 2002 - it's really time to move on. BTW it's heartening to know that the angry black man is alive and well in this day and age...

farleft

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-xLtTYoPfw

ed_Extinct

Always keepin' it classy, Kanye—

Class A loser.

JackoPaidOffVictims

Kanye is a gay fish and he doesn't get it. Here's the soundtrack:

http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/224099/

TammyJ713

what a gracious lady beyonce is!! she's brought classy back :)

Bort

Finally this is getting some internet coverage!!

Thespis

Staged. But in any event...

When you have a lame outburst over political causes...ok, you're a jerk, but I can almost respect the passion. George Bush really didn't care about black people. So, ok, you still shouldn't say it...but I can respect that at least somewhat.

When you have a lame outburst because Beyonce didn't win a VMA award...I mean, "all tha single ladies" is catchy, but this ain't Hurricane Katrina, man. Beyonce not winning some lame spaceman doll isn't a tragedy -- it's not an offense against humanity.

Adjust the sense of outrage down about a million notches, and stop acting like a tool.

JacqueMehoff

I agree, that moonman statute has got to go.

next year, please send this back to LA or wherever.

farleft

Someone needs to design a new trophy for the VMA awards.

I don't blame Kanye for doing that. Has anyone even seen the video that won? The voting must've been rigged.

hotstepper

his haircut looks like he has a bad case of ringworm. fab!

farleft

I bet you have a mullet.

hotstepper

you can shampoo my crotch mullet for $20 you dirty bloke.

woodendesigner

That's right Kanye, you are real... a real dickhead. You had your 15 minutes in the spotlight. Now it's time to fade away.

matty

i, for one, am outraged at this highly staged publicity stunt

dilligaf

he is a POS, and the only way to stop crap like him is to STOP buying anything he works on...anything.

Just goes to show you, you can not buy class.

FU Kanye!!

airtech1

Kanye is beyond the "disgrace," and "classless" tag now; I think the dude is borderline Asperger's, autistic, or borderline mentally ill.

Of course, in the land of celebrity, that makes him simply eccentric. He needs some meds.

SFNY

Classic raging pathological narcissist. And Hennessey's bitch.

PS I vote not staged: Taylor's a singer, not an actress, and her reaction was way too real.

SFNY

Um, weird, that was supposed to reply to #28 airtech1.

Gothamist_Cynic

Totally staged. Anyone who thinks the VMAs are real are fools.

Mr Mel

You've got to click the submit button, the second time, a little faster.

valeriob

I thought the F train thing was awesome! It was a great idea (minus the emergency exit alarm) and went together very well.

Good for you hottie McHotpants!

Gothamist_Cynic

Totally staged. Anyone who thinks the VMAs are real are fools.

Steven

I still think it was stage. It's MTV after all come on people.

magicnick

Kanye,

Please take your meds before you come out in public.

You are the icon of uncool.

Congrats!

The VMA for most insecure artist goes to . . . . .

YOU!!!

I'm so happy for you.

foe

hoodoo

That 'Sippy Sippy' quote you link to is from the MTV Europe Awards a few years ago, not the current . Which doesn't change the fact that Kanye clearly *did* have some Sippy Sippy last night.

S.D.

Can he be banned from these award shows already?

whitecastlerock

Kanye What? He needs to put down the gin and juice

csk

That's class, Beyonce. But lose those friends.

fruitstand

Staged.

Now what the Christ is that scary person doing with their head wrapped in a white wreath?

inoyourider

No, people, it was not staged.

inoyourider

Not staged.

jibbly

Lady Gaga. If I wasn't watching with a media savvy person I wouldn't have known who half these people were and why they were famous.

BTW, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys was awesome, but what was Lil Mama doing up on stage at the end?

JacqueMehoff

who's taylor swift, I thought that was claire danes.

just more fodder for the crazies, like we need more of them nuts.

Mr Mel

I think it was just as embarrassing for Beyonce.

Jen Chung

Yeah, definitely.

nicemarmot

Kanye is a gay fish. At least Beyonce has class.

farleft

Don't you mean, "Beyonce has ass"? Reference Pic 4.

TimSPC

+1 for picture four.

hotstepper

testify!

Neil Epstein

what a prick.

dustyrebel

They delayed the F train for that!?

Blue387

Aren't we at war with someone right now? I forget.

MrManhattan

"I'M NOT CRAZY YALL, I'M JUST REAL."

Real asshole.

But at least he didn't shoot anyone.

mellow_fellow

Lots of lust for Taylor Swift, but I LOL'ed when she said she sings country. (Play me off with "Countrier than Thou" by Robbie Fulks, keyboard cat.)