If you want a full, thoughtful recap of the VMAs, look no further than Rich’s amazing breakdown of the events (with some amazing screen caps) at fourfour, because he gets almost all of it. I disagree slightly on one or two points, but overall, he needs to get out of my head right now.
Having given you the full breakdown, there are a couple of things that I feel compelled to highlight.
– Madonna, for all of her bad choices of late, is being hailed as a class act for her introduction. Leave it to me to throw cold water on that one. Her intent may have been good, and I believe she was completely sincere in her commentary, but to create this intense bond via the similarities of their circumstances, and then use it to say “he was more fucked up than I will ever be, but I hold myself (and all of you) responsible for his downward spiral” seemed a tad arrogant to me.
– I defeated myself with Janet, because the initial buzz made it sound like she was going to be the heart of this dance extravaganza, but cooler heads prevailed, and she did the most appropriate thing possible. The way they only used his part of the video dance scene, and then got the camera angle of her dancing with him in the right position, was perfection. My initial disappointment with the lack of Janet turned to relief that a) she didn’t embarrass herself; and b) she didn’t embarrass Michael.
– Speaking of Janet, after the show, she released a new song on her website that I am really enjoying. “Make Me” harkens back to that disco vibe of “All for You”, which leads me to believe that this is a product of her revived connection with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. More please!
– I’m torn on the best performance of the night. P!nk’s high-flying acrobatics to “Sober” were truly impressive, but for sheer fun and impact, Beyonce won me over with her army of “Single Ladies”. I got a bit of a kick out of Green Day inviting the entire audience up on the stage at the end of their song, too. Boos to the security gorillas dragging people off the stage after the invite.
– Lady GaGa, meet the jumping shark. Jumping shark, here’s your next victim.
I actually LAUGHED at the “death” scene. The blood was so hilarious to me that I am sure people in the next house over heard my guffaws. Note to GaGa…if you’re going to simulate a death and hanging on a family-rated awards show, use some subtlety. This is coming from a fan, so don’t take this as just another hater. Just calling it as I see it.
One more thing…Eminem got what he deserved when he realized that he would HAVE to hug the Lady out of protocol. Karma’s a bitch, bitch.
– I’m sure this won’t be a surprise to anyone, but I will go to the movie theater to see This Is It. For as ghoulish as he looks in parts of the trailer for the movie, it’s going to be a spectacle, and I will be there to see it.
– If anyone is going to get a sales bounce out of this show, I am hoping it is Muse, who completely deserves it. They rocked it out, and I will be looking for the CD coming out tomorrow. Oh, and Gerard Butler introduced them. Just sayin’.
– One final note…reason #74 why we love Kelly Clarkson.
Stumble It!
Pop Music Notes 
Well, Madonna didn’t stomp on anyone’s winner moment, plug any new material, show any skin, or bleed on anyone. She was dressed in homage and told a personal story from her life that involved Michael. How is that not a class act? And remember, he was considered the King of Pop. She is the Queen. Back in the day, there was no other male star brighter than he, and vice versa for Madgie. There is your bond. Any questions?
You know what? I don’t disagree with anything you have said, and I think that overall, it was classy. It just rubbed me the wrong way that she said that he was more messed up than she ever would be because of his upbringing, especially with his dad and brother sitting there. She gave a eulogy last night, and would you ever say anything like that at someone’s funeral? I give her mad props for acknowledging his talent and also his humanity, but that one blemish keeps coming back to me.
i actually took her emphasis on his f’d up childhood as a way of again reminding those who judge MJ for being an overgrown stunted child and seeming very strange and a “freak” that they should never sit in judgment without again remembering where he came from and that maybe he became what we all called him… i know lots of (especially) white middle america continues (even after his death) to mock him for being a “weirdo” and “pervert” — these were people who listened to his music all through the 80’s mind you. I thought she was doing a great job of saying “hey… he came from a very normal average, even poor background and these things made him different… think about that.” I think in some ways even MJ would have had to have admitted that by most standards he was a “weirdo” so i didn’t think she was doing him any injustice by saying the obvious… but then sort of saying “but he was still human…” — i have to say, the image of the two of them hanging out and watching a movie was so great… i mean what else would two human beings do hanging out together? but we have to be reminded of that… we need to be reminded of that.
Like I said in the post, I know I am in the minority on this one, and I completely respect where everyone is coming from. It’s tough, because I wanted it to be a bridging moment, and I was so close to allowing it to be so, but she didn’t seal the deal with me. For some reason, I never gave into the pedophilia accusations that so many folks did. I believe that, no matter what your gut instinct may say, you have to let the courts do their job, and the court of public opinion should be secondary. She could have said what she said without putting it into the context that she did in front of his family.
I think a huge part of it is her affect. I think Madonna is just not that personable or warm when she speaks and usually comes across as distant and therefore insincere… it’s been a problem/characteristic for her for a long time and probably won’t ever change. She ends up seeming pompous and cold… but i think, in this case, she was being honest…
I also think that Madonna, even this far into her career, has a serious case of nerves when she has to speak, especially when it is outside the venue of her own shows.
I did not watch the VMAs or Madonna’s speech so I can’t really comment on her sincerity, but she does come off as insincere or cold A LOT. Which is why it’s so refreshing when she isn’t.
That’s such a bizarre concept to me. She’s in good company, though…Carly Simon’s stage fright is legendary.