Interesting events occur at the VMAs

Right from the start the Video Music Awards were taken hostage by the desperately-seeking-attention musician that is Lady Gaga. Beforehand she was already the center of attention, wearing--you guessed it--another outfit from her never-ending wardrobe of the ridiculous.

Then the actual VMA's started and I got a feel for what I was actually getting myself into. When I saw that Chelsea Handler, from the late night show "Chelsea Lately," was the host, I almost sighed out loud. I waited it out, thinking that I couldn’t possibly condemn a show just for a poor choice in hosting. After a few awkward and unintelligent jokes from Handler, the VMA's really started rolling.

Almost immediately the VMA's displayed their most redeeming quality, the live performances. Since the live performances were more than plentiful, anyone who is a fan of popular music would really enjoy themselves. Then, as the VMA's went on a little longer, another interesting fact brought itself to my realization. Unlike the Academy Awards, where the awards are presented by other members of the film community, the awards on the VMA's are at times announced by other musicians, but interestingly enough, not always. The discouraging point is when it was not announced by another artist, but instead by people who are just popular faces in entertainment today, for example, part of the cast of the "Social Network," or "Twilight"--even an appearance from some of the saddest people to put themselves out on television and "entertain" people, the cast of "Jersey Shore."

Another thing that caught my attention early on and made me both sad and frustrated was that the big name techno musician, Deadmau5, was there, but instead of getting his own spot, we only got to hear a little bit of him. I suppose he is just not popular enough to get a full live performance in--maybe not a bad thing. Between that and the music and artists that were displayed during the VMA's, it soon became clear that this night was just a great collaboration of people that the entertainment world deems popular at this point in time. Of course, this list of people will change by next year's VMA's, or even more realistically, by next month.

For those people who are interested, the VMA's did prove to be big nights for both Lady Gaga and Eminem, both walked away with multiple awards. One of which for Lady Gaga was the "coveted" Video of the Year award. And, of course, in between every award Gaga received, she had to wear something different. It was almost as if after she received each award she ran backstage so that she could change outfits and get the maximun amount of attention possible. Since she has people eating out of the palm of her hand, there is a big chance she will continue with her crazy antics for years to come. 

So, in the end, the VMA's can be sumed up as an elaborate celebration of mainstream music, but if you happen to be a person who enjoys mainstream music, then the VMA's will be of great interest to you--since there are plenty of live performances, with plenty of spectacle that will entertain anyone interested in that kind of music.

--By Ben Stevenson