It was a Night of Many First at the 2012 Video Music Awards
Looking back at the fabulous MTV extravaganza…the VMAs were an unqualified success.
They were competing with the DNC convention but politics was set aside as the 2012 Video Music Awards ceremony was unleashed by MTV on Thursday. Many have commented on it as a successful night of many firsts. The newbies were not left behind as One Direction took three gongs home. Electrifying performances from the biggest figures in the entertainment industry provided the perfect backdrop as the winners took their Moonmen. The performers included Pink, Green Day, Alicia Keys, Taylor Swift and Lil Wayne. All these acts were performing at the ceremony for the first time. For One Direction, this was the first visit to the VMAs and they ended up scooping three Moonmen for good measure.
- Brown and a year of controversies: The biggest winners of the night included M.I.A and Chris Brown. The latter has been largely criticized for the domestic violence incident with his ex girlfriend Rihanna. However he has bounced back in a spectacular fashion despite the mealy-mouthed objections of his detractors. Both Brown and M.I.A each got two awards behind the effervescent 1D group.
Those who were looking for sensational moments were rewarded when Rihanna got pats on her butt from none other than Katy Perry (her latest BFF) and A$AP Rocky. She then went on to win the Video of the Year award. There were some awkward moments when the host Kevin Hart imperiously ordered Chris Brown and Drake to make up after their spectacular fight at a nightclub. He also called Frank Ocean ‘brave’ for coming out to his fans. Those who were looking for a touch of romance could have fantasized easily as Chris Brown and Rihanna showed some love for one another at the VMAs.
An open floor plan and plenty of dancing at the VMAs
Perhaps the design was deliberately worked out to inspire dancing amongst the punters who had come out to watch the great and the good of the entertainment business picking up their gongs. It was a good-times vibe throughout the event with many popular acts taking to the stage and encouraging crowd participation. The 2012 Video Music Awards were an exercise in thoughtful planning and fan-oriented fun. To begin with they introduced Rihanna on a throne set. She was enclosed in a giant snake’s mouth which reminded us of Indiana Jones and those adventures.
The singer was decked out in hot red leather with a string of Egyptian Ankhs circling her neck. She was backed by a bunch of energetic dancers who were clad in print ensembles. The star walked onto the stage and playfully removed her sunglasses. She winked at the audience almost as if to suggest that there was some secret arrangement with them. Thereafter A$AP Rocky emerged and did his part for the ‘Cockiness’ remix. To add spice to the set he grabbed Rih-Rih on the rear. She responded by belting out the lyrics to ‘We Found Love’ as the balloons dropped. Nothing could have been more dramatic in the circumstances.
Rihanna was backed by her studio collaborator Calvin Harris. He also doubled as a House DJ for the 2012 Video Music Awards. The event organizers could not help but point towards the Democratic National Convention which was taking place at the same time. The host Kevin Hart went as far as introducing himself as the ‘future President of the United States’. He was surrounded by a mock security detail which was dominated by little people. Meanwhile the video monitors lit up on the famous red, white and blue as a banner read ‘Hart 2102’. It was a magnificent greeting but we do not know whether President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney will see it in quite the same way.
The presenter makes a few deliberate mistakes
These events would not be what they are without the odd incident of awkward humor. Kevin Hart was on top form as he made ‘mistakes’ on the theme of his monologue. There were jokey scenarios that were cleverly used to explain all sorts of things including Frank Ocean’s coming out and Snooki’s baby. The elephant in the room according to him was Kristen Stewart who has been in the tabloids of recent following news that she had cheated on her boyfriend Robert Patterson with a movie director. Kevin was far more forgiving agreeing that she did it… but so what?
He then went on to spout a laundry list of all those people who had committed some mistakes at the VMAs. This was an impressive list and it included celebrities such as Lil’ Mama and Kanye West. The presenter joked that he would probably do the same as these folks in a similar situation.
The VMA Awards begin to trickle in
The first award of the day was presented by Katy Perry. It was the Best Pop Video category which was poignant reminder that the singer had never won this particular category. Inevitably this prize was taken by the British boyband sensation that is One Direction. This was their second Moonman since they had already taken the honors for the Most Share-Worthy Video in the pre-show event.
We then went to the next stage where both Mac Miller and Miley Cyrus introduced Pink. She kicked off the performance with a hook from her classic hit number titled ‘I’m Coming Up’. The singer sung a very sparse version that was accompanied by a keyboard and no enhancements apart from her microphone. Pink’s sartorial style was also riveting as she wore fishnets, a sleeveless white tee shirt, heels, black hot pants and even suspenders. She made quite an impression as she walked to the band to perform ‘Blow Me (One Last Kiss)’. A group of burlesque dancers with giant red lips accompanied her. They covered their heads and torsos as the singer interacted with the crowd.
Chris Brown got the better of Drake in the Best Male Video Category. His ‘Turn up the Music’ video was a pre-contest favorite and he has the additional satisfaction of having directed it. However Drake grabbed a Moonman for the Best Hip-Hop Video. He dedicated this to any kid who had to walk home alone. Frank Ocean was great in his intimate performance of ‘Thinkin Bout You’ while Lady Gaga tweeted that this performance stole the show.
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