Eminem booed as he scoops four MTV awards
Rapper Eminem provided the biggest shocker at the MTV Video Music Awards - he was booed after winning the award for best male video for Without Me.
The tension started last night when his nemesis, Christina Aguilera, presented him with the award. Aguilera looked like she wanted to drop it on the floor rather than put it in his hand.
Then Eminem took a pot shot at another one of his favourite targets, techno artist Moby, calling the artist a girl (Moby irritated Eminem last year by criticising his lyrics as misogynist).
Then the boos from the audience began.
“Yeah, keep booing,” Eminem told the audience, then, appearing to look in Moby’s direction, said: “I will hit a man with glasses.”
The ceremony began on a more reflective note, with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band kicking things off in front of the American Museum of Natural History with a rousing yet poignant performance that celebrated the spirit of New York city.
Springsteen sang the title cut to his new disc, The Rising, which touches on the emotions and the aftermath of September 11.
Typically, the awards are held after the Labour Day holiday in early September. But because of the approaching anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, the network pushed the show up to August.
But the MTV Video Music Awards being what they are, that reverent spirit didn’t last for long. At Radio City Music Hall, where the awards were held, host Jimmy Fallon lampooned nominees including rappers Eminem, Nelly and teen rocker Avril Lavigne by spoofing their videos.
One of the evening’s first surprises was an appearance by the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, who sashayed on stage at the end of Fallon’s skit.
Perhaps the biggest surprise was when pop queen Britney Spears emerged to give an “Artist of the Millennium” award to Michael Jackson, whose first album of the new millennium, Invincible, only garnered two hits and was a commercial disappointment.
The award coincided with the King of Pop’s 44th birthday.
“Hey, Michael Jackson looks great for 44,” Fallon said after Jackson left the stage, then added: “Between you and me, I think he’s had some work done.”
There was an emotional tribute to TLC, who lost their most dynamic member, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, in a car crash in Honduras last year.
“This is so hard because it’s a reality check because there’s only two of us up here, and she’s so missed,” surviving group member Rozonda Thomas said. “We know that Lisa’s smiling, and we just hope she can be part of us right now.”
Of course, there are the awards. Eminem took home four for Without Me, while Pink and No Doubt won two.
Things were wilder before the awards started, as rapper Ludacris performed a profanity-laced song in front of Radio City Music Hall, rolling by on top of a big bus.
Censors had to bleep out his performance, complete with scantily clad dancers jumping on cars, at least four times.
There was also the fashion show that the awards bring. Spears arrived in a black leather outfit with a cap that made her look like an auxiliary member of the Village People.
Pink looked punk with a short black hair style, tattooed arms and a black-and-green striped dress.
A streaky-haired Christina Aguilera donned a halter that barely seemed to cover her.
