Publié : lun. sept. 08, 2008 7:07 am
Calm, collected: New Britney still owns the MTV Video Music Awards
Mon Sep 8, 9:49 AM
LOS ANGELES - Britney Spears has provided some of the most memorable moments in the history of the notoriously unpredictable MTV Video Music Awards, for better and for worse.
That hot kiss with Madonna! Singing "I'm a Slave 4 U" with a giant snake draped across her shoulders! And of course, her debacle of a performance during last year's show, a lethargic rendition of "Gimme More" that signalled the apparent nadir of her spiralling pop career.
This time, Spears made news - and earned a standing ovation - just by showing up, smiling brightly and not making a fool of herself.
She also happened to sweep all three categories in which she was nominated - including the top honour, video of the year - with the clip for her defiant dance tune "Piece of Me."
And she seemed surprisingly sedate about the whole experience.
"Wow, thank you, I'm in shock right now. I was not expecting this," she said at the end of the night as she accepted the shiny Moonman statue for video of the year. "This is such an honour to have this award right now."
Spears gave similarly generic speeches with her previous two prizes - best female video and best pop video - politely thanking God, her children and her record label before quickly leaving the stage. She offered no other insight as to how she was feeling in the press room afterward: Wearing a glittering silver dress that hugged her curves and her hair in soft blond waves, she posed for photos with her three trophies but did not answer questions from reporters. Accompanied by her longtime manager Larry Rudolph, Spears chewed gum and grinned and kept her eyes straight ahead.
Beforehand, it looked as if the show might merely bring her a glimmer of redemption. She wasn't scheduled to sing and dance, just open the VMAs in a jokey-kissy sketch with "Superbad" star Jonah Hill, followed by a few words for the crowd. But that alone would hopefully go a long way toward making up for her awkward 2007 performance, which earned the pop icon universal pans.
Whether or not she'd won a single prize on Sunday, it seemed as if the crowd was rooting for her from the start, with several stars offering their support on the red carpet.
"I've always been a Britney Spears fan," said Ne-Yo. "I really want her to get out there and shut everyone's mouth."
"As far as Britney, she can do what she wants and still be the queen of all this," said T-Pain, who arrived at the ceremony on an elephant.
Hill, her comedic co-star for the night, described Spears as "a really great person."
"I had a real fun time," he said of working on the skit. "She's perfectly willing to be a part of the fun."
And Paris Hilton, who's had more than her own share of highs and lows lately, was the one who presented Spears with the award for best pop video, telling her afterward: "I love you. I miss you. And it's so good to see you."
Spears has appeared to be headed toward better days lately after months of erratic behaviour. She's working on a new album has made well-received appearances on CBS' "How I Met Your Mother." She also seems to be returning to her famously svelte, sexy shape.
But even when you're playing the nice girl, you can't please everyone, it seems.
"We didn't see any amazing performance by Britney Spears," said "Girls Gone Wild" creator Joe Francis after the ceremony was done. "That's what I was looking for."
-
AP entertainment writers Christy Lemire, Sandy Cohen and Anthony McCartney contributed to this report.
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/0809 ... ew_britney
Mon Sep 8, 9:49 AM
LOS ANGELES - Britney Spears has provided some of the most memorable moments in the history of the notoriously unpredictable MTV Video Music Awards, for better and for worse.
That hot kiss with Madonna! Singing "I'm a Slave 4 U" with a giant snake draped across her shoulders! And of course, her debacle of a performance during last year's show, a lethargic rendition of "Gimme More" that signalled the apparent nadir of her spiralling pop career.
This time, Spears made news - and earned a standing ovation - just by showing up, smiling brightly and not making a fool of herself.
She also happened to sweep all three categories in which she was nominated - including the top honour, video of the year - with the clip for her defiant dance tune "Piece of Me."
And she seemed surprisingly sedate about the whole experience.
"Wow, thank you, I'm in shock right now. I was not expecting this," she said at the end of the night as she accepted the shiny Moonman statue for video of the year. "This is such an honour to have this award right now."
Spears gave similarly generic speeches with her previous two prizes - best female video and best pop video - politely thanking God, her children and her record label before quickly leaving the stage. She offered no other insight as to how she was feeling in the press room afterward: Wearing a glittering silver dress that hugged her curves and her hair in soft blond waves, she posed for photos with her three trophies but did not answer questions from reporters. Accompanied by her longtime manager Larry Rudolph, Spears chewed gum and grinned and kept her eyes straight ahead.
Beforehand, it looked as if the show might merely bring her a glimmer of redemption. She wasn't scheduled to sing and dance, just open the VMAs in a jokey-kissy sketch with "Superbad" star Jonah Hill, followed by a few words for the crowd. But that alone would hopefully go a long way toward making up for her awkward 2007 performance, which earned the pop icon universal pans.
Whether or not she'd won a single prize on Sunday, it seemed as if the crowd was rooting for her from the start, with several stars offering their support on the red carpet.
"I've always been a Britney Spears fan," said Ne-Yo. "I really want her to get out there and shut everyone's mouth."
"As far as Britney, she can do what she wants and still be the queen of all this," said T-Pain, who arrived at the ceremony on an elephant.
Hill, her comedic co-star for the night, described Spears as "a really great person."
"I had a real fun time," he said of working on the skit. "She's perfectly willing to be a part of the fun."
And Paris Hilton, who's had more than her own share of highs and lows lately, was the one who presented Spears with the award for best pop video, telling her afterward: "I love you. I miss you. And it's so good to see you."
Spears has appeared to be headed toward better days lately after months of erratic behaviour. She's working on a new album has made well-received appearances on CBS' "How I Met Your Mother." She also seems to be returning to her famously svelte, sexy shape.
But even when you're playing the nice girl, you can't please everyone, it seems.
"We didn't see any amazing performance by Britney Spears," said "Girls Gone Wild" creator Joe Francis after the ceremony was done. "That's what I was looking for."
-
AP entertainment writers Christy Lemire, Sandy Cohen and Anthony McCartney contributed to this report.
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/0809 ... ew_britney