So what'd I think? I was happy with some parts of the show, not with others. The performances were one of the bests I've ever seen. But the show itself...Most of the time, energy was at a low(For MTV, anyway)and negativity was at a high. As said by MTV.com, "You may tune in to the MTV Video Music Awards to see who wins the Moonmen, but it's the live performances that you'll remember for many moons afterward." And it didn't help that I stopped my tape whenever Eminem came on, which was often, even if he was kinda funny...

So basically, if you taped the entire show, you might find yourselves stopping and fastforwarding/rewinding a lot to find the performance spots again, like me:)

For those of a hazy memory, *NSYNC was nominated for six awards. They walked away with three, Best Pop Video, Viewer's Choice, and Best Choreography(Which didn't air). So they tied for top number of awards won, which is kinda cool.

Here are my thoughts on VMA-related stuff, roughly(Very roughly)in appearance order, and not including all the events or awards(Only the one I think are worth mentioning):

I'm not into heavy stuff like Papa Roach, so I won't humiliate myself by trying to judge it:). They looked cool up on that balcony thingie, but that's basically it for my perception of angry rock.

The interview with *NSYNC was a little awkward, what with them passing the microphones around and no one saying anything too interesting. They did mention that they'd have all four minutes to themselves, which for some people was a relief. On another note, I wish I were as tall as Joey or Justin. As my brother so interestingly noted, Joey looked more like their bodyguard then an actual member:)...wait, what was JC wearing!? I didn't notice it until the last second, and I swore my eyes must've played a mean trick on me...

I guess I shouldn't have been so stunned, but Britney looked gorgeous. In terms of being best dressed for the preshow, she gets my vote along with Destiny's Child. When she takes the time she can look so pretty. And then she mentions a "surprise" in her performance...hmm.

In midst, they had a segment on the "Year of Eminem." Suuuuuure. Well, I gotta do it; I gotta give rap to MTV for being insanely repetitive. Didn't they say these exact same things in the "When Lyrics Attack" special?
On another note, GLAAD(Gay and Lesbian Association for...something Defamation. Anti?)was staging a protest against Eminem, and I totally agree with their sentiments. More on Em on the bottom.

On another other note, I distinctly remember this female fan who was all "Oh my God I love Eminem because he's just so gorgeous and sexy!" or something to that effect. I just watched that and laughed. Tryin' to separate yourselves from the pop acts, eh:)? Try harder. And, CHF(Crazy Horny Female)? That is just so definitely the wrong reason to like Em, if any.

Christina: Oooh. She was slinky. Tres slinky. Maybe a little too slinky...in her videos she can use visual illusions to make herself seem taller and bulkier than she is(A la "What a Girl Wants"), but in reality she really is tiny.

Ah, Pink...nevermind. She looked cool anyways...

The Seating: Justin was next to Britney. Oh, those d**n MTV execs:)...Actually, Justin brought his mom(X_X)and Britney had a date of her own, but of course they don't actually show truth on television, so.
Chris brought Danielle along again(Unsurprisingly). Joey sat next to someone who I'm told is his sister, but it's probably his girlfriend anyway 'cause I'm pretty sure the source I got it from is just in denial...Not sure about JC or Lance.

The Marlons: Ah huh. Truth be told, I was laughing at some of the things they said. They weren't at all unfunny. The intro clip was hilarious, with Jennifer Lopez's *** on the loose(...Not really). But later, when the camera panned over Joey's face and he was not smiling(Imagine that. Joey Fatone not thinking a joke is funny. *Shudder*), it hit me just how much they had lost crowd support. And it didn't help that their "timing" was really off(Timing is immeasurably important in public speaking). I'm not sure why really, was it the raunchy black jokes? Some really fell flat, I know, but...they had lost all their "control" over the audience, it seems weird to blame it all on the jokes, 'cause you know, Chris Rock. In the end they flashed a big black one and got some of the control back(And Britney's jaw dropped like a mile...for some reason that was ironic to me:))

Best Group Video: Blink 182's video was really funny and had really good content, but better than *NSYNC in terms of video-making? Maybe...I guess I'm not one to judge...I'm pretty much biased against anything non-*NSYNC, so...

Best Dance Video: Jennifer Lopez won...I would've gone for *NSYNC or Sisqo, but really I never saw all of Jennifer's video, so again, I'm not one to judge. 'Sides, show me a guy who tells you he doesn't like Jennifer Lopez, and I'll show you a fat liar:).

Best Pop Video: If they didn't win this...
First of all, this was the time I got a real good look at JC's jacket...Holy-freaking-mackerel. Okay, on the one hand it's quite endearing in a Squall Leonhart-esque sort of way...on the other hand it's total drag queen. Okay yeah, I could care less what he wants to wear, but Jesus that thing scared me.

Jimmy Fallon: ...BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Viewer's Choice: I thought it was great how they just showed *NSYNC's video...I mean was there ever any doubt? I mean there's *NSYNC, and there's...those other people. Again, suuuuuuuure...

Best Male Video and Best Video of the Year: Both won by Eminem. Now, let me take a moment out of my usual rantings to instead rant about Eminem:
It's a sad, sad world when Eminem wins for these categories. Of course, many times MTV just displays itself as a sad, sad network, and of course if we left things up to the true viewers things like this would never happen, and of course the competition for Best Male Video was hardly stiff. But there are just some issues that make you think; The "elite," the supposedly "head" of our generation chose a video by Eminem to represent the "best" of this year.
You know what I think? I think Em's a hypocrite. I mean people like him 'cause "he's real," and he says all these things about whatever, but does he really mean any of it? He said so himself that we shouldn't take everything he says so literally. So...you don't think the things you write are real, you're just writing them for the heck of it? It's like he's just got this image he has to uphold for his record sales. And it's a fake one.
On another note, it seemed like Britney Spears and Christina Aquilera was gonna present for this one, but all they did was present the presenter(Surprise guest Whitney Houston...Yes, my mind tells me that she's like forty with several kids, but dang Whitney fills those pants so well!). I'm a little surprised at how surprised everyone else was that they paired Britney and Christina(After how they carried on about how they're gonna have big surprises or something, for all I knew they were gonna come out and sing each others' songs). They're all like, "What, but don't they hate each other?" Now, which one of you went and started that rumor behind my back!? Come 'ere, you're due for a wicked ***-whuppin'. I thought the funniest part of the whole dang show was when Britney mentioned Eminem and made that face and Christina's all, "Anyway..." all prissy like. Pure comedy.

Janet Jackson: Bring. Her. On.
Yeah, her hair was a hedgehog. Yeah, the song didn't pump jam too hard. But Janet has true style. She got da juice. En da flava. Whatever the heck those mean.

Sisqo: I actually recognized those guys from Dru Hill, how cool was that? Sisqo is not someone you can diss without sounding like a total hypocrite. So while I wasn't totally entranced with the performance, I can't really say anything bad about it. Okay fine, I really can't stand his holier-than-thou-playa attitude, but as long as he's singing about thongs and not his "record" it's all good.

Britney Spears: Oops.
For those who have erased all memories of this performance from their minds in total denial, let me refresh your memory: She came out in a black suit & hat and went into her "Satisfaction(I Can't Get No)" song...At first I thought, hey she's really cool! She's doing so well, gonna get lots of respect for this! And then...I'm not sure, it's like her pants started to fall off, revealing something pink. Then I figured, oh, she's gonna take off those outer clothes for another costume. No biggie. Suuuuuuuuuuure.
Therin' lies the problem: I actually liked this performance. AAAAAHHH!!! *Lightning strikes BrianWilly on the spot, and hordes of women rush through his door to beat him within an inch of his life*
I'm not going to pretend that it wasn't slutty. I'm not going to pretend that it's a good thing to show to her preteen fans(Although whatever the heck her seven year old fans are doing up at 9:00 at night I have no idea). I'm not going to pretend that many, many people will find it utterly insulting and revolting to watch. And they're totally right. One of my first(conscious)thoughts after seeing her like that was "JESUS!" It's gonna be hard to defend her this time, but I'm gonna make the attempt.
'Cause I think, for the most part, she got the reaction she wanted. She knew there were gonna be masses of people who will hate her for it, and masses of people who will love her for it. She took a conscious risk. I honestly, honestly don't think that Britney just woke up that morning and thought, "Hey, why don't I dress like a hooker for the show today, won't I just feel oh so slutty, teehee!" She wanted a response, and that's what we're giving her.
People are saying she lipsynched(again), and going over the performance...I'm sorry to all Britney fan; I try to keep an open mind as a personal affront towards all those lame people who think lipsynching is the easiest thing in the world, but I'm inclined to agree that she did lipsynch, at least in some sections. There was a huge difference between parts where she obviously sang live and parts where she didn't.
An online friend mentioned to me that she's thinks it's absurd for people to get so uptight on seeing someone wearing something that they'd wear on the beach onstage, and I'd have to agree with her somewhat. Yeah, it was intentionally designed to be sexy and startling(Skintight and skin-toned), and there's an obvious place where something like that shouldn't belong, but what are we really so angry about, the fact that she was dressed(in this case she was undressed:P)sexily or the fact that she overstepped the boundaries? Normally, we praise people who overstep boundaries. It's not a crime. Okay fine, now I'm being a hyporcrite 'cause I'm using the same excuse I use for us not to like Eminem as something for us to like Britney...sigh. Really, sigh! Maybe it's just my detachment from it all...I can hardly be expect to actually take offense at a woman(That's right, she's an eighteen year old woman)stripping onstage:P I rewound to the performance a couple times...and I'll just say it straight. In terms of acceptability, in terms of who you'd feel safer leaving your children with, pick Eminem or Britney Spears. It's not a hard choice.

*NSYNC: Two words...
They stole the show. No matter what anyone says, dey done sto' da show(Or something). One might even say that they saved it. One of the best performances they've done, and the best of the night(Though maybe not the most memorable, I'll admit). People need to take a good look at this and come to the inevitable conclusion that *NSYNC rocks!!!
First off...This I Promise You: Take a good listen, folks, this be Justin at his best. And his best be da** good. And with the rest of the guys with their bars of harmony...you can't top it. Pause for a moment of freaked out pathetic fan-worship by BrianWilly.

Bye Bye Bye: "Bye Bye Bye Bye Bye!" No JC, they really can't play that song enough. I really liked how they played out the TV screens, it was awesome, I just stared at the TV with my mouth open. But it's gonna fuel those dumb lipsynch comments(Note: They did not lipsynch. People who actually have musical worth can tell. Others...well, that's their malfunction. I agree that *NSYNC has too much to deal with already before they can bother themselves with ignorant barbs from other jealous musicians). Does anyone love Chris' special little "Bye!"?

It's Gonna Be Me: *Smacks own face over and over, shouting "hell yes!!!"* Hell yes!!! This be what it's all about. For some reason this just happens to be my favorite part of the show. "Ladiiies!"
I'm seriously considering going all-out on teeny "Justy" worship after his solo in this one...the altered melodies...my God. Justin, I'm very very sorry that I ever referred to you as a manwhore when joking with my friends. And Joey...classic. That one's gonna go down in the history books. But we know you ain't bogged down by no dance moves, eh Phat One? Sweeeeeeeeeeet. Now you know why this site is called the *NSYNC Phenomenon. Because that's what they are. And even though they might not say it themselves 'cause they're so much more mature than me(Seriously...), anyone who disses them can just go and su...oh, fine I won't say it, it'd be un-positive of me. But know that I'm thinking it! And to quote JC(Who quoted Forrest Gump...), "That's all I have to say about that."

Christina Aguilera: Alright, before I can get down on my knees to praise Her Grand Sexfulness, first things first: She really did sound sick. It was apparent she has not recovered. Her voice...it was strained. I was honestly hoping that she wasn't gonna go and suddenly cough up some blood. No no no, she sounded good, hitting the notes that no mere mortal will ever hope to and pulling the pretty chords and moves, but dang, you can tell when she herself knew she was pushing it and backed off a little, keeping her voice in check. And the times she didn't back off, you can tell too. Even her normal speaking voice in the preshows and stuff was a lot deeper than before, didn't anyone notice? But she was still great, as said.
Fred Durst...whoa. That's all I have to say. Whoa. I'm not that against Fred, even if he can get pretty freakily fanatic and most of the times I just wanna beat him with a crowbar, he's just like a guy who likes doing his thing. I'm really glad they decided to pull this off, even if it was for the nookie(I would)...but I'm kinda annoyed that music critics are saying that if Fred hadn't gone on, the performance would've been boring, cheezy, blahblah-I'm-a-big-pop-hater. What, 'cause she didn't kill anyone onstage?

Blink 182: I didn't really laugh that hard when I first saw it, but in retrospect I must say it was dang funny...oh it was so wrong, but it was just a perfect way to end they show. Them little people scared me a bit though.

Here are some quotes from MTV.com that us viewers have made...

"I thought the VMAs were good, but it seemed like everyone was making fun of everyone else. If it wasn't the Wayans Brothers making fun of Britney Spears, it was Lars Ulrich fighting with Napster. The insulting never stopped last night, and I thought it made the show look childish. The celebrities should have kept their thoughts to themselves and not broadcast them over live television."- Amanda

"The show seemed full of people venting their frustrations and taking cheap shots at other artists and had kind of a negative overtone."- Gail

"I think that this whole thing has gotten a little out of hand and that everyone needs to take a step back and realize that it's about the music... not who can sell the most records, not who can wear the sleaziest clothes for their age, and not who can say the most controversial things."- Carrie

"I got the feeling there was so much beef among the celebs. Can't we all just get along?"- Annie

You see what I mean about us viewers getting the say? I mean, they say MTV is the people's network, but when it comes down to it, it's still just a network with its own obvious flaws in judgement, you know? I also feel that there was especially a negative vibe towards *NSYNC and pop music in general...everyone's talking about the getdown between Eminem and them pop artists, but compared to the general show atmosphere from other artists Eminem was darn tame.

Yeah, Kid Rock made that hecka funny statement about the Backstreet Boys of which I will forevermore worship him for, but then he goes on to say post-show that *NSYNC didn't use any talent in their performances. Okay, in retrospect I don't think he meant that one bit 'cause it was spoken without an ounce of conviction(It was like, yeah hey whatever, other people are bad, let's talk about me now). But I saw him as just trying to stick up to his bad@$$ image by saying something bad@$$like, which put me off. In fact, I saw a lot of that in a whole lot of other artists too.

Says Michael Moore(Video Director)of Tim C's reasons for the infamous climb, "The more you're like 'N Sync, the faster and higher you'll climb. Rock & roll used to be about playing music that stood for something. Now it's background music for Burger King and McDonald's commercials. I think the bass player of this band is against really bad MTV props."

I had thought that The Climb was the funniest thing to happen at the awards, now I think it's just a crock of bull. I mean, dude, whine much!? I really could care less about your political standards or your petty ego, I wanna hear good music from good musicians. *NSYNC makes good music. They work hard at what they do, and they are mature individuals. Which is more than I can say for these people, oh I'm sorry, these children who play music "that stood for something" and whines about how little attention they're getting. Sooooo talented and mature. Yes, ah, when is Joey's movie coming out again?

Mark Walbergh(Don't know how to spell, sorry)aka Marky Mark was a little pissy too. I mean, I usually cut him slack 'cause he's kinda nice and not a bad actor at all and a little less dumb*** egomaniac than his peers, but I'm not sure how he really is in person, especially after this night.