Backstage At The VMAs: Top 10 Moments

Clark Duke and Seth Green
Photo by David Greenwald

1) Talking to these gentleman, particularly Clark, and lamenting that Clark and Michael (my favorite webisode series of all time) hasn’t returned for a glorious second season. Clark, if you’re out there, I didn’t get the chance to tell you that your suit was incredible. High-five on the pocket square.

2) Russell Brand’s entire opening monologue and every joke thereafter about the Jonas Brothers. Dude is either a glutton for controversy or really, really hates MTV and/or America and has no bones about letting that bleed all over his performance. Most importantly, though, dude was funny, even when he came backstage afterward and sort of apologized to the Jonas Brothers.

3) In response, Jordin Sparks calling everyone who doesn’t save it for marriage “sluts.” Can’t wait for Bill O’Reilly to take that one on.

4) Overhearing one of many, many Jonas Brothers fans after the show tell her mom, “I saw Big Rob, and then I knew that meant JONAS BROTHERS!

5) The Jonas Brothers — and all the performances, shockingly — actually being good. I haven’t watched the VMAs since high school and while the whole thing has long since become a dizzyingly fast-paced advertisement for future MTV shows, at least it’s still sort of about the music. Best performance? Paramore.

6) Second best? Britney Spears, who didn’t sing any songs but looked healthy and sane. I’m glad she’s back.

7) Being a fence away from hanging with Wu-Tang Clan, who did manage to get my female friend into the afterparty with a minimum of fuss.

8) The elephant that T-Pain rode in on. I saw it up close; dude was big.

9) Randomly running into one of my dudes in the Main Drag while he was demoing Rock Band 2 on the red carpet.

10) Did I mention Clark’s suit?