Obsessively blogging about pop music, pop videos, pop stars, and pop culture from inside the MTV headquarters in Times Square. We also have a slight Jonas Brothers problem. And a little fixation with Tokio Hotel.
Total and complete Kevin Federline-sized fail. There's a reason the Michael Jackson estate did NOT sign off on this obvious hack of a "Pop star" mask. Because IT. SUCKS. It looks like a Joker mask with drawn-on and plucked-off eyebrows and poodle perm. If you're gonna dress up like Michael Jackson for Halloween and remember the man who brought us all immeasurable joy through the vehicle of his awesome powers of entertainment, THEN DO THAT, but DO IT WELL. "Fright Factory" is right. This crazy Michael Jackson mask is NO WAY to remember the King Of Pop.
Watch Janet Jackson and her crew of top dancers and choreographers -- Wade Robson, Tyce Diorio, Tina Landon, Jeri Slaughter, Travis Payne, Brian Friedman, Cris Judd, Dave Scott, Mia Michaels, Laurie Ann Gibson and Wade Robson -- rehearse and get physically and emotionally prepared to pay homage to Michael Jackson at the VMAs.
Plus, see Janet Jackson's dancers share heartfelt memories about working with Michael Jackson -- Wade Robson wears costume pieces Michael Jackson gave him on the "Bad" video set, get a fly-on-the-wall look at the performance details -- the shoes were custom-designed by Christian Louboutin, Janet reminds the dancers to stretch their eyes open during "Thriller," remembering that Michael gave his dancers the same tip -- and experience Janet's raw emotion as she steps onto the Radio City Music Hall stage to practice and finally perform the "Scream" choreography which she hadn't performed since she and Michael shot the video in 1995.
Watch all eight behind-the-scenes videos of Janet Jackson and her now-legendary fleet of choreographers picked to pay tribute to Michael Jackson at the 2009 VMAs.
After Madonna's sobering, heartfelt eulogy to the late, great Michael Jackson opened the 2009 MTV VMAs, Janet Jackson, along with some of the top dancers and choreographers in the world, paid tribute to her late brother in a way that made the most sense: a room-shaking, mind-bending pop spectacle of theatrics, special effects, and, of course, seemingly superhuman dance. It was an absolutely arresting performance, (I felt overwhelming privileged to be standing stage left watching the performance as the entirety of Radio City screamed as Janet reenacted "Scream"), wrought with power, emotion, and new meaning.
One more time, for one night only, Michael Jackson, whose performances brought sheer, unadulterated, ecstatic joy to his fans, danced again through the power of Janet's love and energy.
Watch Janet Jackson's 2009 VMA performance again, and watch the trailer for the new documentary, Michael Jackson's This Is It, out October 28.
And don't miss the MTV exclusive presentation of "The Making of Janet Jackson's Video Music Awards Tribute Performance," on Saturday, September 19 at 12:30pm.
Just off stage left at Radio City is a tiny closet with a small crawl space off to its side. A poster of Gwen Stefani (Tragic Kingdom era) hangs on the wall, and underneath that sits a few stacks of generic-looking cardboard boxes. Inside those boxes are the silver statues owned by the likes of BritneyBeyonce, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, and 25 years worth of MTV artists. Behold, we've located and unboxed the 2009 MTV VMA Moonmen. And they're currently sitting in a tiny production closet in Radio City until they go home with their rightful owners tomorrow night.
The winners' names aren't on the Moonmen. Sorry to disappoint you if you're looking for spoilers. And on that note, that list of VMA winners floating around is NOT REAL. But what is real is how incredibly HEAVY MTV Moonmen are!
When I tried picking up a Moonman (for best blogger??? OMGGGG thanks!! Jk), I went in for a casual one-hand grip. Joke was on me. Turns out a Moonman weighs at least 8 pounds if not more. If the Golden Popcorn's made by the same people who make the Moonman, I now see why Kristen Stewart almost dropped her MTV Movie Award.
Watch the MTV VMas tomorrow night at 9 p.m. EST to see who'll get a Moonman.
A Janet Jackson appearance is enough to keep you glued to your TV, but Janet Jackson paying tribute to Michael Jackson's memory is going to be simply unmissable.
We'll let you know more once we get to Radio City and give you backstage access to the VMAs all weekend.
But until then, watch Janet and Michael Jackson team up in their epic "Scream" video -- it won three VMAs in 1995 -- and tell us how you think Janet Jackson should open the 2009 MTV VMAs.
In Buzzworthy's ongoing attempt to celebrate fan-made works of art -- the types of tributes that music fans pour their heart, soul, and sometimes sugar into -- I present you with these Michael Jackson "Black Or White" tribute cupcakes. (No, this isn't an attempt at racist baking.)
Mandy David Campbell baked the Michael Jackson cupcakes above on the night Michael Jackson died, as an MJ homage, finding inspiration in the song "Black Or White." The day after Michael Jackson's death, Mandy brought the cupcakes to work for a friend who's a huge Michael Jackson fan, and they spent the morning listening to the HIStory album.
For you wannabe Aces of Cakes, Mandy told me a bit more about her handiwork: "They're actually not nearly my best cupcake work. I've got some sugar skulls I did that i put a lot more time into. The Michael Jackson ones in particular were white cake with a dark fudge icing, black sugar, and white piping -- quite obviously playing on the "Black Or White" theme. I only wish I had had some silver dragees to jazz them up a bit. There isn't much more to it, as they were a pretty quick job. I think they were definitely some of the first Michael Jackson memorial cupcakes out there though!"
Mandy's Michael Jackson tribute cupcakes are sad, like the frosting frowny faces so somberly suggest. But they're also a small, heartfelt, homemade gesture that demonstrates a greater truth -- Michael's legacy was so enormous that people baked cupcakesin his honor. That is huge. And sweet.
+ Watch Michael Jackson's "Black Or White" video after the jump.
In years past, this was one of the funniest -- and most awkward VMA moments in all of VMA history. It was the 2002 VMAs, and Britney Spears -- after she broke up with Justin Timberlake and around the time she dated Fred Durst (the beginning of the downward spiral?) took to the stage at Radio City Music Hall (also the location of the 2009 MTV VMAs) to present Michael Jackson with a birthday cake.
Britney was dressed like she'd shown up to a ladies-only Village People tribute concert. A nervous-looking Michael Jackson -- dressed half like a robot -- appeared out of it or uncertain as to why he was at the VMAs in the first place, and unfortunately what transpired was something akin to a tragic game of telephone or disastrous round of dominoes; Britney referred to Michael Jackson as "the artist of the millennium." Michael Jackson took that as a cue to accept what he was either told was or interpreted as an MTV Artist of the Millennium VMA.
The Britney-Michael Jackson VMA moment seemed funny at the time and became Just Another Michael Jackson Joke. But really, in the wake of his untimely death, it's not something to snicker at anymore (except for Britney's outfit, because that's still funny). While Michael Jackson wasn't officially accepting an Artist of the Millennium award, if such an award existed, he'd be the first one it'd go to. And the only one it'd go to. Michael Jackson was by far the biggest and most important star to ever attend the VMAs. Without him, it's hard to imagine MTV at all... How do you think MTV should remember Michael at the 2009 VMAs?
Don't miss the 2009 VMAs live from Radio City Music Hall in New York City on Sunday, September 13 at 9pm!
+ Project Runway winner Christian Siriano just launched a new makeup line for Victoria's Secret Beauty and he wants to give you a downtown makeover, and not in the hot-tranny-mess way. (NYMag)
+ Kylie Minogue, touring North America next month, is looking (what'd you say, Christian?) fierce on the cover of Instinct magazine. (We Are Pop Slags)
+ Big Boi is coming out with another solo album, but Andre 3000 fans don't fret. Outkast will also release another album of crazy soon after. (AllHipHop)
+ Hip-hop power couple Ashanti and Nelly called it quits this week. Truly a sad day. Even more sad than Michael Jackson not being buried for the last two months, though that comes in at a close second. (Rap-Up)
+ Just another caaaaaasual travel day for Lady Gaga, wearing nothing more than a g-string onesie. Comfy and caaaasual. (Bossip)
+ Mariah Carey has covered Foreigner's "I Want To Know What Love Is" and is releasing it as the official first single off her forthcoming album "Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel." (Neon Limelight)
MTV is turning 28 years young (old) tomorrow, Saturday, August 1st, and instead of drinking some stupid combination of alcohol and generic fruit juice that we're too old for, or getting a Dairy Queen ice cream cake with the little chocolate crunchies (you're NEVER too old for those -- those are SO delicious), we'll be celebrating by remembering an artist who's given more to MTV over those 28 years than almost anyone else -- the late Michael Jackson.
At 12pm ET/PT, watch the world premiere of Michael Jackson's Human Nature-- an MTV special featuring candid stories from Michael Jackson's friends and colleagues about the human side of Michael Jackson, not just Michael Jackson the entertainer.
At 12:30pm ET/PT, watch Michael Jackson’s Top 10 Video Countdown-- 90 minutes of Michael Jackson's most popular videos, determined by their popularity on mtv.com. Plus, get facts and trivia about each video and rare interview footage of Michael discussing his singles.
At 2pm, MTV presents the world premiere of Michael Jackson’s Influence on Music -- an hour-long special featuring a collection of the top videos by the artists influenced by Michael Jackson -- from Justin Timberlake to Usher, and more, plus messages from artists remembering Michael Jackson and exclusive interviews about the impact Jackson had on their music and lives.
Finally, at 3pm watch a special reairing of America’s Best Dance Crew: Michael Jackson’s Thriller to see dance crews remember Michael by creating their own new dances set to Michael Jackson's classic Thriller album to celebrate its 25th anniversary.
+ Plus: Watch two seminal Michael Jackson videos from when MTV was just a baby:
