schmiggens
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Backstage bites at the VMAs
From sweaty port-a-johns to chatting with LL Cool J and others
MELISSA RUGGIERI - MUSIC CRITIC Sep 2, 2004
MIAMI Part of me wants to rant about how this year's MTV Video Music Awards were not only achingly dull, but how MTV also is so engulfed in promoting itself that it forgets about the people spending their valuable time promoting it.
Let's just say that while Paris and Jay-Z and Usher had their personal sweat-blotters following their every tiptoe down the red carpet, reporters covering the VMAs at the AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami were herded into the venue's practice basketball court where the only thing separating us from the noisy, obnoxious photographers a few feet away was a thin black curtain.
Sure, that effectively blocked the incessant yelling ("Beyoncé, over here!" "Alicia, turn left!"). But that was preferable to our bathroom setup. Port-a-johns. Outside in the 95-degree heat. With no lights. Or the fact that every time a "star" was ushered backstage to field questions, the MTV staff turned off the volume of the TV sets in the pressroom.
I saw Jon Stewart three or four times, but I have no idea what he said. I heard from a friend in the audience that the Kerry sisters and Bush twins were both roundly booed, but for all I could tell, they were announcing a new perfume line. And Dave Chappelle? Hope he was funny. Couldn't tell you until I get to the TiVo.
But here are some comments from those who actually made it backstage, unlike, say, Beyoncé and Jigga, No Doubt and OutKast, all of whom couldn't be bothered to take the few extra steps from the photo room.
Actually, I chatted with Ryan Cabrera, fresh from his performance at Virginia Center Commons on Saturday, on the red carpet before the show. The effervescent Cabrera grinned while relating that "about 1,000 screaming girls" showed up at the VCC show. Though he arrived at the VMAs with sometimes-girlfriend Ashlee Simpson, seen the night before at Nobu on South Beach with a different guy, Cabrera was cagey about their relationship. "You'll have to ask her," he demurred when asked if they were back to being an item. "We're here as friends. I came out to support her."
Oh, and if you were wondering why gold medal gymnast Carly Patterson was at the MTV show instead of the closing ceremonies in Athens, she said it wasn't by choice, but that the U.S. gymnastics team was issued tickets home last week.
But back to backstage.
Kanye West, sweat stains under the arms of his pink shirt, noted that he'd like to collaborate with Lauryn Hill. Of the serious car crash a couple of years ago that prompted his first hit, "Through the Wire," West believes it was "something where God wanted to use me as one of his messengers. One of the best things that could happen to rappers is to almost die."
John Mellencamp, casual in jeans and ambassador of politics for the night, said of the upcoming election, "We need to get people to act so that we don't have the hatred in this country that exists now. It's bad for my kids, it's bad for your kids."
A surprisingly charming Carson Daly announced that his late-night show has been renewed for three seasons and raved about Gwen Stefani's upcoming movie debut in "The Aviator." Daly was also asked about his first album purchase. Points for it being Rick Springfield's "Working Class Dog." More points for calling Ben Affleck one of his favorite interviewees. "Only a handful of movie stars look you in the eye backstage, and he's one of them."
The fun-loving Jet guys tried to out-do each other's physical scuzziness (I safely declared drummer Chris Cester, in ratty jeans and grimy military hat, the winner). When the Australians were asked their advice for American bands, Cester didn't miss a beat. "Write your own songs," he said. "I don't like new rock'n' roll. If it's new, I only like it if it sounds old."
LL Cool J, shamelessly plugging his new album, "The Definition," with a septet of leggy beauties in T-shirts featuring video screens, offered this advice to upstarts: "You have to follow your passions, not your whims, not your desires. Hunger and love will give you the ability to endure. The money comes later, the fame comes later."
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09-02-2004 09:33 AM
