Entertainment
17 Weirdest Presenters At MTV's VMAs
At last year's Video Music Awards, the Fierce Five — otherwise known as Olympic gold-winning gymnasts Gabby Douglas, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman, Kyla Ross, and Jordyn Wieber — introduced Alicia Keys' performance. Five strong women introducing a fellow strong woman made sense... even if the quintet's mere presence now seems as dated as Gotye love.
Still, we were more than happy to watch the gymnasts enjoy their much-deserved time in the spotlight. But, throughout the VMAs' history, there have been other presenters that have made little sense. Read on to see those that left us scratching our heads, and, like McKayla, not at all impressed.
At last year's Video Music Awards, the Fierce Five — otherwise known as Olympic gold-winning gymnasts Gabby Douglas, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman, Kyla Ross, and Jordyn Wieber — introduced Alicia Keys' performance. Five strong women introducing a fellow strong woman made sense... even if the quintet's mere presence now seems as dated as Gotye love.
Still, we were more than happy to watch the gymnasts enjoy their much-deserved time in the spotlight. But, throughout the VMAs' history, there have been other presenters that have made little sense. Read on to see those that left us scratching our heads, and, like McKayla, not at all impressed.
Cloris Leachman and the 'Jersey Shore' Cast, 2011
Sure, why not pair the Raising Hope star with a group of people that leave us with no hope for the presentation of Best Female Video?
Katie Holmes, 2011
The actress hasn't had music experience outside of Joey Potter's "On My Own" performance, and she had little more to promote than a still-happy marriage to Tom Cruise in 2011, but that didn't stop her from attending the VMAs to present the biggest award of the night: Video of the Year.
Gerard Butler and Alexa Chung, 2009
There's little doubt that Chung is a muse to many fashion lovers. So her introduction of the band Muse was a fitting one. The additional presence of The Ugly Truth star Butler? Not so inspired.
Mandy Moore and Marilyn Manson, 2004
No doubt the walk to the podium for this duo — who presented The Polyphonic Spree — was a walk to remember.
David Spade, Mary-Kate Olsen, and Ashley Olsen, 2003
For once, the older man creepily peering over the Olsen twins' shoulders isn't one of their boyfriends. Instead, it's 8 Simple Rules' David Spade, who inexplicably teamed with Mary-Kate and Ashley to present Best Pop Video.
Image: MTV
Lisa Marie Presley and Avril Lavigne, 2002
Hey, hey, you, you, it looks like you wanna be Avril Lavigne, Lisa Marie Presley.
Lil' Kim and Vincent Pastore, 2000
Forgettabout this duo's presentation for Video of the Year? We didn't. Mostly because of this.
Chyna and Richard Hatch, 2000
Christina Aguilera has a black mark on her record. And, no, it's not her divorce, her Lotus failure, or the time she reportedly passed out on Jeremy Renner's bed. It is the fact that she was once introduced at the Video Music Awards by pro wrestler Chyna and Survivor winner-turned-convict Richard Hatch. It keeps getting better?
Limp Bizkit and Heather Locklear, 1999
Because Fred Durst needs a run-in with every blonde in Hollywood, his band teamed up with the actress to present Best Pop Video. Still, it would be another two years before Durst's most infamous brush with a bombshell, claiming on stage after a performance with Christina Aguilera that he "did it all for the nookie." For the record, Aguilera responded, "He got no nookie."
Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, 1998
In 1998, no one was bigger than Sosa and McGwire, who battled to beat Roger Maris' home run record. And, in music, no one was about to be bigger than the Backstreet Boys, whose Millennium release was just one year away. So McGwire and Sosa's introduction of the band was no doubt then a home run, but sad in retrospect seeing how all struck out.
Martha Stewart and Busta Rhymes, 1997
Before the crafty businesswoman cemented a long-standing friendship with fellow prison-goer Snoop Dogg, she teamed up with a different hip-hop personality, Busta Rhymes, to present Best Dance Video at the VMAs. You should see how good she is at crocheting bling.
Image: MTV
Dermot Mulroney and John Popper, 1997
And now, for the most '90s sentence ever written: "My Best Friend's Wedding's Dermot Mulroney and Blues Traveler's John Popper presented Best Male Video at the Video Music Awards. Slap bracelets."
Grant Hill and Ricki Lake, 1995
The Hairspray-turned-talk show host paired with the Detroit Pistons player to present Best R&B Video at the VMAs, and allowed Hill quite a view of her, ahem, hills.
Image: MTV
Dennis Rodman and Christopher Walken, 1995
Stranger than fiction is Rodman and the then-Pulp Fiction star presenting Best Alternative Video together. And even stranger is the fact that one of these men actually won a Video Music Award: It would be another six years before Walken picked up a Moon Man himself for his choreography in Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice."
Image: MTV
Milton Berle and RuPaul, 1993
Does this pairing look awkward? Well, it was awkward. At the podium, Berle nearly touched RuPaul's breasts, which sent RuPaul off script. Ad-libbed the future RuPaul's Drag Race host when Berle noted he used to wear gowns in previous projects: "You used to wear gowns. Now you wear diapers." Responded an angry Berle, "If you want to ad lib, I'll check my brains and we'll start even." (Later, RuPaul would explain in his autobiography that he was angered by Berle's sexually inappropriate behavior backstage.) If the viewers' really had our choice, the presentation for Viewer's Choice Awards would involve being anywhere but in front of our TV watching this uncomfortable moment.
Image: MTV
Vanna White, 1987
Can we buy a Y, Wheel of Fortune's Vanna? As in, why in the world are you presenting Best Choreography in a Video?
Image: MTV
