lloyd carroll

Unlike such traditional awards shows as the Academy Awards, the Emmys and the Tonys, hardly anyone tunes into the MTV Video Awards to see which artist will actually win the metallic astronaut (MTV's answer to Oscar) statue but rather to gawk at the gathering of celebrities from various walks of life. This year's MTV Video Music Awards (VMA), which made a big deal out of the fact that they were held on 9/9/99, certainly did not disappoint those who like to watch the stars come out.

The VMA are always held in early September and therefore it is not surprising that a number of television stars always drop by in order to plug their upcoming series. Fox Television went all out to promote their already talked about series, "Action," as they sent both the show's nominal star, Jay Mohr, and showbiz veteran Buddy Hackett, who has a supporting role, to field questions from the press. As expected Mohr sang the show's praises but conceded that he was concerned that there was already too much hype about the program. "Action" has already made headlines because it will be the first TV show to regularly use numerous bleeps as a means of implying the use of foul language. He jokingly compared the publicity for his show with the hype which accompanied such failed series as "Cop Rock" and "Central Park West."

Buddy Hackett displayed tremendous grace when he was asked about what he thought of today's music. "I was a friend of Frank Sinatra's for 50 years and we had a good run but I believe that every generation has to have its own musical identity," said Hackett respectfully. "'Come Fly With Me' would not fly today," he added.

Also on hand was Pamela Anderson Lee, who along with her husband, Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee, comprise the supermarket tabloids' favorite American couple. Pamela was promoting her syndicated detective series, "V.I.P.," and brought along two of that show's co-stars. In a moronic attention-getting ploy, Pamela ran from the podium shrieking when Tommy jumped in front of her allegedly only wearing an open raincoat. I did not ask Tommy if it was a Burberry.

World Wrestling Federation star "Stone Cold" Steve Austin now has a recurring role as a detective on CBS's "Nash Bridges." Austin conceded that while he loves wrestling, the constant travel and the stunts involved to succeed in that entertainment area are taking a toll on him. He told the media that he enjoys acting and that a number of film companies have sent his agent scripts. He expects to leave the ring within three years.

The majority of celebrities taking part in the VMA were of course musicians who either have new albums out or are just about to have them released. Such was the case with the British group Bush who have slowly built a sizable following in the U.S.A. When asked whether he was following the presidential campaign of George W. Bush, band leader Gavin Rossdale quickly acknowledged the promotional advantages of sharing a name with the possible next president. "We certainly wish him the best headlines, particularly with that cocaine controversy!" Rossdale remarked with a mischievous smile.

The vocal trio TLC hit it big in the early '90s with songs as "Creep," "What About Your Friends," and the #1 smash, "Waterfalls." However instead of being able to become wealthy from their success , the group had to file for bankruptcy protection. You have to give TLC credit for resiliency because their new album is doing quite well on the charts. When asked about what advice they would give musicians starting out in the business, all three members immediately preached the importance of reading contracts and knowing record company accounting principles, particularly in the areas of royalty calculations and recoupable advances.

The biggest winner of the evening was Puerto Rican heartthrob Ricky Martin who had to good-naturedly endure VMA host Chris Rock's jabs at him all night. Martin was one of the few artists who actually seemed to enjoy the Q&A with the press. He informed the media that he wants to open a Casa Salsa restaurant in New York. His Casa Salsa restaurant in South Beach, which features fine Puerto Rican cuisine, has been doing great business since its opening a year ago and that was even before anyone had ever heard of the song "Livin' La Vida Loca."

The most charming awards presenter of the evening was 13 year-old British operatic prodigy Charlotte Church. Church was probably the only entertainer at the Met that night who actually had performed there previously. When asked whether she was envious of the adulation and compensation which pop teen idols such as Britney Spears or the Backstreet Boys enjoy, Church was philosophical beyond her years. "Pop music has always fared better than serious music in this regard and that is the way it has always been and will always be. I accept that."

The 1999 VMA reflected the importance of hip-hop music as a sales force in the record business. Hip-hop stars Jay-Z and Method Man won numerous awards and they turned in exciting on-air performances. They both showed a quick wit in the press room as well.

When in the press room, Eminem made it clear that he does not consider himself to be a role model. I wasn't sure whether it was an act, but Eminem spoke as if he were a grammar school dropout. His shtick and appearance reminded me of actor Seth Green's character in the slyly clever 1998 summer flick, "Can't Hardly Wait." I guess Dr. Dre wanted to prove that anyone can make a successful hip-hop record. After seeing Eminem I am convinced that we wrote off Vanilla Ice too early.