VMAs 2012: What you didn't see on TV
With cameras strategically placed all around Staples Center at the Video Music Awards, MTV gives its viewers at home a pretty full view of the award show — from close-ups of the performers, to bird’s-eye views of the crowd, to cutaways to stars like Katy Perry and Olympic medalists in the VIP section. But there’s still more the camera didn’t pick up on. Lucky for you, EW was on the scene last night and has a few tidbits about what you didn’t see on TV.
Pink woos the crowd
Before Pink performed her show-stopping number, she ascended the platform in the middle of the audience at the beginning of the commercial break, giving her plenty of time to pump up the crowd with some beating on that electric snare drum. With the audience turned her way, many waving at her and snapping photos, she made sure to wave back with her drumstick and flash them all a big smile. What else did she have plenty of time to do? Test out that aerial rope. Wouldn’t you want to test it out a few more times, make sure you’ve got your form right, no matter how long you were in rehearsals the day before? But Pink only gave the rope one quick check, and then got back to charming the crowd.
What’s on the teleprompter
Oh, the behind-the-scenes things you learn while watching the teleprompter. Turns out that the world still doesn’t know how to pronounce Gotye. The Australian artist’s stage name was spelled out phonetically for host Kevin Hart when he was announcing the Video of the Year nominees: “GO-TEE-AY.” And that monologue of his? Not all scripted, or at least not all spelled out on the teleprompter. Bits like his plug for MTV star Snooki and his shout-out to Frank Ocean were word-for-word from the teleprompter. His remarks on Kristen Stewart cheating, though, weren’t on the teleprompter. And what happens when an award winner is yakking for too long? The teleprompter finishes its countdown for the acceptance speech and starts flashing this message: “PLEASE WRAP IT UP.” So I can tell you that you can blame the One Direction guys for the telecast going overtime, causing Taylor Swift’s number to be cut short on your DVR.
The Wanted has some fans in One Direction
One Direction may have a strict no-choreography policy for their performances, but at least they can get their groove on for other people’s music. As fellow British boy band The Wanted took the stage, with their hit “Glad You Came” playing over loud speakers, the One Direction boys were dancing it up and fist pumping on their stage elevated over the crowd.
Green Day’s bonus song
The music fans inside Staples Center Thursday night got treated to a little bonus Green Day performance. Being the only rock band of the night (A.K.A. the only band that actually played real guitars and real drums), Green Day was the only group who needed to tune up and do a sound check during the show. And much to the dance-prone crowd’s — and equally dance-prone presenter Emma Watson’s – pleasant surprise, the Bay Area band’s sound check morphed into a mini-performance of their 1994 song “Basket Case.”
A peek at the VIP section
MTV is devoted to supplying the fans at home with shots of the celebs in the audience (complete with those you-gotta-do-it shots, like Taylor Lautner’s half-smile during his ex-girlfriend’s performance of her latest breakup anthem). But you may have missed members of Imagine Dragons and Walk the Moon chatting it up during one break. Glee’s Chord Overstreet stepped out to grab a drink and then bashfully asked a staff member to help get his spot back from a seat-filler. And Teen Wolf’s Tyler Posey won the award for most exuberant member of the VIP crowd. During several commercial breaks, he was waving to the crowd, showing off his dance moves, jumping around like there’s no tomorrow. Cheering him on about 10 seats to his right was Joey Pollari of fellow MTV show The Inbetweeners.
Screams and singing along
As for what you may not have heard on TV, count your lucky stars that you weren’t in Staples Center whenever One Direction’s name was mentioned. The high-pitched screams were deafening. And when TSwift closed out the show with “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” it was the one number of the night when you could clearly hear the audience singing along during the whole song. Then again, that’s not surprising. I wouldn’t expect anything less of a crowd who helped launch the pop hit to No. 1 at record speed.
Check out our list of VMA winners here.
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