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It was quite a night at the 37th American Music Awards held at the Nokia Theater in downtown L.A. on Sunday night, as the fan-voted prizes paled next to the wacky and wonderful performances that made the show one to remember.
Which was weirder, Lady Gaga wearing a freaky girdle-cum-bandage getup and smashing liquor bottles on her piano, or the garbage bag ensemble she wore in her seat while watching Jennifer Lopez slide off the backs of her dancers and slam into the floor? Hard to choose, but for sure the worst fashion choice of the night was Whitney Houston's skintight white Grecian gown. She may be a recovering trainwreck, but isn't there someone in her entourage that will tell her that when you are 46 years-old and less than fit, the fashion choice shouldn't be a white dress that makes you look six months pregnant?
But despite her whacked look and wobbly vocals, the crowd screamed out their love and gave her a standing O as Samuel L. Jackson handed over her International Artist Award. The house was filled with tons of love, and an interesting barometer of each performer's stature in the biz was reflected in who got the crowd on their feet. Janet Jackson, Jay-Z and Alicia Keyes, Black Eyed Peas, Rihanna, Shakira, you bet; Kelly Clarkson and Daughtry, not so much.
Keith Urban had the audience swooning as he performed, then caused an audible sigh as he accepted his Favorite Male Country Artist Award by pointing to his wife Nicole Kidman, and saying, "This is for you, baby, and for Sunday [their little girl]. I love you so much!"
Kidman and Kate Hudson did a little promotion for their new flick "Nine" by introducing their co-star, Fergie, and the Peas, but no one actually heard what they said, as all eyes were on Kate's way-too-low-cut dress that was slip-sliding away, revealing her barely-there breasts. What's the deal, you're a big movie star and you've never heard of fashion tape?
So many questions just like that swirled around the VIP after party held at the Conga Room just down the block from the Nokia as the West Coast feed replayed on television screens throughout the venue. Kate's nipples were airbrushed out, JLo's crash didn't make the cut, and judicious edits were made in Adam Lambert's gay-straight bondage porn act that closed the show.
That way-way-out performance certainly got some buzz going, but it was Taylor Swift's sweep of the show that had people grinning. The adorable country singer was in London, but that didn't stop her from accepting all the top awards via satellite. She even beat out Michael Jackson for Artist of the Year, and took home five of the fan-voted prizes.
"I can't believe it!" she giggled, as shocked as the audience that she took the big prize away from the late King of Pop. It seems that Taylor is the Queen of Everything right now; not bad for a 19-year-old.
