The VMAs are about music. We get it. The problem is that wall-to-wall music, with musicians thanking their producers in between, gets repetitive. Even if it’s really great music. That’s why comedians have been necessary to the show since it started in 1984. Let’s be honest, musicians aren’t always the best talkers, so comics poking fun at everything (and everyone) are great to keep the show moving. Check out our favorite funny moments are below, and no doubt this Sunday’s VMAs will have plenty of similarly entertaining moments.
1. Jimmy Fallon spoofs your favorite songs (2002 VMAs)
From Eminem‘s “Without Me”…
Kevin Kane / WireImage
“Now this looks like a job for me / Everybody just follow me / It’s the only chance for you to see / Some music played on MTV”
To Avril Lavigne‘s “Complicated”…
Kevin Kane / WireImage
“Most of you here will probably lose / You still have to smile for MTV News / So you might as well forget your acceptance speech”
To Nelly‘s “Hot In Herre”…
Kevin Kane / WireImage
“Hot in herrrrrrrrrrrre”
To Enrique Iglesias‘s “Hero”
Kevin Kane / WireImage
“Would you laugh if I told you a joke / Would you cry if the show was five hours / Would you not change the channel to ‘Friends’ / Can I be your host tonight”
2. Chelsea Handler gets a pep talk from Lindsay Lohan (2010 VMAs)
“Thanks, freckles.”
3. Chris Rock hates on the Spice Girls (1997)
Chris Rock’s ridiculed many artists — from P. Diddy to Ashton Kutcher to the Olsen twins — during his three runs as VMAs host in 1997, 1999 and 2003. Nobody is safe from Chris’ antics, not even the Spice Girls: “Now one thing you must realize about the MTV Video Music Awards, it’s all about the video. No matter how bad you think a song is, it ain’t about that! It’s about the video. I know you’re going, ‘Spice Girls, how’d they get nominated?’ Hey! It had good lighting.”
Related: 21 Photos That Prove The 1994 VMAs Were The Nineties-est Thing Ever
4. Ben Stiller’s dad embarrasses him on live TV (1998 VMAs)
Ben: “This is a big night for me, I’ve worked very hard to get here, okay?”
Ben’s dad: “Getting your penis caught in your zipper’s what got you here.” (A reference to the an infamous bathroom complication in “There’s Something About Mary.”)
5. Russell Brand makes fun of being British (2009 VMAs)
“I don’t want anyone to freak or be freaked out by me. I’m an Englishman and we can be a little bit unusual, we English. But remember Robert Pattinson’s here, he’s English, Harry Potter, he’s English. Think of me as a sort of combination of the two of them. In a way I’m like a sort of blood-drinking dreamboat with a sack of magic and a wand. My sack of magic and wand are tucked up in these delicious trousers.”
Related: 16 Concrete Examples That Totally Prove The Illuminati Control The VMAs
6. Chris Rock crushes on Janet Jackson (2003 VMAs)
“My favorite celebrity couple of the year is Janet Jackson and Jermaine Dupri. Now, Janet Jackson’s a 10. Jermaine’s about a four. That’s a six-point differential, man. And I’ve been lovin’ Janet Jackson my whole life…if I could just get near her, if I could just talk to her, if I could just touch her. Then I see Jermaine Durpri walk in the room and I’m like, damn, I had a shot! We all had a shot!”
7. Roseanne Barr meets the Rolling Stones (1994 VMAs)
“I met the Rolling Stones and I didn’t know what to say to them, you know, so I just said, ‘Hey Mick, nice ribs. What are you, 50? Put on a shirt.’ Oh, it’s so great to be bitter — I mean back.”
Related: 19 Times Celebrities Totally Forgot To Wear Clothes At The VMAs [NSFW]
8. Dennis Miller predicts the future (1995 VMAs)
“[E]ach year the videos get further and further out there as technology continues to advance by leaps and bounds. As a matter of fact, scientists estimate by the end of this century, via the means of virtual reality, a man will be able to simulate making love to any woman he wants to through his television set.”
9. Eddie Murphy just wants to have a good time (1985 VMAs)
“After the show, there’s gonna be a big party at The Palladium and even if you lost an award, the women…everybody here is gonna score tonight cause it’s…it’s rock ‘n’ roll. It’s like you can’t lose tonight. This is a rock ‘n’ roll crowd, everybody knows rock ‘n’ roll people like to…you know. You have all this weekend to have a good time. I am here to have a good time.”
So are we, Eddie.
It’s up to you to decide the winners of the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards! Vote now and tune in Sunday, August 24, at 9/8c ET to see who wins at the Forum in Inglewood, California. Plus, get the latest updates from all your favorite VMA artists on the MTV Artists App.
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