The 2013 MTV Video Music Award nominations were announced Wednesday (July 17), and Justin Timberlake and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis lead the field with 6 nods apiece.
That’s all well and good, but today, I don’t want to discuss the relative merits of “Mirrors” or “Thrift Shop” (or “Suit & Tie,” “Can’t Hold Us,” “Same Love,” or any other videos they may have gotten nominated for). I’m also ignoring Bruno Mars’ “Locked Out Of Heaven” and “Treasure” — up for a combined four awards — Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” (three), Miley Cyrus’ twerk-tastic “We Can’t Stop” (ditto), and every other nominated video, save one: Fun.’s “Carry On.”
Why? Because I’m in it.
Yes, I make not one, but two cameos in — I’m the dude with the disgusting beard taking shots with frontman Nate Ruess — which, by my estimation, makes me a co-star at least. Shoot, I basically get more screen time than anyone not in Fun., and as such, I’d like to think I’m partially responsible for the two VMA nominations the clip received, Best Pop Video and Best Direction.
In short, consider me a VMA nominee.
After all, who else could drink so convincingly? Or stand behind the bar and pour fake shots for extras while director Anthony Mandler yelled stuff like “more action in the background?” It’s the kind of role I spent much of my 20s preparing for — I’m a method actor — and I think I nailed it. Sure, we had to shoot the drinking scene twice, because I kind of spilled booze on my shirt in the first take, but like the old saying goes, “acting is happy agony” … and I was happy to drink even more.
And I suffered for my art. I spent the night running through the streets of New York City with the band as they filmed the video last year; I stood in the empty expanses of Grand Central Station and sat at a beer-soaked table in the Old Town Bar. Between takes, I talked to Ruess and Mandler about the NBA. I got home at, like, 5 a.m. You might think standing, sitting or talking come easy … but if they were, wouldn’t everyone be an actor?
Admittedly, there are a myriad of other reasons “Carry On” got nominated — its stirring, somnambulant sentiments, the sweeping cinematography, or Mandler’s masterful creation of striking, silent moments — but none of them really involved me, so, let’s just move on. Today, I’m reflecting on all my hard work, and basking in my first-ever VMA nominations.
I’m also beginning to wonder where I’ll put my KAWS-designed Moonman … because, make no mistake about it, I deserve one. So, rather than wait until the big show on August 25, I’ll just give my acceptance speech now. Thank you to everyone who voted for me. Thank you to MTV for recognizing my work. Thank you to Anthony Mandler for letting me shine, and most of all, thank you to Fun. for believing in me when no one else did. I truly couldn’t have done this without you guys … or, rather, vice versa.
No Comments