This year's big MTV Video Music Awards tongue-wagger? Madonna open-mouth-kissing Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera after the two younger singers paid tribute to her 1984 VMA rendition of "Like a Virgin." Not exactly "Soy Bomb" or Lil' Kim's pasties -- classics from shows past -- or even Michael Jackson's "Artist of the Millennium" moment from last year, but it was the best this year's festivities had to offer, so there you go.
Red-carpet clothing dish: Butt crack is out. Full-frontal cleavage is in. Aguilera pulled a Bjork and showed up in a hot-pink feather minidress. "I just love feathers," she said. (N.Y. Daily News)
Host Chris Rock's best line: "It wasn't a good year for fat black singers. Barry White died, Luther Vandross had a stroke. I hope ["American Idol" winner] Ruben [Studdard] is eating a salad right now. The brother's named after a sandwich, he don't stand a chance." (N.Y. Daily News)
(Don't miss Neal Pollack's blow-by-painful-blow of the VMAs. MTV.com has the complete list of winners, video highlights and photos of the show.)
On a completely different topic: Speculation that Hillary Clinton may be eyeing a run for her husband's old chair at the White House is heating up. ( RichardReeves.com via Drudge)
Best of the Rest
Page Six: 50 Cent's bodyguards allegedly assault N.Y. Post photographer, who says he "will probably consult an attorney"; "Flashdance" inspiration Maureen Marder says she may sue Jennifer Lopez for theft of intellectual property onaccounta Lopez's "I'm Glad" video borrows so heavily from her work; W magazine apologizes to Nina Griscom for showing her right nipple in its pages, Griscom said to be "completely horrified and mortified"; Prince William's spokesman says the royal "did not kill a small deer in Africa," as was widely reported; newly slenderized Anna Nicole Smith too busy to appear in off-Broadway show "Pieces of Ass."
The 411: Missy (Misdemeanor) Elliott's pre-MTV Video Music Awards party at Show turned into a mob scene; Janet Jackson doesn't show at her own party; tennis pro Andy Roddick turns 21; David Blaine speaks of being accosted by a "drunk touristy guy" with a "giant knife" in Israel, says man laughed at his "terror"; Christy Turlington and Ed Burns are definitely expecting a baby: "She was spotted at the Duran Duran concert on Wednesday, and there's no hiding her bump."
Boldface Names: Basketball phenom LeBron James spotted at Iggy Pop concert, denies being Pop fan, but throws support behind Kobe Bryant -- "I'm with Kobe. Definitely on Kobe's side in that" -- before handlers "politely terminated the conversation."
Shares