MTV's 2008 Video Music Awards were a disapointment ... but at least Britney's back.

I thought the MTV Video Music Awards were going really well until I realized they hadn't started yet and I was actually watching that Taco Bell commercial with the guy rapping at the drive-thru. That was the best music video I saw all night. All jokes aside, the VMAs really were that bad, but at least we now know that Rihanna doesn't lip synch. One other thing, who is Tokio Hotel?

The VMAs were a success for MTV in that they got a lot of people talking -- particularly about host Russell Brand. Brand made some cringe-inducing statements about Bush and the race between McCain and Obama. I still can't decide if he was just really bad or so bad he was really funny. His forceful endorsement of Obama was pretty annoying; someone from England isn't allowed to tell us who to vote for -- even if he does kind of have a point. I did think his jokes about the Jonas Brothers' virginity were entertaining, but Jordin Sparks obviously didn't agree.

Britney Spears was the biggest success of the night and was much improved from last year. She looked great. She won all of the awards she was nominated for. Although I was happy for her comeback night, I thought it was a little strange seeing as how her video "Piece of Me" was laughably bad and she looked as if she could barely stand-up through the whole thing (the video was made during her shaved head phase.)

The fact that Britney won Video of the Year proves that no one really watches music videos -- or the VMAs -- anymore. I'm glad that MTV is coming to terms with the reality that the VMAs are a joke and will never be as entertaining as they once were. They didn't even hold them in a respectable venue this year; it looked as though they had crammed everyone into my high school field house.

The short list of highlights of the night include when P!nk threw some guy down a flight of stairs, all of Lil Wayne's performances (how did his pants not fall down?) and Christina's much improved version of her first hit song "Genie in a Bottle."

The fashion at the VMAs was also lacking -- and a lot of the celebrities were actually lacking pants. Katy Perry looked as if she was wearing a shiny diaper. Lindsay Lohan presented an award wearing some sort of a bib. And seriously, who is Tokio Hotel?

Contact staff writer Alexandra Varipapa at alexandra.varipapa@richmond.edu