The Awards That Should've Been Given Out at the 2017 MTV VMAs

Image via Christopher Polk/MTV1617/Getty

Wasn't there something just too familiar about host Katy Perry's skits and monologues? How they tried to offer light commentary and "fun" jokes? And then it dawns on you: frosh orientation.

And really, no one told her that she shouldn't make a weave joke? 

Kendrick Lamar is a great rapper, and his performance at VMAs captured that by mostly capturing the look and feel of his current tour, which is a frills-limited showcase for his ability. But one interesting addition was a man literally consumed by flames writhing around near Kendrick. That's new.

Ed Sheeran performing "Shape of You"—nothing to see here. But add goth rap prince of heavy feelings Lil Uzi Vert, fresh off the release of his debut album Luv Is Rage 2, and you have a moment worthy of the WTF Is Going on RN Award, presented by Bossip. Uzi sang along to "Shape of You" and then, to return the favor, Sheeran sang about his dead friends. It's 2017 and everyone's friends have passed. 

She was simultaneously the perfect audience member, expressing our thoughts effectively, and also the ideal candidate for hosting. Cardi B started off the night with a performance of "Bodak Yellow" hampered by audio issues but she emerged the clear fan favorite, thanks to her reaction to Ed Sheeran and her thoughts on Colin Kaepernick.

Bet you didn't think that Jared Leto would revive the iconic thermal cam vision from Predator to perform his band's new single "Walk on Water"—which itself sounds like a remake of Imagine Dragons "Radioactive." And then he brought out Travis Scott to add the chorus for "Butterfly Effect," thus creating the strangest Girl Talk mashup ever made. 

The show circled around meaningful political gestures the entire night but only connected once, when Rev. Robert Wright Lee IV, a descendant of Confederate general Robert E. Lee, took to the stage to speak about racism and white supremacy in America. He called racism “America’s original sin.” Then he introduced Susan Bro, the mother of Heather Heyer, the protester killed by a white supremacist in Charlottesville a little over two weeks ago. As she's done over the past 16 days, Bro spoke passionately and movingly about her daughter's cause and death.

Of course, the moment then whiplashed back into music video talk, when Bro explained that all the nominees for MTV's Best Fight Against the System Award would win the award. And then DNCE and Rod Stewart performed "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" (Did we mention that the programming was super weird last night?) But for a moment, Lee and Bro fundamentally changed the energy at the VMAs, for the better.