From PEOPLE Magazine Click to enlarge
Once again, the MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 9 proved themselves to be the anti-Grammys. Though the big winner was the same—Lauryn Hill took home four "Moon Men" statuettes and got hugged by an ex-Beatle and Madonna—the evening's fashion sense was typically taste-less. Presenter Pamela Anderson Lee wore a tight corset and pink feathered hat; ex-husband Tommy Lee wore a trench coat with nothing underneath; and Lil' Kim's ensemble left her left breast dangling, covered only by a pastie. "I like to be daring and I like to be different," she said. (She was both.) "We used an adhesive bonding glue" for the pastie, she added. "I couldn't use Krazy Glue!"

But if the clothing (or lack thereof) was crass, the setting, at least, was upscale: The 16th annual ceremony was held at New York City's glittering Metropolitan Opera House. (Fittingly, 13-year-old opera divette Charlotte Church was a presenter.) And at the end of the circus-like three-hour-and-15-minute show, guests had several tony parties to choose from. David Bowie, the Backstreet Boys, TLC and others schmoozed at the Four Seasons Hotel, while Sean "Puffy" Combs and Jennifer Lopez (who arrived at the awards together) held hands at Sony's bash at Ruby Foo's restaurant. There, amidst sushi and spring rolls, Ricky Martin, Renée Zellweger, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith chatted about host Chris Rock's put-downs. But most of the attendees took it in stride. "I slept through the Awards show," confessed Stephen Baldwin, who only showed up for the after-parties. "I'm just happy that I don't have to work tonight," added pro wrestler "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. "And nobody's hitting me with steel chairs."

Dan Jewel
Cynthia Wang and Sue Miller in New York City

  • Contributors:
  • Cynthia Wang,
  • Sue Miller.
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