00:00Sorry, that's as far as we got in rehearsal.
00:04Welcome to WatchMojo.
00:05Today, we're counting down our picks for the most lackluster, awkward and downright
00:09disastrous hosting stints in MTV Video Music Awards history.
00:13This is a show that hasn't had a host for the last two years, a tradition they'll probably
00:21return to immediately following tonight's show.
00:2510.
00:26Katy Perry – 34th MTV Video Music Awards
00:33Katy Perry's attempts to bring her unique quirky charm to the 2017 VMAs fell rather
00:38flat.
00:39Despite her pop star status and bubbly personality, Perry's night was marred by awkward jokes
00:43and forced skits that left the in-person audience visibly cringing.
00:58The struggle was real for Katy, and not even her performance of Swish Swish was able to
01:02bring the audience to her side.
01:09Making matters worse, the starlet's ongoing bad blood with Taylor Swift was said to be
01:13the reason why Tay-Tay skipped out on that year's proceedings.
01:20Taylor's people said it was because of jury duty, but either way, Swifties were not impressed,
01:24much like the rest of us.
01:259.
01:26MTV VJs – 3rd MTV Video Music Awards
01:36Two years following the inaugural awards ceremony, MTV decided to go with their own VJs as hosts
01:41of the star-studded show.
01:42And while this went on for two consecutive years in 86 and 87, it never quite worked.
01:47The idea, of course, was to capitalize on their familiarity with audiences.
01:59Unfortunately, it ended up feeling like an overextended episode of normal MTV programming
02:04at the time.
02:05The bland banter didn't help much, as audiences were left yearning for more polished presenters.
02:09It's no surprise, then, that MTV never went back to VJ hosts, even opting to have the
02:13show host-less when no bona fide celebrity was at the helm.
02:168.
02:17Marlon and Shawn Wayans – 17th MTV Video Music Awards
02:20Known for their comedic chops in shows like In Living Color and movies such as Scary Movie,
02:25Marlon and Shawn Wayans seemed like a great fit for the VMAs – on paper, at least.
02:38MTV painted a different picture, however, as the duo's humor didn't quite translate
02:41well into hosting duties.
02:42To be fair, there was a handful of truly funny quips, but many jokes were either too edgy
02:46or flat-out off-base.
02:47The monologue was also overly laden with profanity,
03:07making for an annoying barrage of bleeps.
03:09And on a night featuring plenty of spectacle, the comedians unfortunately became an afterthought
03:13to all the other madness at hand.
03:157.
03:16Jack Black – 23rd MTV Video Music Awards
03:19How could Jack Black possibly be on a list of worst hosts?
03:22He's got the star power, he's funny, and as a bonus for the MTV Awards, he's musically
03:26inclined.
03:33By all accounts, he should make for a wonderfully wild time as Master of Ceremonies.
03:42Alas, Black's stint at the 2006 VMAs is anything but memorable.
03:50His performance was fine, mind you, but the show as a whole was lambasted as being one
03:59of the most uninteresting in VMA history.
04:09Nothing stood out, and when Jack Black can't make the night pop, you know something's
04:13wrong.
04:146.
04:15Jamie Foxx – 18th MTV Video Music Awards
04:17Like Jack Black, Jamie Foxx's hosting turn should have been a slam dunk.
04:20The undeniably talented star showcased his ability to sing, dance, and do impersonations.
04:25Unfortunately, nothing left its mark, not even the bizarre opera-style musical number.
04:35And while the 2001 awards were filled with a plethora of buzzy moments, like the infamous
04:40Snake performance of I'm a Slave for You by Britney Spears and Michael Jackson's
04:43surprise appearance with NSYNC, nobody much remembered anything Jamie Foxx did that night.
04:47Heck, most forgot he even hosted the thing.
04:545.
04:58Roseanne Barr – 11th MTV Video Music Awards
05:01The year was 1994, and Roseanne Barr was riding high off the success of her namesake TV series.
05:09So to say the actress-comedian brought star power to the awards ceremony would be a wee
05:12bit of an understatement.
05:14Roseanne also deserves props for being the first solo female to host the show.
05:17Unfortunately for Barr, and us, her performance lacked finesse.
05:26For one, it was painfully apparent that she was trying to be edgy with her jokes.
05:29Those jokes weren't anything to write home about, though.
05:39It also didn't take long to discover that Roseanne's brash style was not an overly
05:42good fit for the MTV crowd.
05:494.
05:51Christian Slater – 10th MTV Video Music Awards
05:54In the late 80s and early 90s, Christian Slater was quite the rising star, and could be seen
05:58in the likes of 1991's Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves and 1993's True Romance.
06:04That's good and all, but why was he tasked with hosting 1993's MTV Video Music Awards?
06:17To be honest, we're not sure.
06:18He's not known for being especially funny, nor had he hosted other shows, and well, it
06:34showed.
06:38Slater majorly struggled to maintain momentum throughout the evening.
06:41We're pretty sure MTV wanted to target their younger audience, especially young girls,
06:46but the results just left us bored.
06:533.
07:03Bette Midler and Dan Aykroyd – 1st MTV Video Music Awards
07:07Held at Radio City Music Hall on September 14, 1984, the first ever MTV Video Music Awards
07:13brought together two legendary talents to be the inaugural hosts – Bette Midler and
07:17Dan Aykroyd.
07:28Sounds promising, right?
07:29Well, the execution proved otherwise.
07:31This was thanks to their chemistry on stage falling flat.
07:33In the end, Aykroyd and Midler struggled to connect with both each other and the audience.
07:37Did this odd celebrity pair really represent the MTV generation?
07:41Not quite.
07:42After the credits are played of the landmark premiere awards, the hosts are nowhere to
07:45be seen, with the spotlight instead being shunned on Madonna's wedding dress performance
07:49of Like A Virgin.
07:542.
07:58Chelsea Handler – 27th MTV Video Music Awards
08:02When Chelsea Handler walked onto the stage for the 2010 edition of the MTV Video Music
08:06Awards, things got rough for the biting comedian.
08:12Some critics called her hosting bizarre and incoherent, and while Handler is no stranger
08:15to being a host, she came across as inauthentic that night.
08:31Her crass brand of humor including off-color remarks was uninspired, and the lack of energy
08:36was palpable.
08:37The less we say about her awkward interactions with celebs, the better.
08:40Was it a coincidence that the show went hostless the following year?
08:43We think not.
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09:031.
09:05Miley Cyrus – 32nd MTV Video Music Awards Let's get one thing straight.
09:14If you really like Miley Cyrus, then you would have really liked the 2015 VMAs.
09:18After all, this was essentially the Miley show as she was all over it.
09:35The problem?
09:36She overshadowed everything else.
09:37And well, if you don't like Miley Cyrus, then this would have been an insufferable
09:40viewing experience.
09:48From constant costume changes to explicit remarks, it all left little room for others
09:52to shine.
09:53Miley knows how to stir up a crowd as a performer, not so much as a host.
09:56At least we got the meme-worthy Nicki Minaj What's Good moment out of it.
10:10Enough of the worst.
10:11Who do you think was the best MTV Video Music Awards host?
10:14Share your picks in the comments below.
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