MTV Visits BRR

Andrew Raff
September 07, 2001

Yesterday, Buzz Rant & Rave was taken over by MTV. BRR World HQ is located in the same neighborhood as Lincoln Center, which is normally a quiet home of culture. Last night, however, the MTVVideo Music Awards were held at the Metropolitian Opera House, which resulted in the area turning into a circus, overrun by MTV teenyboppers.

A couple of weeks ago, I had noticed 4 or 5 big trailers (portable offices) parked on Amsterdam Ave. and didn't give all that much thought to them. Later, I noticed the little signs on them saying "MTV VMA '01" and connected it with the fact that the award show was going to be at Lincoln Center.

Then yesterday, upon returning home from work, I emerged from the subway station into a cacophonous mob of screaming MTV fans all angling to get a minimal view of the celebrities entering the show (or maybe that should be reversed). This was truly a circus. People were all over the area, spilling out into the streets in parts, despite the barricades erected. MTV had oversized set pieces sitting in front of the opera house. Ever present was the high-pitched sound of screaming that usually inhabits Times Square in the afternoon.

Parking was prohibited on most of the streets. Every sidewalk was barricaded, and police officers were stationed on every corner guiding the crowds. Many of the streets right around Lincoln Center were blocked off. Even when the crowd had somewhat dissipated and I tried to walk around the event, I couldn't get within a block of the center. And the limos. Everywhere, limos of all sorts-- from the basic Town Cars to a couple of stretched Ford Excursions-- were parked on the street or driving around. Parked outside BRR World HQ was the one for Mr. Busta Rhymes.

It was definately an entertaining circus, though I didn't really catch much of the awards. But since Fatboy Slim's Weapon of Choice didn't win for best video, what was the point?