Britney plays it safe on return to MTV awards

NO Madonna kiss. No Michael Jackson cameo. No flying Howard Stern. Not even a Kanye West tantrum.

MTV has set a high standard for the unexpected at its Video Music Awards, but on the show’s 25th anniversary, the network instead settled for throwing its full support behind Britney Spears’s comeback. Spears won three leading awards, including video of the year for Piece of Me.

Any spontaneity was left to host Russell Brand, the British comic whose outlandish candour gave the Los Angeles show a pulse. But at the end of the night, even Brand — a confessed former sex addict — could only summon a comic semi-feud with the young Jonas Brothers over their premarital celibacy.

But while Brand was unpredictable, witty and offensive, Spears was resolutely careful, determined to set right her pop star image. She was, after all, returning to the scene of the crime, so to speak. At last year’s VMAs — Britney Comeback version 1.0 — her unpolished performance was roundly disparaged.

In each acceptance speech on Sunday night, Spears spoke briefly, thanked God and dedicated the awards to her fans. Even while opening the show, she was all business, zipping through her few introduction lines.

“Thank you so much,” she said flatly as the crowd greeted her with a standing ovation. “Thank you for all the love.”

Unwittingly, the Jonas Brothers — one of the hottest acts to today’s MTV generation — became the night’s biggest talking point. Brand repeatedly joked about their purity rings, which each wears as a symbol of their vow not to have premarital sex.

Brand brandished one as if he had won it from a Jonas brother.

American Idol champ — and fellow promise ring wearer — Jordin Sparks defended the brothers while presenting an award: “I just wanna say, it’s not bad to wear a promise ring because not every guy and a girl wants to be a slut, OK?”

Brand was happy to apologise for any hurt feelings, but only to such a degree. After the show, he said: “I feel a bit bad that I kept talking about their vows of chastity and I’d like to take this opportunity to say no one ever have sex again. It’s a mad idea. What a way to spend an evening.”

Brand proved an interesting mix with the crowd, who seemed unsure of how to react to his lack of political correctness. In his opening monologue, he joked about Madonna, virgins and George W Bush, whom he called “that retarded cowboy fellow”.

He pleaded: “Please, America, elect Barack Obama. On behalf of the world.” Some in the star-studded crowd cheered, while others — like Spears — sat quietly.