The Brit's-Eye View From Backstage

Britney Spears Frank Micelotta/Getty Images for MTV
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The red carpet of the Video Music Awards was its own kind of eye-popping spectacle, but during the show I couldn't take my eyes off Britney Spears. And I wasn't the only one—she had at least two bodyguards watching over her the whole time. At one point a fan tried to approach her, but one of the guys gently told him to beat it.

Taylor Swift got better treatment, however, and just walked over to chat with Brit, who then posed for pics and gabbed with the Jonas Brothers. Britney gave a hug and kiss to her former bodyguard, Big Rob, who now works for the Jonas Brothers.

Even though Britney won her first VMA early in the show for best female video (and two more later), she seemed pretty mellow overall.

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Live from the VMA Red Carpet: It's a Circus!

T-Pain Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
More from Marc Malkin

MTV's Video Music Awards are hot. Literally. It feels like 100 degrees on the red carpet here on the Paramount lot in Hollywood.

But the hot topic for the day: Britney Spears! Will she walk the carpet? Is she going to perform? Or, perhaps, is she going to open the show atop an elephant?

Yes, there is an elephant being hosed down outside the awards. And remember, there was an elephant in Spears' and host Russell Brand's promo spots for the show, as in "the elephant in the room."

The red carpet is now rolling. Read on for all the highlights...

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Kanye West Gets All Cute and Cuddly

Kanye West is apparently determined to tap into the Barney market, with yet another music video that seems to be aimed at the six and under crowd.

The rapper follows up his puppet-driven "Champion" vid with this new animated one for the song "Good Morning," debuting today on iTunes. In it, Kanye is depicted as a little teddy bear who wakes up late on graduation day but, despite a few obstacles, still manages to make it in time to accept his diploma.

Yes, the creativity in both these cases is admirable, especially this latest effort, which was directed by Takashi Murakami, the Japanese artist who brings to life the cover art he did for Kanye's Graduation album. It all just makes us a little nervous, though.

After all, it's OK for hip-hop stars to show their softer side, but it can also be taken a bit too far. Just ask Ice (Are We Done Yet?) Cube.

Zac-Tastic High School Musical 3 Scrapbook

Hey kids, and kid wannabes, the senior year scrapbook is here! This teaser vid with Zac, Vanessa, Ashley, Corbin and everybody else features backstage goofs, silly prom outfits, a 15-hour dance rehearsal, pep rallies and free T-shirts.

And did we mention that Zac is sooooooo cute?

Pink and Carey Hart: Giving Divorce a Good Name?

It's one thing to be friendly with your ex, but to come across as full-blown BFFs is kinda weird, right?

While we wouldn't question Pink being there for her former husband, Carey Hart, to help him grieve over the recent loss of his younger brother, Anthony, Carey's fairly long cameo in the singer's new video for her tune "So What," does have us scratching our heads a bit.

After all, many of the video's visuals make direct reference to their defunct marriage, and at one point, Pink playfully puts her arms around Carey while she's belting out such lyrics as: "You weren't there/ You never were/ You want it all/ But that's not fair/ I gave you life/ I gave my all/ You weren't there/  You let me fall."

So take a look, have a listen and let us know what you think.

Kanye West Bringing Puppets Back

That Kanye West. He's always got something new to entertain us.

The video for "Champion" not only gives in to our current Olympic fever (Michael Phelps, yeah!) but also a deep-seated love for all things puppets developed over the course of a childhood filled with Sesame Street and The Muppet Show.

In fact, we believe there are not enough puppets at work in Hollywood, so we hope an endorsement from Kanye will change all that. Give the video a view and try to tell us Puppet Kanye isn't the most adorable thing ever.

Underwood Carries Tune, But Video Underwhelms

We love Carrie Underwood. Really we do. "Before He Cheats" and "Last Name" have a permanent home on our iPods. Even her latest single, "Just a Dream," gets us choked up.

Which makes it all the more difficult to say we're not exactly loving the new video for the song. Yes, the subject matter, about a woman dealing with the loss of a loved one in the military is, without a doubt, moving.

Unfortunately, the country cutie's decision to cast herself as the grief-stricken wife in the video is a bit distracting at times, making us kinda wish she had, at least here, simply stuck to her day job.

There you have it. That's our two cents. Now give us yours. We're pretty sure you will.

Ali Lohan's New Single Is Ronson-Approved

Who likes Ali Lohan's new single, "All the Way Around"?

Samantha Ronson, for one.

On her MySpace blog, the celebrity DJ quashes a Page Six report that she refused to play the new single from her pal Lindsay Lohan's younger sister.

"It's a great f***ing pop song," says Ronson, who also has some choice words about the tabloids in the posting.

So that's her take, but what do you think? Check out the video and sound off in the comments.

Selena Gomez's Supersweet 16

Selena Gomez AP Photo/Jennifer Graylock
More from Marc Malkin

Talk about an awesome birthday present!

Selena Gomez, who turned 16 today, has signed her first record deal with Hollywood Records, a well-placed source exclusively tells me.

Music execs have been after the starlet for months now, ever since they got the scoop that Disney was crowning her as the next Miley Cyrus...

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Natalie Portman Must Be in Love

Well, here's one way to get people talking about what would have been an otherwise obscure music video.

Singer Devendra Banhart, better known as Natalie Portman's boyfriend, begged asked the Oscar-nominated actress to play a princess in the Bollywood-inspired video for his song "Carmensita." 

Quirky and fun, or simply embarrassing? Take a look, and let us know what you think.

Brett Ratner: Miley's Madonna Vibe Was "Just Unbelievable"

Madonna, Miley Cyrus Nancy Kaszerman/ZUMAPress.com, Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com

Working with Miley Cyrus reminded Brett Ratner of a "Beautiful Stranger" he once knew.

“She turns it on,” the filmmaker, who last month directed the video for Cyrus' new single "7 Things," exclusively tells E! News. “A lot like Madonna.”

Ratner, who also helmed the pop icon's "Beautiful Stranger" video for Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, says he sees many similarities between Miley and Madonna, besides the whole first-initial thing.

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Videoactive: Absorb Beck's "Gamma Ray"

Midway between being a hyperkinetic "Loser" and someone adrift in the doldrums of a "Sea Change," Beck zaps us with "Gamma Ray," a new video from his forthcoming CD, Modern Guilt. The low-key, lo-fi sounds here (created in collaboration with Danger Mouse) are offset by Beck's trademark arty visuals and sly pop-culture signifying. Case in point: lyric references to blues classics "Smokestack Lightning" and "Terraplane Blues."

But not to worry, you don't need a decoder ring to enjoy it. Just watch and listen.

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THE BIG PIC

Burn Notice Brad Pitt heats up the Toronto Film Festival premiere of Burn After Reading

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