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Entertainment | 09/08/2008 11:30 am

VMA Host Russell Brand Comes Under Fire for Making Fun of Purity Rings, Palin's Pregnancy and Republicans

By The Staff at wowOwow.com
VMA host Russell Brand /Wikipedia.com

British comedian Russell Brand, who hosted the 25th MTV Video Music Awards Sunday night, left the crème of the music world stunned as he made a series of political, sexual and off-color remarks throughout the evening.

Despite not being an American citizen and therefore ineligible to vote in the 2008 presidential election, the "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" funnyman encouraged Americans to vote for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama in the upcoming election; ran down President George W. Bush; poked fun at Sarah Palin’s daughter’s pregnancy; and made lewd jokes about the Jonas Brothers’s purity rings.

The Associated Press reports Brand said in his opening monologue: "Please, America, elect Barack Obama. On behalf of the world."

Some in the star-studded crowd cheered, while others — like Britney Spears, who walked away with three awards — sat quietly.

He also referred to George W. Bush as a "retarded cowboy fella" and took a shot at Republican VP nominee Sarah Palin and her pregnant daughter. Speaking of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s daughter’s boyfriend and the reported would-be father, Levi Johnston, Fox News reports Brand saying: "The safe-sex message is to use a condom or become a Republican!"

Besides his outlandish, politically charged remarks, Brand’s running theme for the evening centered around the boy band with the pastor dad, the Jonas Brothers, and their purity rings — until "American Idol" winner Jordin Sparks stepped on stage to have her say about his constant remarks.

"Not everyone wants to be a slut," Sparks, 18, spat back, the auditorium filling with applause.

Brand was quick to apologize for any hurt feelings, but only to a degree.

After the show, Brand, a former sex addict, told the Associated Press, "I feel a bit bad that I kept talking about their vows to 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."

And many thought that Britney Spears was going to be the one who caused a scene …

22 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

Jen Ward
This Brand guy was fired from an MTV job for coming to work the day after 9/11 dressed as Bin Laden. They turned around an rehired him later. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2007/jul/09/mediatop1002007.mondaymedias…
By Jen Ward on 09/09/2008 7:56 am
Chari Bonagua
I think its shock tactic so that they will talk about him. Publicity, you know.
By Chari Bonagua on 09/09/2008 12:52 pm
queen trixie
It’s MTV VMAs! Lighten up. He was hired for entertainment and he entertained. This moratorium on free speech is ridiculous. He didn’t say anything that others on various blogs and boards haven’t said.
By queen trixie on 09/09/2008 6:26 pm
eleanor roche
This kind of stuff displayed by “celebrities” is the reason why 75+% of Americans think the country is headed in the wrong direction.
By eleanor roche on 09/10/2008 10:20 am
HA BIBI
Thanks Eleanor, And they call that entertainment. If thats entertainment, I would go one further…I know why our country is heading in the wrong direction, LOL :)
By HA BIBI on 09/10/2008 6:43 pm
Buh- Bye
hurricane hair, cool
By Buh- Bye on 09/13/2008 12:06 pm
Jeanette Foresta
I call him an attention gavvone!

Usually meaning someone who 
1) Eats too much and is a pig. 
2) Or takes more than he can eat.

By Jeanette Foresta on 03/15/2009 9:35 pm