Britney's real comeback

Britney’s participation in this year’s VMAs was a wink to her disastrous performance last year. She did open the awards night, looking all sane and normal (meaning: no Albino Burmese Python, no girl-on-girl action, no barely-there outfit) with a 15-second monologue: “Thank you so much. Thank you for all the love. I’m here tonight to celebrate a very important birthday, the 25th anniversary of the VMAs. This is the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards and it starts right now.”

Wasn’t it just yesterday when Britney Spears opened MTV’s Video Music Awards with a very un-Britney-like blah performance? She disappointed fans and co-artists alike with her bad lip-synching, unenthusiastic dance moves, and unflattering outfit. Apparently, time flies, even when you’re staying out of the limelight. 

After that almost career-ending debacle, Britney went on a rapid paparazzi-documented downslide in her personal life. She might have gotten the crazies, but it seems like her star kept on shining faithfully, because, as Britney’s picking up the pieces of her life, she has just staged a pop star come back in, aptly, the 2008 MTV VMA.

Months before the 2008 VMA, rumors were already swirling that Britney would grace the night with an opening number once again. The rumors were quelled by MTV’s Van Toffler, who said that she wouldn’t be performing, but that Britney had something “fun and unexpected” in store. Promo spots seemed to promise something fun, too. To top it all off, Britney was nominated in three categories.

So what was the “fun and unexpected” part? Apparently, Britney’s participation in this year’s VMA was merely a wink to her much talked-about disastrous performance last year. She did open the awards night, looking all sane and normal (meaning: no Albino Burmese Python, no girl-on-girl action, no barely-there outfit) with a 15-second monologue: “Thank you so much. Thank you for all the love. I’m here tonight to celebrate a very important birthday, the 25th anniversary of the VMAs. This is the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards and it starts right now.” It wasn’t much, but to be fair, she did get a standing ovation even before she opened her mouth.

I don’t know about you, but I think it was brave of her to just show up. The rest of the audience seemed to think so too, as Britney got her second standing ovation when, finally, after years of being a VMA regular, she finally won her first VMA trophy for Best Female Video for “Piece of Me.” She was a big winner that night, as she also won in the two other categories.

In the itty-bitty part of my brain that continues to register news about the downfall of Hollywood stars who started early and crashed out young, I’m thinking, that was one hell of a crazy year for ex-Mrs. Federline, but it’s good that she’s ending it on the upswing. For the sake of her two babies, I hope she stays in control of her career and, more importantly, her personal life, from now on.

E-heads reunion, second set?

After his third angioplasty, Ely Buendia has been discharged from the hospital. The official word is that he didn’t exactly suffer from a heart attack; he just succumbed to stress and exhaustion, with his heart weakened by cholesterol-clogged arteries. Heart disease runs in his family.

Raymund Marasigan says they have a show to finish, and the blogosphere is still a-buzz with talk of the second set (there’s a pretty reliable second set and encore song list floating around online), but it seems like it would have to wait, because Ely needs to rest. I’m happy he’s okay, I’m even happier the foursome are okay (with Raymund saying he visited Ely this time around), and I’m so going to watch their concert in case they decide to have another one.

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