Britney: Down for the Count?

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One person who definitely seemed to be gloating was Sarah Silverman, a real comedian who followed Britney with a monologue that quickly unsettled the Palms audience even more; it got downright ugly a minute into her routine when she called Spears' toddler sons ''the most adorable mistakes you will ever see.'' Silverman told EW after the show that she thought Spears ''did a good job.... I just thought she'd have some sort of animal or fire or something'' — but didn't directly address her more offensive comments. (Her rep tells EW: ''Sarah did nothing but react to Britney's actions in a comical way, which is what she was asked to do.'') Incidentally, one of Silverman's closest counterparts in ribald, celeb-skewering humor, Kathy Griffin, became embroiled in her own awards-show scandal last weekend when she told Jesus to ''suck it'' in an acceptance speech after winning an Emmy award for her Bravo reality show. Not surprisingly, she vigorously defends Silverman's divisive routine: ''I loved Sarah. As a comedian, what are you supposed to do? Are you supposed to walk out and say, 'Britney sure was great, everybody!'? Your hands are tied. You have to go there.''

But guess what? The debacle hasn't deflated her new single's momentum at all. One label exec calls ''Gimme More'' ''a smash'' and goes so far as to predict that her album — which is slated to bow opposite stiff competition including Céline Dion — ''will sell very well. I don't think the performance is going to hurt her or the album.'' At press time, ''More'' remained one of the most requested songs at New York's Z100, which premiered the tune on Aug. 30. ''People are still calling in, wanting to comment on the performance,'' says program director Sharon Dastur. ''But then they say, 'When's the next time you guys are playing the song?''' Clearly, many of her fans have shrugged off Spears' bad night. In fact, comments like Silverman's and barbs about the star's bikini-clad figure have already resulted in public sympathy swinging back in her favor. Spears seems as aware of her predicament as anyone, as evidenced by ''Piece of Me,'' a track on her new album in which she sings about the public's obsession with her appearance and her parenting skills. (For a preview of the album, click here.)

Even leaving aside Britney's travails, the VMA ceremony itself was a disaster despite promises of a complete overhaul. The newly streamlined event was as wince-inducing as the Britney and Sarah Show: Performances were truncated, seemingly at random. Presenters babbled nonsensically. The awards categories seemed truly arbitrary — really, what is a Monster Single of the Year, and why were there 10 nominees? By the time the show was over, Kanye West — who was shut out from any awards — vowed that he'll never work with the channel again after being forced to perform in one of the show's confusing ''fantasy suites'' instead of in the main theater. (''Kanye chose to perform in the fantasy suite,'' responds a source close to the production.) Even Justin Timberlake, the night's big winner, excoriated the channel from the podium more than once for airing reality pap rather than the actual videos that it was supposedly celebrating. And some inside the network acknowledge the disappointment. ''Everybody at MTV hated the show. People are embarrassed,'' says one exec. (Counters a spokesperson: ''The show was a total reinvention and looked completely different. Ratings and online numbers were way up, demonstrating that viewers loved it.'')

Despite the controversy — or perhaps because of it — the telecast drew 7.1 million viewers, a 23 percent jump over last year's airing. According to the network, that was a ''lone airing'' in its original form; when MTV announced the details about this year's ceremony last spring, it said that all future re-airings would be ''remixed'' versions featuring unseen clips and performances. Yet less than a half hour after the end credits rolled, there was that familiar, dreadful close-up of Britney's extensions, and there, in its entirety, was the same version of the show that MTV promised we'd never see again. If only. (With reporting by Shirley Halperin, Tim Stack, Tanner Stransky, Simon Vozick-Levinson, and Margeaux Watson)