CRASHED AND BURNED GIRL

I just found out through my most trusted news source (Facebook, what else?) about Kanye West's predictably arrogant, unruly behavior during Taylor Swift's acceptance speech for Best Female Video at the MTV VMAs. He actually grabbed the mike from her to announce to the audience that Beyoncé's un-nominated "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" is "one of the best videos of all time. " Poor Taylor. She must have been horrified, but she handled it pretty well. On the plus side, at least for once, Kanye's ego ran amok on someone else's behalf.

But you know what? Deep inside, Taylor probably knows that Kanye is right. No offense to Taylor, Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson, Lady GaGa and Pink -- two of whom (Perry and GaGa) were totally deserving of their nods -- but no video from the last 12 months has stuck in my head quite like Beyonce's. My question for MTV is how do Beyonce and Britney score nominations for Video Of The Year but not Best Female Video? In the end, none of it really matters. As someone who has been a part of the voting panel for the VMAs in the past, I can assure you that winning one is not exactly the honor of a lifetime.

Update: After last night's VMAs spectacle (another year, another controversy -- I'm so sure Britney is glad she sat this one out), I figured it was time to familiarize myself with Taylor Swift's music. I'm not sure how I've managed to go so long without hearing a single note from either of her albums, but there you go. I watched the videos for "White Horse" and "Love Story" on YouTube, but couldn't quite make it through "You Belong To Me," the one that got her the award last night.

My verdict: I find Taylor to be an appealing performer and not a bad actress. As for the music, I don't understand what all the fuss is about, and twangy musical flourishes aside, what exactly makes it country? The songs are the kind of straight-from-the-diary country-pop confessionals that teen and tween girls drool over -- the new Beverly Hills 90210 set to music. But to these male, 40-year-old ears, it's all a bit lightweight, dull and soul free.

Coming soon: Jeremy faces his fear of Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana.