In a concession to the most powerful man in the land, MTV has decided to move up the start of its Video Music Awards tomorrow so that the show won’t conflict with President Obama’s big speech to the Democratic National Convention.
The awards show, hosted by comedian Kevin Hart, will start at 8 p.m. and end at 10 p.m. Obama’s speech is expected to start after 10.
Considering the clamor by the Democrats to get young people more involved in the political process, MTV executives wisely saved itself from likely attack from critics it it had left its show in a clash with the president—and both sides would have suffered from a significant loss in viewership to the other.
For stars like Jay-Z and Beyonce, who are ardent supporters of the president—Beyonce even appeared in a campaign ad where she talked about how much First Lady Michelle Obama inspires her—they may be torn about which high-profile event they are going to attend. Thus far, the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte has had a far higher star quotient than the Republican gathering in Tampa, with stars like Eva Longoria, Selena Gomez, Ty Hickson, Jeremy Renner and Frank Langella.
With Kevin Hart as the host, we can expect plenty of references and jokes about the speech of the president competing with the awards show.
