Pop Culture Historians Review The 2024 VMAs *Brutally Honest* 🐍 ... Evolution of a Snake Podcast

[@theswiftologist]

Catch EOAS twice weekly on patreon & get access to our discord server 😎 www.patreon.com/swiftologist

[@SwiftiesVersion13_Tv]

Hi!

[@MarkMcKenzie-ln9wd]

Can you please do an analysis video of Madison Beer and what it’s going to take for her to become a main pop girl and what’s holding her back (probably her record company)? Make You Mine had such smash hit potential and I feel like it got sabotaged

[@danielleelizabeth129]

I think her opening with never forget 9/11 was her way of saying “guys Im not about to be ripped to shreds for announcing something on a national mourning day so stop clowning”

[@soaribb32]

hm what?

[@jaxcooks4]

​@@soaribb32as in she wanted to shut down the rumor she would be announcing anything and tell people she wouldn't be by acknowledging 9/11 as the important thing that happened on that date

[@crystalkadletc1944]

As soon as I knew what day it was on, I knew she wasn’t announcing anything

[@Goat.Cheese]

Smart move on her part. She obviously couldn't announce anything on 9/11 or she'd look like a bad person and people would hate her more

[@colin2590]

Normally people ofc overreact to her announcing things at events bc they don’t like her but it was smart for her and her team to decide not to announce something

[@Ajlikestraveling]

When she said 911, I knew for a god damn fact that she wasn’t going to release anything. I already reserved myself to the fact that she won’t RELEASE tv this year (maybe she’d announce something but idk). The 911 thing sent me 💀

[@saucydragonfly]

I felt like she said it partly because if she didn’t the anti-Kamala side of the internet would have dragged her, and even though Carson was coming out in act 2 but it could have been quickly touched by MTS when she opened the show.

[@annap.1911]

Dying!! lol. “You know what I’m going to announce? I like Travis!!”

[@dobibear]

Tyla's speech also applies to Lisa, so it's interesting you mentioned her right after!! Lisa, a Thai woman, hasn't released a song in Korean in two years. She shouldn't have been nominated for Best K-pop, let alone won, since her songs are fully in english now, and she's now more than just a K-pop idol. I’m worried she’ll be stuck under the K-pop label forever by western award shows and critics just because she’s a member of blackpink

[@the_piano_nerd4960]

So here’s a genuine question from someone who doesn’t listen to any K-pop and has only heard Rockstar by Lisa: Is there anything unique about K-pop in its sound, mixing, etc beyond it being in Korean? I have a friend who mastered a K-pop album recently who mentioned how it was a little different from other stuff he’s mastered in the past, but I didn’t get details. Not that I think Lisa should be boxed in to K-pop just because that’s what she’s done in the past, but I wonder if there’s something with the sound quality overall rather than the language where people recognize her current music as K-pop as opposed to western pop??

[@Marina-nn4md]

She will. But she wouldn’t get an award if she ran on another category. So

[@dobibear]

@@the_piano_nerd4960 In my opinion, it's both the same and different. Generally, people see K-pop as pop music in Korean, but it's more of an industry than a genre. There are many genres within K-pop. For me, since I got into K-pop in 2017 and literally only listened to it until about 2 years ago, there's a certain sound or formula to most K-pop that’s hard to explain. Maybe it’s bc it’s mostly all groups and they have multiple voices on a track, making the music feel jumbled. But even the production has that distinct quality. Lot’s of dance breaks, empty choruses, very short and repetitive, lyrics that don’t make sense. Groups like NewJeans and soloists like D.O. have music that does feel like just pop in Korean, while groups like MEOVV and NMIXX sound "so K-pop." The difference also stems from choosing to pull inspiration from what’s trending in the west (these songs sound like pop in korean) and who is targeting a domestic korean fanbase (sounds more “kpop”) Among K-pop fans, we often say, "This is the K-POPIEST K-pop song ever," and we all understand it, even if it's hard to describe. I also have to remember even with global expansion K-pop is targeting the Korean music market and it ofc is going to play with other unique sounds i’m not a fan of.

[@mana-uv7cz]

Yep!

[@the_piano_nerd4960]

@@dobibearthanks for the explanation!!! That’s a lot of info I’ve never come across before so I appreciate you taking the time

[@originalparafan]

I love when Sabrina was like “thanks to my cats and dogs watching at home” she’s such a troll lol I love her

[@lukenaidoo208]

truthfully, im kinda glad Taylor didnt take a picture with Chapell because mygoodness, imagine the wildfires that would have started on Gaylor TikTok

[@QuesoKilla]

You could hear a hairpin drop 😅

[@jaredsmith4964]

Well they didn’t take a picture because they’re already dating. Obviously 🙄

[@a_weird_strawberry]

​@@jaredsmith4964help

[@crystalkadletc1944]

😂😂😂

[@Mr.icecream03]

Ridiculous ngl

[@alexandrite61]

wasn't there a rumor that taylor left to sit backstage because they basically had a camera right where she sat and it made her uncomfortable

[@AlyReality]

i think it’s a combination of that as well as not wanting her reactions to be the main focus during sets like sabrina’s and chappell’s. she gets enough flack for “sucking up all the air in the room” just by existing. there would be so much hate fodder if they panned to her a ton or showed her clapping too much or not enough, making any kind of face, etc instead of only focusing on the girls

[@bluedolphin814]

Never forget 9/11 Never forget Fortnight Never forget Travis Kelce Never forget the election

[@ryghttwix]

kelce*

[@bluedolphin814]

@@ryghttwix omg I swear I typed it like that but I think it got autocorrected and I didn’t notice 💀😭😭

[@brunetteXer]

just: do the research. do not rely on msm for your 'facts'

[@bluedolphin814]

@@brunetteXer whatever that means

[@OliverCurtis2010]

OK BUT SABRINA AND CHAPPEL OOWWWNNNEEEDDD THE VMAS. ARGUE WITH THE WALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL. SABRINAS VOCALS WERE SERVINGGGGG

[@the_piano_nerd4960]

Agreed. Loved that the mic was on, on top of the choreography giving

[@MsTriangle]

Sabrina was lip syncing

[@OliverCurtis2010]

@@MsTriangle no she had backing vocals. but it was liveeeee

[@ts_the_man]

i love sabrina but that performance was rough

[@issa-joaquin]

Tyla was so RIGHT!!! As a Nigerian, African singers don't all sing Afrobeats. Most of the people that were nominated in the Afrobeats category, Burna Boy is HipHop(AfroPop), Tems is R&B and Lojay is Alte. Only Tyla and Davido were actually Afrobeat But because they're all Africans and have an accent, award shows tend to group them together.

[@LexTheRex24]

It ran through Halsey Twitter that Taylor & Halsey did interact and even hugged but it was away from cameras.

[@Corrin27]

I wish Chappel Roan had more time so she could have done a medley rather than just Good Luck Babe. Like best new artist, let’s show them why.

[@saucydragonfly]

I thought so too. Should’ve given them a taste in the way Sabrina did

[@soaribb32]

@@Corrin27 what do you mean?

[@Corrin27]

@@soaribb32 I mean she deserved more stage time

[@katborrowdale4313]

@@soaribb32 Corrin meant a medley I think...

[@johannest-amour6481]

When she started her speech with 9\11 I wasn't surprised since she did it out of respect, which is so very Taylor respectful, for anyone that wasn't around or very young at that time it was very traumatizing, I was a young adult when it happened and will always remember where I was at that moment, so I am happy she started with that!

[@snowfoxxie]

Did anyone else acknowledge it? Like organizers? I feel like it should have been in the opening or have a moment to remember. Why is it up to the artists to have to push it into their speech? Yes it was a bit weird Taylor- but maybe she genuinely felt the need to acknowledge it- It would be right in the front of my mind if I was supposed to celebrate my success and happy thing. I actually have experience with that! 9:/11 is my birthday. I can honestly say when I tell people my dob literally no one forgets (and I’m Australian). That day deeply effected the hearts of everyone.

[@poindexterorozco]

I loved the spectacle of Chappell's performance, but it could've been improved if there was a narrative happening throughout the song. Imagine the performance beginning with a woman getting taken from Chappell's side, and so the fighting becomes about Chappell getting her back. Then towards the end of the song, perhaps the woman is about to be burned at the stake, and Roan of Arc saves her--or vice versa

[@favOriTe-v6e]

yes!! there were way too many men on that stage for a gay song

[@meghansullivan6812]

yesss i agree! ppl were lauding it so much in the comments and while i agree it LOOOKED very cool, it felt like it was missing something!

[@VEGAS-NERVE]

@@favOriTe-v6eas if those weren’t all gay men…

[@cc1526]

Sounds like an interesting way to transition into hot to go too

[@SwiftiesVersion13_Tv]

You have no idea how much I love watching these as well as your videos, the whole copyright thing sucks but at least we still have this to enjoy, thank youuu!! Also Madeline’s makeup was GORGINAAA!

[@РутаАсадаускайте]

I lost it when Madeline started blinking really fast LMAO

[@SmileForever92]

I didn't think it was weird that Taylor chose to mention 9/11 and I respect her for mentioning it. That should always be a day to honor all those we lost.

[@wholahaywhatdahell]

As a Taylor agnostic I love hearing yall speak on other artists and pop culture as a whole! The takes never miss

[@issa-joaquin]

Swiftologist video notification? I'm seated already❤❤❤

[@jgarr313]

I literally said out loud, what chaos will it be today?

[@saucydragonfly]

I just checked the MTV site and Wikipedia, Best Direction, Art Direction, Editing, Choreography, Cinematography, and Special Effects are voted on by members of the music industry and MTV representatives

[@Ajlikestraveling]

The Travis thing sent me I was like.. FINALLY SHE SAYS SOMETHING!! Travis always mentions her but that gagged me

[@Elway07-o4s]

IMO bleachella was one of my favorite looks Taylor has ever done. Iconic. Love you guys. This Sunday morning thing is fun. 🥰

[@pigg90]

I read that the Chappell performance was inspired by Julie d'Aubigny, French Opera singer, who set fire to a convent to elope with her female lover. When I first watched the performance I was kind of confused about how to interpret it through the Good Luck, Babe lens but the set up makes sense to me now. It got a bit lost in translation imo. Might have helped to have an actress on stage to play the lover she's fighting all those men to get to. Still a great debut though.

[@emilyarrington320]

Wait.. I didn’t know Katy Perry got booed at the VMAs for so long. That’s actually so sad… like I get she’s not perfect but damn. She’s already on her way out that’s just so harsh… people forget that’s she’s a real person!

[@charlottehollingsworth9125]

Chappel's third outfit is one that Florence Pugh wore on the press tour for Dune! We love sustainable fashion reuse and also like, i mean just yes!! Of course!!

[@expensivepink7]

i’m not a taylor stan (kpop and lana girlie here) but i LOVED her outfit!! i was surprised it got so much hate i thought it was amazing

[@philjan23]

It's so annoying anytime I see swifties commenting on the posts showing her VMAs outfit that she easter egging Rep TV, because I'm convicted you're right -- _Debutation_ is not showing up anytime before 2025. These looks clearly are Taylor in her Tortured Poet era. SteamPunk meets Victorian and Abductee Tumblr Girl. If those ain't TTPD, I don't know what it is... 💁🏻✒️📖💃🏻

[@muskaan3711]

Chappell served multiple LOOKS! Definitely my favorite look of the night, followed by Miss Short n Sweet Sabrina ❤

[@flowersbloom1]

FINALLY YOU HAVE THE IMAGES AND VIDEOS YOU'RE REFERRING TO!!!!! thank you sm

[@Pinkponyresistance]

Couldn't agree more about Halsey. I never listened to her before but saw this performance and was really pleasantly surprised.

[@breelee4362]

She's an amazing performer and song writer. Of all pop stars who could be on Taylor's level as far as an overall artist, I would put Halsey up there. She is darker and edgier.

[@jeaninearianne]

“If I don’t get my picture with Taylor I’m screaming” literally 😭😭😭😭😭

[@ruizdy]

Rewatching this for third time. This is my comfort channel for when I am sick

[@Lainey4096]

I agree with everything you guys said. I know Jungkook is in the military right now, but he should have won something. That guy is amazing. I hope the Grammys don't ignore BTS this year. They have all contributed to some solo stuff and deserve some awards.

[@saucydragonfly]

If they’re all discharged by then, I hope they appear at the very least or perform a new song but they probably won’t be nominated because they won’t release new music before the cutoff date (and get the traction and charting etc)

[@cardiganweather]

Okay, one thing with the Best Direction award: that one isnt actually a fan voted category, it's in the "professional" category. Which means she won that one because people in the music industry gave it to her, rather than her fans swarming the votes.

[@lunal.775]

I thought she looked so hot in her first red carpet look. She looked flawless! I also loved the down bad dress. And I do think her team and her wanted to make sure the VMAs weren't all about her (even when it unintentionally happens). I think that was the right choice, since it's so easy to have Taylor overload which leads to the public turning on her.

[@darraghcollins1374]

If Taylor wore that outfit in navy blue. It would have been everything

[@saucydragonfly]

Luke at Haute la Mode said basically the same thing - and that Dior for sure would have done it in a custom fabric for her. Grey black and white would have been so TTPD!

[@Orchid-j7n]

THANK YOU DIVAS - IM SO READY FOR THE SNAMMYS 🐍🐍🐍

[@phillinsogood]

Flavor Flav was hillarious. He’s always been so genuine and fun spirited to me

[@dijongd13]

Absolutely love the Megan thee stallion appreciation at the end 🫶🫶

[@AMoniqueOcampo]

I am loving Madeline's Goosebumps shirt! I totally agree with y'all that Sabrina should've opened the show and that Eminem's performance was totally mixed. We were totally robbed of seeing Shawn and Camilla's reactions during Sabrina's performance. Chappell Roan's Joan of Arc aesthetic was my favorite thing! Overall, I'm glad that much like my childhood, I'm just getting highlights of the VMAs.

[@crystalkadletc1944]

I liked Eminem’s performance. But I did not realize he opened the show lol

[@nobodyimportant5459]

No way Eminem did a great performance

[@warshallwathers7971]

Eminem>>>> sabrina

[@ambriaashley3383]

@@nobodyimportant5459I didn’t watch his section but I admit he’s very talented. did he include that corny line in houdini that was making fun of Meg the stallion? She hosted this year too, which is extra disrespectful if so

[@iva.1389]

16:56 The Best Direction category was not fan voted just like Best Editing, Best Choreography, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction and Best Video Effects. They're all considered as professional categories and are chosen by industry professionals

[@robnessvic]

“It’s not giving high fashion, it’s giving meth addiction” SENT ME

[@ivanaloncar5320]

Kill me, but I love Fortnight MV. Artistically, it really appeals to me and so much more than other candidates… IDK if this is unpopular opinion, I guess in this chat maybe it is, but I love it. It is not song of the summer that is sure! But best MV? Well, yes, I have no problem with that.

[@P0nyl0ve]

Agree!!

[@PetiteLiterature]

Madeline's little ghost cup is too cute ❤ thanks for the EOAS upload besties

[@soaribb32]

57:22 True but did Harry Styles ever serve vocals and back flips tho? Annoying song aside, Mr. Beautiful Things was giving Fergie live at Good Morning America vibes, I clapped.

[@MichaelWest1996]

Yeah I like Benson Boone and I enjoyed his performance. It wasn’t very exciting, but the guy can really sing and that’s what I’m here for with him

[@mingkingmed]

Katy always gives 10/10 performance

[@noellehannibal]

"it's not giving high fashion. It's giving meth addiction" had me just snort laugh so hard!

[@sophia_delrey]

zachhhh that was my first stream and thank you for streaming the vmas i don’t have cable😭💜💜

[@tiffanysd925]

Thank you!! I appreciate the editing too so good!!! ❤❤❤

[@kateregier7713]

I live for these recorded podcasts! It’s so fun to see your conversations. I always laugh so hard 😂

[@Sam_dea]

Not only is it public but when she got up to the podium she did not forget to say his name

[@kitschesque]

Love the new EOAS uploads released to the common folk because now I can send them around and say "This is what I was talking about and you can see now that it's not behind a paywall 💋"

[@CVB6]

The podcasts are available for free on google and Apple Podcasts, it’s only paid on Spotify. For now.

[@rorolovesfolklore]

@@CVB6 wdym by paid on spotify? i have it on spotify but i do have spotify premium

[@CVB6]

@@rorolovesfolklore I ment, Spotify requires subscription, because the free version is not as good, so I personally consider anything on Spotify as a paywall.

[@kitschesque]

@@CVB6 I mean the Patreon paywall babe x

[@soaribb32]

36:50 Madonna wore that gown in 1991 for the Oscars. Michael Jackson was her date for the night.

[@kwithaj]

I love the images!!!! It makes it sooooo much easier to follow along with! Especially with the flava flav and Taylor interactions those SENT MEEE Also absolutely no hate, but there’s a lot of gasping seemingly directly in the mic that’s a bit distracting, I think one of you has a mega powerful mic haha

[@Mother_is_Mothering306]

11:58 but she made a point that Travis Kelce is her man in one of her speeches💀✨ she did not enjoy that hug

[@Itsmebik]

"It's not giving high fashion. It's giving meth addiction" I DIED

[@morganfortier7929]

"Why did it look like he had no teeth" i SCREAMED

[@lucypreece7581]

Did a little fact check. Benson Boone is not Mormon but did briefly attend Brigham Young University for a semester but he dropped out to focus on music. He was born in Washington.

[@fridayed]

For what it's worth, the direction category is one of the ones picked by "industry professionals". You could speculate on the thought process and motives of the voting body but it isn't one that Taylor inherently auto-wins as a result of her fan-base.

[@thisissarah815]

I’m loving Madeline’s cameos and EOAS episodes on your main channel

[@saucydragonfly]

Chappell was great but Madeline is right - a burning at the stake reference would have GAGGED and been a crazy old school VMA moment people talked about forever. It would weirdly reference what she’s been communicating about her fame recently Conversely she could have performed Pink Pony Club with drag queens and exotic dancers or Red Wine Supernova with magicians and rabbits and some lesbian camp and that would have been some gaggery the VMAs NEED n

[@sarahb5144]

Small note: fans don’t vote for best director

[@goranvojinovic6233]

i was supposed to be studying for my exam, but then i saw the swiftologist and madeline analysis of the vmas, so no studying for me now

[@stephaniebruso]

Her purple eyeshadow looks so pretty

[@tyerry9803]

on that "messy" topic, i feel camila's perfomance was so safe and boring in general, like she could do it a more indenct/provocative perfomance with june gloom and take advantage due the moment, she could get a viral but yeah she choses to be safe

[@soaribb32]

I think the line up was kinda meh. Like, where's Charli? You put Tinashe on stage but NO PERFORMANCE? We got cowboy Malone but no Cowboy Carter? The one that actually matters? We got flop, has-been rappers but no Kendrick, no Asap Rocky, no "Million Dollar Baby" dude... There's a reason why the VMAs are the flop they came to be.

[@smoothshawty5746]

thank you wheres charli, billie, beyonce, tinashe.etc?

[@soaribb32]

@@smoothshawty5746 YES. Imagine a Brat medley with Billie, Lorde and Troye? And a solo Billie performance of Chihiro later.

[@JRay.R]

I’m less than a minute in but Madeline’s purple eyeshadow and bleached out Goosebumps shirt wins best dressed at the VMA’s, no contest. Also I’m THRILLED Zack finally isn’t roasting Taylor for wearing a shade of yellow. Madeline….do better hahaha.

[@aggimaggi7246]

The reason the paparazzi will never change is because they never cared that Britney got hurt. They made their money and if given the chance they'd do it all over again.

[@VEGAS-NERVE]

"He got a hair transplant so I think he’s just waiting for it to grow back" 😭

[@luisdiegort9117]

Camila said godspeed to all the haters, she doesn't have a oneside beef

[@anobelkhoushabeh3831]

Katy wasn't booed watch the audience recording from the arena. Idk what yall are hearing.

[@theswiftologist]

multiple people who were there confirmed the booing xo

[@luciac214]

The amount of times Camila licked her lips during her performance had my eyebrow scrunching 🤨. Go watch it, you cant unsee it.

[@monique4645]

Plane Jane is the queen dressed as Chappell Roan. I found it so interesting that she was dressed as Chappell because she’s previously called her “performative” on Twitter (in reference to Chappell being a drag queen). I was super shocked that Plane Jane decided to dress as her after she got eaten up for those comments.

[@FishareFriendsNotFood972]

I think Tyla is extremely underrated and is the one to watch

[@Ajlikestraveling]

5:10 because she had a stylist!! Taylor (though a fashionista) always fumbles on one of these when styling herself 😭 she has taste though (occasionally??)

[@harryyarrow4110]

The VMA fashion show, is fun to watch.The girls looked phenomenal,the guys aren't wearing as much mascara(?), and Taylor slays,( as usual).💙💜💙

[@sarahs3412]

The dream team is back ✨

[@iamkai2]

Doechii is one of my favorite rappers, and katy managed to make me hate a song by her

[@TASwiftyFan13]

You know that second dress that you're calling the down bad dress is an actual painting that is in two of her videos

[@sanchitagolder]

oooooo tell me about it i’m curiois

[@ym63738]

Harry did not get a hair transplant LMFAOOO he's out and about almost everyday with no beanie on his hair fully grew out like a couple weeks after he shaved it bald lol (although he keeps cutting it and it looks bizarre) but he did not get a hair transplant cause you can see his hairline and it looks the exact same. i think he was just in a silly goofy mood (or maybe hearing is it over now & the vault tracks caused a mental breakdown where he decided to shave his head) which is unfortunate he should've taken that time off to get one but well

[@cassi94]

Eh. His hair line was receded and recently has been less receding since his hair grew back from his last cut. Hair transplants in men (especially in Hollywood) are super common, especially for men whose hair lines start receding. (You can see the difference in his rolling stone shoot from 2019 - the corners of his hair line are higher than they are now). He may not have gotten a transplant, but I wouldn’t rule it out just yet. Either way, he looks good 💁🏽‍♀️

[@espinosa1989]

Best Direction wasn't fan voted. Best Direction, Art Direction, Editing, Cinematography, & Visual Effects are not fan voted, they're industry voted.

[@TASwiftyFan13]

I think that's why she left the VMAs early is because they had a cam on her the whole freaking time and she wasn't having it

[@vashtinayagar1325]

“Joe-burg” actually send me lmao. Love u guys

[@jaxwallacex]

Two snakes being queens ❤

[@annabanana9892]

Flavor flav was at the eras tour in Detroit last June in the VIP tent-genuinely didn’t know who he was when I saw him in there. Enlightened in the least!!

[@saucydragonfly]

I think Taylor sent him a 1989 promo box with a cardigan too

[@korkinalina]

I think with this much going on Chappells performance needed a better lightning so she could stand out. Personally I would like to see more interactions with knights like that moment when she passed a sword to one of them. Guess i needed more drama

[@katherinedavis3076]

I desperately want to see Zach's reaction to Sabrina's performance😭😭😭 I missed the live stream and I can't get on Patreon🤕

[@Ajlikestraveling]

Me tooo!!!

[@theswiftologist]

thats where it is sorryyy doll

[@milkwithanime]

I love how catty and so real how both of you are ✨💖💅🏽 love it!!

[@oliviaj7335]

I wish when you talked about the photos of people with Taylor you included the photos

[@carolinamansur113]

But they did.....? I usually only hear these videos because Zach's channel is not one that puts the images of the things they're talking about in the video, but he did it in this video (and I think has been doing in the last videos - and I'm so so so grateful for it)...

[@meganmcdonald376]

Agree about Katy’s performance and outfits… but I do think she showed that she is a vocalist. Obviously Chapelle’s vocals are always great, but her Jimmy Fallon performance & vocals of good luck babe were way better

[@IxiaRayne]

Oh my god, Madeline’s ghost mug is everything! May I ask where it is from? 🥰

[@TheNameIsViwares]

The way I RAN to order a yellow tartan shirt😂

[@ivanncc.x]

Tylas speech really also applies to both K pop and the Latin award. Like there are so many genres in “latin music” it’s ridiculous to put them all in the same category, and like Lisa being put in k pop as a Thai woman w a song in pure english

[@akashvalsan6609]

Taylor Swift -The Sickest Army Doll 🎎

[@samuelxgr]

katy perry, taylor and sabrina: you will always be famous

[@Smitchh1]

another day of 1 hour content about music… im living

[@moehuwari6579]

love this. ☝: can you make a Lana Del Ray reshuffle series, NFR and Tunnel specifically

[@ixfindxhope]

lol my spanish speaking bf thought I was listening to a podcast question why Taylor Swift wasn’t taking a picture with “El Chapo” 😅😂

[@BriForReal93]

Sabrina’s music videos 11000/11000 I’m so surprised she didn’t get more this year RE music video