'Idol' Men Face A Double-Edged Sword

You know, like a broadcast network.

"We really want it to be, you tune in that night and what happens you might not see again," the show's new executive producer, Jesse Ignjatovic, told the Associated Press.

The 24-year-old VMAs have, for some time, been shedding viewers faster than a bulimic tosses calories. As recently as 2002, its first telecast was clocking 12 million viewers. Last August, fewer than 6 million bothered to tune in to its live telecast; subsequent replays picked up only about half the crowd it once copped.

This year, the rebroadcasts will be clip jobs instead of the entire trophy show; MTV promises to let viewers "help" decide which clips will be rerun.

Once upon a time the VMAs, which were started as a sort of antidote for the Grammys, were known for their water-cooler moments. Remember Britney Spears kissing Madonna? Remember Lisa Marie Presley making out with Michael Jackson? How about Lil' Kim's pasty ensemble? Eminem feuding with almost everyone? Pretty tame stuff now.

Last year, MTV tried to scare up more viewers by promising to shake up the show.

"This show has been lame farts for the past 20 years," host Jack Black said, getting to the nub of the issue. Sadly, his at-bat made it 21.

The trophy show is being moved to Las Vegas -- like the Miss America pageant -- and the network will have three days' worth of walk-up programming before the Sept. 9 broadcast. It's going to be telecast from the Palms Casino Resort, which is located about a mile off the Strip -- a resort dedicated to having B- and C-listers sighted there as often as possible. Recently, when the resort opened its $80 million concert theater, the Pearl, its publicist reported the "Hollywood elite" who attended included "Dave Navarro, No Doubt, Tommy Lee, Kevin Connolly, Paris Hilton and others." And Gwen Stefani performed. Wasn't she the lousy guest coach on "American Idol" the other day?