It's that time of the year again -- where the pinnacle of popular music and music videos known as the MTV Video Music Awards comes out of its hibernation.

Ever since it began in 1984, the VMAs come out near the end of summer to celebrate all things MTV stands for: the music videos. But in today, what could that mean? As the last decade has come and gone, so have most of the music videos. MTV is no longer about the music -- reality shows, created for and fed to the lowest common denominator, have taken up most of the programming block. Not to say that MTV is no longer music oriented... it's just less of a priority than some other reality shows that barely a fraction of us care about (you've heard it before -- It's Music Television, without the music).

Of special note is though the playlist's time has shortened, the playlist itself has somewhat (keyword) expanded. No longer is it just the rock, pop, and hip-hop of yesteryear -- indie music (although technically still seen as alternative music) has made its way into the hearts and minds of our iPod generation. Feist's iPod song that had everyone singing along in 2007 was only the beginning; within the last year, Phoenix, The Temper Trap, and Florence + the Machine have invaded America's speaker systems, as well as our iPods. Bands like Muse have invaded the movies ( a gift from the Twilight Saga, no less) while even groups such as Vampire Weekend and MGMT have the MTV blogs on standby.

The MTV Video Music Awards are notable each year not for the awards themselves but for having quite a bit of controversy and awe surrounding the shows, most of which I am too young to have seen myself. For example, 1984 introduced an innocent America to the pop-titan known as Madonna who wanted us to take her like a virgin whether she was or not. In the early '90s, Nirvana and Guns 'N Roses had a bit of a rivalry going on -- Kurt Cobain spat on the keys of a piano he though Axl Rose would be playing. How horrified he was to find that Elton John was the man behind the instrument! And when the mothers of both the Tupac and Biggie came onstage together to give an award, how can you not feel the love?

To put it in more recent terms, Britney Spears' big comeback in '07 turned out to be a huge flop (put kindly). Did anyone predict her to rise like the phoenix she was all along in 2008? What about Russell Brand taking a crack at the JoBros' purity rings that brought her the scorn of American Idol winner Jordin Sparks? And last year, remember when Kanye took away Taylor Swift's big moment by proclaiming that Beyonce's "Single Ladies" (which would later take Video of the Year) the best video of all time? When the President of the United States calls you a jackass, you think you may have done something wrong? (Though when Taylor won almost every other award that year -- ending with the Album of the Year Grammy -- some may have sympathized with Kanye a bit.)

But what could go possibly go down this year? It's hard to say -- the beginning of a new decade will inevitably pave the way for the years to come. The new classics (though I use the term loosely) will be made, the new fads will come and go, and life goes on. Still, one can't help but feel curiosity at what will spawn out of the VMAs and into pop culture -- especially since no host, presenters, or performers are listed. Only the nominees, the ones who were notable enough to make an impression. But who are these characters, the biggest entertainers in music?

Coming down from Canada came a squeaky-clean kid named Justin Bieber who impressed Usher so much, he was signed immediately; suddenly, Bieber fever raged throughout the States (as did the impossibly huge wave of hate that followed). Meanwhile, Lady Gaga became the reigning queen of pop radio -- Beyonce kindly passed the baton when the two collaborated for "Telephone." And though B.o.B and Hayley Williams pretended airplanes were shooting stars, Ke$ha took her party to the streets, making it sound like she wanted Gaga's crown for herself. Tough break, kid.

Maybe not shocking but still a surprise, 30 Seconds to Mars' "Kings and Queens" gets a nomination for Video of the Year. While actor/singer Jared Leto has directed some excellent videos (including the MTV2-Award winning "The Kill"), this is his band's first nomination for Best Video which alongside Florence and the Machine follows last decade's trend (minus a few years) for great but unlikely nominations in the category.

Lil Wayne's female partner-in-crime Nicki Minaj is also up for a few awards, while Jason Derulo comes out of nowhere with his Chris Brown-esque style and swagger (up against Nicki for Best New Artist). Perhaps most surprisingly of all this year, though, is Eminem's big comeback. While his previous album was a commercial success, there were some who saw it as just a rehash of old ideas and jokes, not as the epic comeback they wanted. With this year's "Recovery," Eminem silenced all (most) of his haters and critics, once again earning critical and commercial acceptance -- as well as having 9 VMA nominations, 2nd only to Gaga's 18.

There's always those people who claim that music nowaday sucks, or that the MTV Awards aren't 'real" music awards. Let them hold on to their Animal Collective and Led Zeppelin records -- this show is not for them. It is pop culture for the young and the young at heart (although parents should be strongly cautioned when watching the show). It is not meant for those who despise all that is popular music; it is meant for the music lovers who want mindless fun, for those of us not afraid to embrace the mainstream as it is. And if that's a sin, we will scream to the heavens that we refuse to repent! At least... not until it's over.