The year of the dull awards show

After Sunday's snoozefest Emmy awards, I was hoping the MTV Video Music Awards would add some spice to the 2006 award season. Fans don't watch this awards show to see who takes home a moonman. Viewers watch to be shocked, as they were in the past by Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley's creepy on-stage smooch or a raunchy view of Lil' Kim pasty-covered breast.

Instead, we were bored. The fashion was OK but provided little shock. Funny man Jack Black couldn't ignite the show and the performances were, well, normal but not exciting.

As for the awards themselves, I'm still not impressed. James Blunt shouldn't have been invited, much less on stage receiving an award.

The Emmys were dull and predictable. The fashion was safe - even bad dresses weren't all that bad. The speeches were typical, with the exception of Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

But these recent shows have left me scratching my head. Is this all the entertainment world has to offer?