Anyone who's watched MTV's Video Music Awards knows by now that provocation and spectacle are to the VMAs what gold statues and Hollywood glamour are to the Oscars, Emmys and Grammys.
Real or scripted, MTV stuck to this aesthetic Sunday during its 32nd annual VMA ceremony, this time in downtown L.A.'s Microsoft Theatre.
Rapper Nicki Minaj cursed out host Miley Cyrus, comedian Rebel Wilson stripped, heartthrob Justin Bieber sobbed and hip-hop's Kanye West delivered a stream-of-consciousness acceptance speech that did everything from expose award show ratings ploys to announce his run for president.
FULL COVERAGE: 2015 MTV Video Music Awards
For a show that has staked its claim in creating moments that end in "LOL" or "OMG," the telecast was a success among social media users.