Combine an eye for the dramatic with commercial success and what do you get? A record-breaking thirteen nominations for Lady GaGa when this year’s MTV Video Music Award nods were announced. GaGa responded to her nominations in typical outlandish fashion by saying:

“A long time ago the world told me and my little monsters we would never be heard, together we changed the rules. God put me on Earth for 3 reasons: To make loud music, gay videos, and cause a damn ruckus. Thank You MTV!”

How long until the GaGa CD burning riots in the Bible Belt begin? And while I appreciate GaGa acknowledging the gays (I guess I should say “us gays”, but I don’t really think I’m in GaGa’s target demo), I can’t help but find that statement more than a little patronizing and self-serving.

Anyway, the rest of the nominees tread familiar waters. Eminem, a mainstay of just about every VMA ceremony of the past ten years, finds himself nominated 8 times for his “Not Afraid” video (take THAT, gays), while other major nominees include B.O.B., Ke$ha, Beyonce and Jay-Z. The only real surprises are 30 Seconds to Mars (whose last album flopped) getting a couple nods as well as some love for indie faves Florence & the Machine.

Actually, what strikes me most after reading the nominees is how completely nonplussed I am by the whole affair. This just promises to be the latest in an increasingly boring slate of award shows during which the same artists get recognized over and over and over and over and…while I’m sure there will be lots of contrived shock value and maybe even a memorable performance or two, I can’t say that this is a show I’m looking terribly forward to.

But I’ll live blog it anyway. Because I’m a fool. And because I love you, dear readership.

The MTV Video Music Awards air on Sunday, September 12th. And it’s also worth noting that the former “Music Television” celebrated it’s 29th birthday on August 1st. Of course, that wasn’t publicized because anything so close to 30 can’t be cool…can it?