Getty ImagesThe Oscars, the MTV VMAs are not.
Elegant gowns are few and far between, and very few dresses edge over into sophisticated territory. Really, the VMAs red carpet is something like a show in and of itself—a majority of the looks from any given year are downright bizarre, but we'll give 'em this—they're unforgettable.
Because who could remove the image of Amber Roses' naked dress from their minds? And while this Miley Cyrus ensemble fell short for obvious reasons, it hardly counts as her riskiest look ever (we're waiting for this year's show for that).
Also on the worst dressed—yet most iconic—grounds are Lady Gaga in her infamous Franc Fernandez raw meat dress and Rose McGowan in a boob-baring chain mail sheath. And c'mon—Nicki Minaj's ensemble looks more like a cluttered aisle in a Harajuku toy store than an actual outfit.
We're still in shallow waters treading the wackiest VMA fashion territory, because we haven't even gotten to Cher's super sheer lingerie. Then there's Gwen Stefani's extraterrestrial ensemble to take into consideration, as well as Lil Kim's purple pasties jumpsuit (and matching hair).Yeesh.
Christina Aguilera (who never plays it safe, mind you) went extra bold with what may be the tiniest mini skirt in history. And then there's Pink—it's been 15 years since she stepped out in that tacky getup, and we're still not any closer to figuring out what she was going for.
Think that's the end of it? Please—check out even more unforgettable VMAs looks in the gallery below.
Don't miss the highly-anticipated return of Fashion Police this Monday for the VMA special at 8/7c featuring hosts Melissa Rivers, Giuliana Rancic, Brad Goreski with special guests NeNe Leakes and Margaret Cho!