Mtv Video Music Awards: Prince Pulls Shocker

Leave it to Prince to shock the unshockable.

Just when you thought MTV had gone about as far as it could go, he turned around and mooned the world on last night's MTV Video Music Awards. Wearing a ventilated yellow suit, with holes all over it like a lace doily, and nothing covering the rear, he sang his new X-rated single, "Gett Off," surrounded by dozens of writhing, near-naked bodies.

That was one of several wake-up calls in the mostly snoozy three-hour-plus live broadcast. Among the others were a surprise appearance by an unrepentant Pee-wee Herman, clean shaven and in costume; a punchy performance by Metallica of its best song ever, "Enter Sandman"; a surprisingly tight and powerful "Talk Dirty to Me" from Poison; and a hair-raising demonstration of Mariah Carey's vocal range, from basso to helium.

But for Northwest rock fans, the best moments came from Queensryche, who took home the coveted Viewer's Choice Award, voted on by viewers right up to moments before the presentation. The Seattle band also played an orchestral "Silent Lucidity," complete with string section. The arrangement brought out the song's subtext of parental protection and comfort, with Geoff Tate, seated on a stool, caressing the lyric and guitarist Chris DeGarmo bringing out the song's soft and hard edges on acoustic and electric guitar.

Chris Isaak accepted two awards for his "Wicked Game" videos by satellite from Snoqualmie, where the singer-actor is filming the "Twin Peaks" movie. One was for the "concept" version, a k a the sexy beach romp remake, which MTV plays all the time, and the other was for the original, from the sound track of the film "Wild at Heart," which almost never gets played.

As expected, R.E.M. swept the awards, winning six, including Video of the Year, for the colorful, mysterious "Losing My Religion." Tarsem, the video's director, turbaned and swathed in red robes, accompanied the band to the podium to accept several of the awards. R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe used the exposure to show off a series of T-shirts with politically correct messages like "Wear a Condom" and "Handgun Control."

The R.E.M. shoo-in, the lackluster nominees - no real stunners this year - and the elongated thank-yous and self-promotions made for a mostly boring evening.

But it was educational. We learned that "ignorant" is the new hip word, replacing "bad." However, it's still way behind "wazzup?" and "kick (fill in any word for what Prince bared)."

Arsenio Hall hosted for the fourth year in a row, and managed to deliver one funny line, about Prince's skin show: "It was like the Kennedy Compound for a minute."

Here is a list of winners:

Video of the Year: "Losing My Religion," R.E.M.

Male: Chris Isaak, "Wicked Game."

Female: Janet Jackson, "Love Will Never Do Without You."

Group: R.E.M., "Losing My Religion."

New artist: Jesus Jones, "Right Here, Right Now."

Rap: "Mama Said Knock You Out (The Hard Way)," LL Cool J.

Dance: "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)," C&C Music Factory.

Metal-Hard Rock: "The Other Side," Aerosmith.

Alternative: "Been Caught Stealing," Jane's Addiction.

Video from a Film: "Wicked Game (Wild At Heart)," Chris Isaak.

Long Form: "Immaculate Collection," Madonna.

Direction: "Losing My Religion," R.E.M.

Choreography: "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)," C&C Music Factory.

Special Effects: "Falling To Pieces," Faith No More.

Art Direction: "Losing My Religion," R.E.M.

Editing: "Losing My Religion," R.E.M.

Cinematography: "Wicked Game," Chris Isaak.

Breakthrough: "Losing My Religion," R.E.M.