7 reasons to still watch the MTV VMAs

After 25 years of Video Music Awards shows on MTV, is it still worth a few hours of our time on Sunday night? Here are seven reasons we say yes.

1) Chelsea Handler as host

As much as we appreciate, admire and astonish at how Russell Brand's overt swooning for Katy Perry at last year's show turned into a full-fledged romance and engagement, Handler will bring a more acerbic tongue to the night. The host of late-night rip fest "Chelsea Lately" on E!, Handler regularly hammers away at celebs. Let's hope she does the same here.

2) The music

MTV doesn't play videos anymore. Ha ha, joke over. More over than Mel Gibson's career. Get over yourselves about that (and go watch MTV Hits) and await the performances. The past few years have produced incredible such actions and expect more of the same this year. Thanks in advance to Drake, B.o.B., Kanye West, Eminem, Usher and the rest.

3) Lady Gaga

Is there a more fascinating and intriguing music artist in the world right now? In a pop culture universe that still pretends to be shocked and awed at women posing with no clothing on but who are more covered up than most people on a beach, or at guy-on-guy kisses on TV or in the movies, Gaga still manages to shock and awe us. While we all expect Cher-on-steroids outfits, the biggest surprise would be a chilled-out jeans-and-T-shirt look.

4) Kanye West and Taylor Swift

They're supposed to re-unite (or maybe not) at the VMAs as Kanye returns from Elba, or wherever he was exiled to after last year's, um, incident. Let's keep it classy here, MTV, and have Swift introduce Kanye's performance then circle back and do a hook for one of his songs.

5) What might happen

OK, MTV, no need to keep the rest of the show classy. MTV goes out of its way to produce behind-the-scenes and "Revealed" shows that chronicle the craziness that are the VMAs. And with good reason. Lunacy descends, as does Howard Stern as "Fartman" with an exposed patoot and Sacha Baron Cohen with his Borats and Brunos landing on Eminem. Set your DVRs this time around, even if MTV apologized for is raunchy movie awards this summer.

6) Drake

Thank you for making good rap music and for performing it here.

7) Justin Bieber

Still don't understand this phenomenon, but I'm not a 14-year-old girl, either. So, for all my tweens out there, enjoy Bieber Fever. (Parents, there is no cure.)