Although MTV's Video Music Awards are one of the biggest nights in music now, the network allegedly struggled to book talent for its first show in 1984 (via Billboard). Madonna, fresh off the release of her debut album in 1983, was relatively unknown when she signed on to perform "Like A Virgin." Emerging from a 17-foot-tall wedding cake wearing a skimpy wedding dress, pearls, rosaries, and a now-iconic belt emblazoned with Boy Toy, the rising star lost a shoe while descending the cake.
She may have been fresh on the scene, but Madonna handled the situation like a seasoned pro. By that we mean that she immediately dove to the ground, rolled around, and flashed her underwear to the audience while reclaiming it. She opened up about the incident in a 2012 interview with Jay Leno (via YouTube). "So I thought, 'Well, I'll just pretend I meant to do this,' and I dove on the floor and I rolled around," she coyly admitted. "And, as I reached for the shoe, the dress went up. And then the underpants were showing. I didn't mean to."
The media predicted the moment would ruin her. The actual outcome was quite different. "It put Madonna on the map as Queen of Pop," MTV wrote in 2014. What's more, it "established MTV's annual award show as the place where water-cooler moments happen." Instead of signifying her demise, the performance and its accompanying look have become a staple in Madonna's legacy.
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