If anyone saw Forgetting Sarah Marshall, the highlight of the film was Russell Brand's character, Aldous Snow. What could have been a one-dimensional role as a egotistical, sex-obsessed rock star was actually given depth and humor by Brand's portrayal of Snow as a recovering alcoholic with a little more self-awareness than perhaps any of the other characters in the Apatow factory churn-out.

American audiences might not have been in on the joke, which is that Brand himself is a comedian and musician, and that his public persona of a disheveled, disorderly rock star was never just an act; the Brit has struggled with a heroin problem, alcoholism, and sex addiction, all of which he has "kicked with professional treatment." But with Amy Winehouse having to phone in her Grammy performance earlier this year, and Britney Spears' infamous performance at the VMAs in 2007, why have producers pegged Brand to be the host of the MTVs Video Music Awards this year? And more importantly; who is really in on the joke:

"That’s the attraction: he brings danger and he brings unpredictability,” said Van Toffler, the president of MTV Networks’ music group, who was introduced to Mr. Brand through industry colleagues. “He went off and cleaned himself up, and he’s really together, but still volatile and combustible as ever.”

It's just too bad this is total bunk when it comes to American audiences. Aside from Britney Spears' VMA promos with Brand, nobody knows who he is, and they certainly don't know him well enough to remember his drug-addled past. When viewers saw those promos, the only thing they focused on was the elephant in the room — as it referred to Spears, whose performance at last year's VMAs was far closer to traink wreck than Brand will get. And she's not even performing during this year's show.

Nobody who saw the promo spots connected the elephant to Brand's checkered past and connected it to MTV's "edgy" decision to get a reformed heroin addict and p. nice guy to M.C. the show. And Toffler & Co. have done nothing to ramp up that part of Brand's image; you expect us to Google the guy to find out who the hell he is? We're tired of MTV expecting us to do them favors.