You THOUGHT you saw the Billboard Music Awards...

By Vanessa Beatriz Soto

So you saw the awesome Billboard Music Awards, right? Did you catch the duet between Rihanna and Britney Spears? Well you didn't see all of it. Apparently we we missed a little kiss!

For those of us at home, the telecast started with a red-hot bang (and I'm not talking about Rihanna's hair here) on Sunday night when Ri-Ri hit the stage to perform her sadomasochist smash hit "S&M" amid an array of grasping hands (...those dancers must have felt like big dorks sitting under that dais hand-dancing, you know?) and riding crops. Oh la la.

Just when the audience thought things couldn't get any hotter, the Princess of Pop herself, Britney Spears, taking a page from Donnie Darko's rabbit pal in some freaky bunny ears, made a surprise guest appearance.

Brit and Ri seemed to be having a really good time, working the rather risque song for all it was worth. They twirled on poles, straddled stools, and even engaged in a little pillow-fighting. As the song came to an end, the pretty pair, Ri in white and Brit in black, leaned against each other, smiling big for the cheering audience. Rihanna turned to face Britney, the cameras cut to the crowd, then back to the girls, getting ready to head into the wings. Nothing happened, right?

Well, people who were in the live audience had different view of the pair onstage and they tell us the girls shared a little smoochie during that split second cut. I say 'little smoochie' because for one thing the cameras only cut away for a second, and for another thing because this was not even a Madonna-and-Britney peck on the lips, just a friendly kiss.

Or was it? I don't know, and we can't find any video of the moment anyplace!

We live in a strange world. Cynical con-men bilk millions from the credulous faithful with tales of impending doom, but are not punished. Entitled ego-mad starlets walk away from the scenes of drunk-driving accidents, then pummel their arresting officers (we're looking at YOU, Estella Warren!) Celebrity infant Justin Bieber and his celebrity toddler/cougar girlfriend Selena Gomez host oceanfront PDA sessions for the paparazzi, making fine fodder for gossip writers like yours truly. But same-sex pop singers (clad in leather harnesses whilst pillow-fighting on stripper poles) KISSING? Oh no no. ABC WILL NOT LET YOU SEE!

So let me ask you this: have girl-on-girl music awards show kisses jumped the shark?

Should women who kiss other women for attention just know better? Is a perfectly legal same-sex smooch more shocking or inappropriate for a TV audience than the lyrics and S&M theme of Rihanna's song, particularly in light of her violent relationship with Chris Brown? I want to know what you think about all this!

Tags 2011 Billboard Music Awards, Britney Spears, Chris Brown, Kiss, Madonna, Rihanna