NEW YORK - VMA host Russell Brand spent a large portion of the night poking fun at the Jonas Brothers for being virgins, until Jordin Sparks came on stage and stood up for the pop trio.
The British actor and comedian joked that it's "a little bit ungrateful" for the singers to swear chastity until marriage "because they could have sex with any woman they want."
"Those three lads with virginity rings – if by the end of the evening I've not got them hanging around my neck I will consider my job not properly done," he added.
When American Idol winner, Jordin Sparks, went on stage with John Legend to introduce rapper T.I., she took the opportunity to fire back at the British funnyman.
"I just have one thing to say about promise rings," she said. "It's not bad to wear a promise ring, because not everybody, guy or girl, wants to be a slut."
Gossip blogger Perez Hilton got in on the action and defended the Jonas Brothers during a post-show interview, saying that Brand's jokes were in poor taste. He also accused Brand of sex addiction, which has been previously reported in British media.
"I thought he was funny, but I was upset. I think those Jonas Brothers are good kids, and we shouldn't be making fun of them for promoting good values," said Hilton.
"The U.K. media has reported many times that Russell Brand is a sexual compulsive—sex addict—so it makes sense he's talking about sex a lot and criticizing the Jonas Brothers"
Purity rings, also known as chastity and promise rings, are worn by individuals, usually teenagers, who have pledged to abstain from sex until marriage.
Sparks, 18, wears one, as do all three Jonas Brothers (Kevin, 20, Joe, 19, and Nick, 15). Other notable ring bearers are actresses Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato, both 16, and Miley Cyrus, 15.
Brand made a poor effort of trying to make amends with a tongue-in-cheek reply.
"I didn't mean to take it lightly," he said of promise rings. "I don't want to piss off teenage fans. Promise rings, I'm well up for it. [But] a bit of sex, it never hurt anybody."
