In all the insane Internet noise we've seen over the Kanye controversy at last night's VMA awards, one question remains unanswered: Was the controversy staged?

Lord knows MTV has a history of manufacturing controversial moments, and the VMAs, one of MTV's signature events, has often been a prime vehicle for that. There hasn't been a major controversial moment like this in a number of years, and certainly since blogs, Twitter, and social media became a major force in entertainment coverage.

For those who want a history lesson on VMA controversies, here's a timeline:

1984: The first VMA awards produces a signature moment in MTV's history of controversy, as Madonna took the stage wearing a wedding gown and a "Boy Toy" belt while performing "Like a Virgin."

1991: Long before Bret Michaels was causing controversy at the somewhat classier Tony Awards, he was engaging in fisticuffs with fellow Poison bandmate C.C. DeVille.

1992: Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love get into a legendary backstage tiff with Axl Rose, Nirvana threatens to play "Polly" and "Rape Me" instead of their hits, and Krist Novoselic engages in a now-legendary botched bass toss.

1996: In a move that helped seal the deal in what VH1 declared the greatest celebrity feud of all time, David Lee Roth hogged the stage in a tribute to Van Halen, leading Roth and Eddie Van Halen to once again engage in a major backstage fight.

1997: Fiona Apple "Go With Yourself" speech proved to be a controversial break from acceptance speech rules, even by MTV standards:

1999: Lil' Kim introduces to pasty in the public consciousness, a wardrobe choice that would become a national controversy when Janet Jackson's "Nipplegate" at MTV's Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show rewrote TV censorship laws.

2002: Eminem gets violent with Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, proving him to be as volatile when not in Slim Shady mode. Comedy gold later ensues on Conan.

2003: Madonna's long tradition of MTV controversy comes full circle, kissing Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera in a move that fueled middle school fantasies nationwide.

2009: Kanye West storms the stage while Taylor Swift accepts an award.

While it's unclear if any (or all) of these controversies were staged, what is clear is that just about all of them seem rather benign in hindsight, and all provided weeks' worth of subject matter for entertainment coverage—and most of all MTV, who covered their own events with a laughable disdain for conflict of interest.

MTV is no longer the cultural force it was in the 1990s, but some things about the network never change.