2008 MTV Movie Awards: Pop Culture Central

On Sunday evening, some of Hollywood's biggest celebs of the moment will gather at the Gibson amphitheater in Burbank to enjoy youthful adulation at the 2008 MTV Movie Awards. Unlike other award shows, the winners are voted on by fans and MTV viewers, making for a more Gen-Y-appropriate dynamic. With categories like "Best Summer Movie So Far" and Best Movie nominees like Superbad and Transformers, the event is an up-to-the-minute pop culture-palooza.
But it's not just the nominees that (ideally) act as a barometer of the 30-and-under set's tastes, it's also the way the celebs are arranged during the show and what they'll be taking home as thank-yous from the 'net. Before Sunday's awards, TVGuide.com paid a visit to the Gibson Amphitheater in Burbank to see how the stars will be seated - a tacit indication of who the 'net sees as its hottest (placed right up front), and who's relegated to the nosebleeds. Some of the front-and-center stars you may catch during audience shots are Robert Downey Jr., Paris Hilton, the Seth Rogen- Jonah Hill duo (seated next to each other, of course) and Cee-Lo. Heroes' Masi Oka also gets a close-up seat, but it wasn't clear if he'd be joined by fellow heroes.
Plus, we got a sneak peek at what swag they'll be taking home - and the gifts make little inconveniences like wearing high heels for six hours or overheating on the red carpet all worth it. For their efforts of attending, stars this year will be taking home anything from a surf lesson from a Hurley pro to Pucci sunglasses, ten cases of beer, limited edition Vans (one type has pony hair), Habitual jeans and maybe even a resort holiday in Costa Rica. The goods, said gifting suite guru Laurie Ziegler, are almost like a trend forecast, staying ahead of the curve of what stars want.
The themes represented, Ziegler said, are "movies, movie stars and summertime" - all of which will be celebrated heartily at Sunday's awards. The event kicks off June 1 at 8 pm/ET on MTV, with more deets at MTV Movie Awards central. - Anna Dimond
Use our Online Video Guide to see clips and videos from MTV Movie Award shows.