Why would Gnr play the VMA's looking to promote something? Do the math.
I would have to hope that whoever is at the helm of the GnR camp would realize that the targeted audience for those shows are teens. Why else is Brittany such a big deal, The F'n Jonas Bros? Come on? What place does Axl Rose have there anymore? Mtv is not what it used to be.
When bands like GnR, Nirvana and Pearl Jam were all the rage on MTV all those years ago most of their fans were the teen rockers - that was fashionable for younger folk then, this hip-hop stuff is fashionable now. It's not really changed.
If your Axl Rose/GnR, MTV has changed, its not really for them.
How many
Hard Rock bands on GnR's level do you see on MTV now? I cant think of any let alone 1.