Boodles BonBon
Video BonBon: Bette Midler In Turd Curls From OuterSpace
By Boodles BonBon
June 5, 2026

Bette Midler hosted the very first MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) in 1984 alongside Dan Aykroyd. During the show, she introduced a humorous “special effect” bit called “Turd Curls from Outer Space.“
In the clip, Bette (with her signature curly red hair and campy energy) spins around and declares something like:
“This is what is called a special effect. I have named it turd curls from outer space. It cost me a bundle… But special effects are an endless source of surprise and delight…”
It’s classic Bette—irreverent, vaudeville-inspired humor perfectly suited for the wild, early days of MTV.






