Was anyone else taken aback by Kelly Clarkson’s performance of “Since U Been Gone” that closed the VMAs? I’ve never paid any attention to the girl, other than the times that David Schmader was trying to rope me into watching American Idol or when I was subjected to the horrors of “A Moment Like This,” the bloodless tune that won her the first Idol title. But apparently she’s all about the throaty, believably passionate rock anthems now. It made me think we need a third Janis Joplin bio pic with Clarkson in the title role. Well, not really—but I was impressed.