Music Stars & An Elephant Arrive At The MTV Video Music Awards

First Published: September 7, 2008 8:17 PM EDT Credit: Access Hollywood

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Caption The MTV ‘VMAs’ elephant prepares for its big nightThe MTV Video Music Awards arrivals are a circus – literally.

Hip-hop producer T-Pain rode into the red carpet at Paramount studios on Sunday on an elephant, dressed all in red as a ringmaster with an enormous top hat.

“This is my beautiful girl!” he told MTV’s John Norris.

The elephant – possibly the same one that appeared in a promo spot with Britney Spears and host Russell Brand – wore a metal faceplate. Access Hollywood spotted the animal hosing off in preparation for the ceremony earlier on Sunday afternoon.

And a pair of punk bands turned the red carpet into an auto show, as Tokio Hotel drove in on a monster truck and Paramore went a more environment-friendly route, coming in a pair of blue and red Smart cars.

“I think it’s a good idea,” lead singer Hayley Williams told MTV.

Copyright 2012 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.