Source: Spears' MTV taping looked 'good'

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 9 (UPI) -- A promotional taping by U.S. singer Britney Spears for the upcoming MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles looked "good," a source says.

The unidentified source said while Spears was highly criticized for her performance at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, the pop star appeared to be back in form taping a promotion for the 2008 ceremony, People magazine said Friday.

"Britney looked really good," the source told the magazine. "It was improvisational questions and answers with (host) Russell Brand just like (other promo guest stars) LL Cool J and Pete Wentz did. Russell joked about there being sexual tension, and Britney shot back, 'I don't feel the tension.'"

The source said the "Toxic" singer even makes light of her highly reported personal issues and the disastrous 2007 outing by including a 9,000-pound elephant in the promotion for the Sept. 7 event.

"The joke of the whole thing is 'there is an elephant in the room,'" the source told People.