Yes, GaGa was in a thong at one point but her expression was celebrated because the story line of her performance made sense. Miley came out humping teddy bears (interesting start), proceeded to rub her ****s with a foam finger (doesn't make sense), bent over ready to be dry humped (by a man who's almost her father's age) and was overall cringe worthy. Rihanna, Drake, the Smith family and our own faces when we were watching said it all.
While GaGa was about the art of performing, Miley was about the art of being a drunk teenage girl at a club thirsty for attention.