One of the biggest non-Britney-related questions on everyone’s minds at the 2008 VMAs was: Would the Jonas Brothers’ performance help them break out of their teen-pop bubble?

Madonna did it in 1984 with her iconic “Like a Virgin” performance. Nirvana followed suit in 1992. Eight years later, a nearly nude Britney Spears shimmied her way into everyone’s hearts with “Oops … I Did It Again.” And last year, Chris Brown channeled Michael Jackson and found stardom.

Before the Nick, Kevin and Joe hit the VMA stage, we asked music industry experts weigh in on the Jonas Brothers’ appeal beyond the teen world. The consensus seemed to be that the guys had a chance at mainstream success.

What did industry experts have to say about the Jonas Brothers? Find out after the jump, then voice your opinion!

“Well, to the average adult, all their music may just seem like bubblegum — but when you really look at it, they’ve clearly grown,” said Kabeer Maholtra, a publicist at Girlie Action Media & Marketing. “They’ve made the move from Disney-only. They’ll be playing the VMAs, which obviously has an older age demographic than Disney, so they’re expanding from tweens to early teens.”

“They also seem to have an instinctive ability to market themselves — each of them has their own look that is pretty well-defined,” he continued. “They’re going to have long-term success because all three of them are vital to the band’s popularity.”

So on Sunday night, when the guys played their new single “Lovebug” to a slew of screaming fans on a Paramount backlot, things were looking pretty good for the Jonas Brothers’ future. But surprisingly, it wasn’t their performance that garnered them headlines the next day, it was Russell Brand’s off-color remarks regarding their purity rings. If hearing their names on every news pundits’ lips this week doesn’t push them out of the bubble, what will?

Do you think the Jonas Brothers are ready for mainstream stardom after their VMA debut, or will they forever be just a boy band? Who do you think will become the next VMA legend?
Leave a comment and let us know!