Of course, Nicki Minaj made an appearance on Good Morning America this morning. Of course! It’s been quite a week for her. Nicki didn’t mean too, but she ended up being the catalyst for the biggest Taylor Swift Backlash we’re seen in… possibly forever. Before Nicki got to performing on GMA, she sat down with Lara Spencer (who annoys the hell out of me, just FYI) to chat about this past week of controversies and VMAs and such. Here’s the video:
I actually think everything Nicki says is completely on point. So here are some assorted quotes:
On Taylor’s apology: “We’re all good. I spoke to Taylor Swift yesterday on the phone. She was super, super sweet and she apologized. She said, ‘Look, you know I didn’t understand the big picture of what you were saying, but now I get it, so we’re all good.'”
How the Twitter thing started: “I posted something on my Instagram and it just showed the stats of other videos that had been nominated previously, and it just seemed to be a little funny business going on…’Anaconda’ had such a huge cultural impact, and on top of that, we broke the Vevo record. This is actually my third time breaking the Vevo record and ‘Anaconda’ therefore should have been nominated, and I do think if it was the pop girls, they would have had many nominations for it. I think I got two for ‘Anaconda,’ for Female and for Hip-Hop, and it should have been for [Video of the Year]. That’s all we were saying, and it is what it is.”
Body image: “I think we just have to have both images for girls. We can’t have only one type of body being glorified in the media because it just makes girls even more insecure than we already are.”
Whether she’ll collaborate with Swifty in the future: “I’m sure we can. You know why? Because it takes a big person to do what Taylor did and everyone sometimes speaks out of turn, you know? I’ve been there. Sometimes we do things and we don’t think right away or we don’t investigate and then we just talk, so it was big of her to come out and say that. So yes, we spoke for a long time. We were cracking up laughing on the phone. It’s over, you guys! And I love you guys for supporting me. Thank you so much…I would love to. Of course I would love to work with her.”
While I still believe – and some of you disagree with me and that’s fine – that Nicki was making some not-so-oblique references to Taylor Swift in the original Twitter thread, I also believe that Nicki had every right to name-check the white, mainstream pop stars who are rewarded consistently while black artists – specifically black women – are downgraded and denigrated by the media, by award shows and what have you. I like Minaj more for talking about these issues and for keeping everything focused. I also love her a little for the ninja shade she was throwing undercover with her retweets and “favorite-ing” of certain Swift-bashing tweets. Minaj came out of this controversy the clear winner. Bless her.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
While I may take contention with Anaconda having a “cultural impact” (that was a bad song, sorry Nicki), unless you’re beyonce, you’re going to be regulated to the hip hop category and that’s it. Congrats. Hope you enjoy your stay. (note: we don’t and won’t)
I still think the tweet was more about “Wrecking Ball” than anything but what do I know?
You know what I want to see glorified? Talent. Not people’s bits (black or white). While I get Nicki’s point, I see her as part of the bigger problem. Little girls wouldn’t have such a problem with body image if ALL the popular female artists weren’t walking around half naked.
She exploits all the stereotypes, profits off of it. I don’t think she’s an example of promoting positive body image.
ITA
*PhenomenalWoman
*claire
Excellent point Phenomenal woman,
She said…
Anaconda’ had such a huge cultural impact, and on top of that, we broke the Vevo record
Cultural impact? Reaching too high…. as for record breaking, soft porn does that. I would never allow my daughters to watch these videos, Nickys anaconda was all about ass.,,and the lyrics.,,,
Boy toy named Troy used to live in Detroit
Big dope dealer money, he was getting some coins
Was in shootouts with the law, but he live in a palace
Bought me Alexander McQueen, he was keeping me stylish
Now that’s real, real, real,
Gun in my purse, bitch I came dressed to kill
Who wanna go first? I had ’em pushing daffodils
I’m high as hell, I only took a half of pill
I’m on some dumb shit
This is an artist? I’ll pass on her and the rest
Fight for something real
Anaconda got a Best Female Video nomination. It’s lies to say black artists were being relegated to the hip hop categories when they made up about 45% of the nominees overall. One thing you can’t accuse the 2015 VMAs of doing is ignoring the contributions of black artists because they dominated.
Miley Cyrus “We Can’t Stop” had her in a variety of sexual poses, twerking and singing all about drugs and girls with big butts. She follows that up with Wrecking Ball where she is…swinging naked on a wrecking ball and licking it. She gets nominated, she wins.
Nicki has a better version of her own song playing off the old “Baby Got Back” riff with her in the position as lead and not secondary to a man and she gets…sexism, racism.
T-Swizzle is just the last girl in a pattern. Nicki said ‘kind’ of artist pretty much implying her skin and body type worked against her for what stats and numbers were telling her. Right or wrong she has an interesting point that doesn’t seem too far from the truth for what MTV is.
I stumbled upon this Twitter thread yesterday and i gotta say, this girl makes a convincing case. Scroll up to read from the beginning!
https://twitter.com/nrvsa/status/624025761385709568
Even if some of you disagree, i think her analysis is pretty impressive. I’m not a Nicki fan but i do like a lot of the stuff she’s talked about off the stage, in her interviews. She’s been open about her abortion, for example, and of course, the double standards in the hip hop world (she’s a b*tch but Lil Wayne is a boss).
I also don’t think her tweet was squarely directed towards Taylor. She definitely made it all about her though when she jumped into the conversation and “misread” the situation. I don’t like Anaconda (video or song) but it’s definitely more “influential” than like, some of the other VOTY nominees.
Thanks for this tif! Yeah, I think there’s a lot of times it’s easy to dismiss Nicki because of the way she looks/acts but I think there’s a really intelligent woman playing to her own strengths in her career and not afraid to be publicly vocal about it.
Plus I appreciate that she speaks fervently about education and has even said during concerts that she twerks on stage because it’s part of the act but there’s a time and place for everything.
Actually, Taylor Swift comes out of it looking mature and willing to admit when she is wrong (though i believe Minaj WAS referring to her too). It’s a bad day for everyone who likes to categorize her as being immature and arrogant.
And now Katy won’t have Nikki in her corner at the VMAs. Taylor saw what her coming up the finish line and put a stop to it there and then. Now she has Nicki Minaj in her clique! I love it!
Jesus is everything about a clique or squad?
That’s partly how Taylor embarrassed herself the first time, not everyone thinks it’s a prize to stand next to Taylor when she wins (as evidence by some of Nicki’s faved tweets).
Neither Rihanna, Katy or Nicki seem especially eager to form some alliance to take down Swift Tea.
Hahahahaha at you believing Katy doesn’t want to ‘take down’ Taylor.
Well, so far at least she hasn’t spent millions on a music video and enlisted every famous face she knows to star in it with a mock Taylor as her enemy.
I’m sure she’d be happy to see her get her karma, but it seems the obsessive plotting is all Taylor’s. Even Katy’s tweet reads like she wasn’t paying much attention to what she wrote.
Meh. Katy was just pointing out the obvious and she was right. Plus her and Nicki have been friends for a long time. They seem, despite the bubblegum hair and colorful sets, to actually be adults.
Taylor just shouldn’t dish it out if she can’t take it. Hopefully she’s actually learned that lesson this time. Respectful feminism is a two way street and she may want to get an opinion besides idiot Lena Dunham’s on it.
I think Swift is pretty damn immature, but I do think she’s making baby steps here and there.
For all the people who say that her apology is PR-driven and image-control, that might be true but it’s worth noting that she picked up the phone and called Nicki to talk about it. She didn’t have to go that far, she could have just had her people issue an apology.
Maybe I am a Swift-defender to some degree. Sigh. I don’t want to be that person..but I kind of can’t help it.
Sometimes, I feel like I’m surrounded by people who are unable or unwilling to own their mistakes, people who refuse to listen and learn and grow. Maybe my standards for humans are just incredibly low because of that, but I find it heartening when I see someone who is willing–or at least appears willing– to change.
Now will Swifty break the persistent pattern of being a martyr and a victim? Eh..undecided, but I really hope so. I think deep down, she’s not a bad person, but she’s incredibly immature and has a lot to learn.
On a superficial note, Nicki looks great. Gorgeous woman.
I’ll take Taylor’s immaturity, which doesn’t affect anyone other than herself, over Katy’s pattern of cultural appropriation.
You’re preaching to the choir, my friend. I try not to get sucked into that woman v woman Twitter war BS but I have such a strong dislike for K. Perry, such a strong dislike.
I’m glad that she apologized and that this “feud” is over, but what else could she do at that point?
Yeah, to save her brand and for networking and business purposes she pretty much had to apologize. Either she or her PR team must be smart enough to read the articles in the media that go beyond the tabloids. She has some weaknesses that are annoying, but she’s not dumb.
JMO but I hardly think her brand was in danger of going under after this, not judging by the response from her rabid and loyal fan base. She made a stupid comment and derailed an important conversation but this is hardly Iggy Azalea-level sh*t, you know?
I said this yesterday and I’m glad Nicki confirmed it…I said I hoped they talked about it personally. Taylor and Nicki have always been cool with each other and have consistently talked about each other’s work positively. But Nicki is never one to not check people even if they are friends (she probably checked Meek Mills for coming for Drake hence the apology). Like usual Nicki was trying to bring light to a bigger cultural problem and the media turned it into a catfight. She comes out looking even better to me IMO
No Taylor came out looking pretty bad, yes she apologized and it was a great apology but her behavior and narricism was exposed. Also she is being blamed for derailing a discussion on a major issue with her victim playing. I do like that they spoke privately and I hope in the future Taylor learns when this happens to reach out privately first to get a better understanding avoid all this.
Nicki throughout stayed focus on the issue and kept it highlighted she also was incredibly gracious about and towards Taylor something, exposed this week Taylor hasn’t done to others.
Nicki came out the winner in this.
So, favoriting a tweet calling Swift a c*nt is totally fine? Taylor was completely in the wrong and should have let it go but favoriting tweets calling someone names (and later on favoriting tweets body shaming someone else entirely) is pretty petty to, no?
i agree. Nicki was out of line there.
Wow that was a classy response on both of there parts. While i dont think the original manaj tweet was entirely directed to swift, she was likely included in that along with other artists. Hopefully the part about Taylor and Nicki having a convo about it was true and she learned something from it. I doubt she’ll stop the ingeniune collecting of friends and playing the victim anytime soon but she has grown a bit in the past few years. Also im glad Manaj put focus on the bigger issue (even though anaconda was a dumb video – BBHMM was wayyy better quality production wise) instead of a “fued”.
Sincere question: is Nicki really the best messenger for body acceptance? Her body is completely manufactured, that’s just the way it is. While she’s free to sculpt herself in whatever ways she pleases, is she really the best representative for a discussion of diverse body types? Or does the fact that she created the exact body she wanted make her an even better messenger for diverse body types?
I think so.
I think it’s much like how some people try to dismiss black women’s feelings on their hair by saying “Oh but that’s not your real hair anyway.
If she the perfect messenger? No, but I do think there’s always a faint whiff of racism/sexism when people ignore her efforts/comments in favor of simplifying her down to something they can dismiss.
I am nitpicking on how she worded her conversation with Swifty. She gets and now ‘we are all good’. That is like a person who hit you in the face expecting an apology for being there. Nikki is a better person than me because I would have told her to kiss my a*s. I was indifferent to Swifty, now I just don’t like her.
The Katy Perry tweet got Swifty shook, she had to regroup and pull the girls into her corner again.lol
Agreed. And it was the right move. The little ‘fracas’ with Nicki is meaningless to Taylor once Katy got involved. From there on in it became ‘how do i turn this to my advantage and get Katy mad?’ – well, now she’s shown maturity and class and is now besties with Nicki, somebody she was previously only awards ceremony acquaintances with! LOL
And what is the biggest slap in the face for Katy? She was IGNORED! And shamed for her lack of basic English!
I am so glad that these interviews are put into type on this site because I couldn’t watch the video. the pathetic screaming people, the host, the whole thing was just too much for me. i couldn’t focus on what was going on. it seemed like nicki was not saying what she really wanted to say or mean.
on top of that, i just don’t believe that she WASN’T talking about swift. sorry, we all know thats the skinny body you’re talking about, nicki. Not that you don’t have a point, but it’s so sad that you have to hang your head and bullsh*t to save your ass because you tweeted an honest opinion.
“We can’t have only one type of body being glorified in the media because it just makes girls even more insecure than we already are.””
why do we have to glorify any BODY at all?
I thought this is what we’re trying to move away from…
I think we’d still be commenting on bodies (albeit in a very different tone) even in a perfect world.
Our earliest relationship with the world and history has been from our bodies and how we portray those bodies in art.
I’m not sure I ever see that ending completely.
“We can’t have only one type of body being glorified in the media because it just makes girls even more insecure than we already are.”
Says the woman who released a song that sampled the chorus, “my anaconda don’t want none unless you got buns hun.” That is totally glorifying one kind of body. In other words, for all the skinny girls out there, if your ass is flat nobody wants you. It doesn’t help anyone to make fun of one body type in order to glorify another. Nicki’s comments are irrelevant because she has a fake body and this makes her a large part of the problem. You can’t buy your curves and then try to be an advocate for girls loving themselves for who they are. She’s a hypocrite. Kudos to the UK for banning photoshopped ads because here in America the media lives for that kind of stuff and young girls are regrettably inspired by this sort of thing. Look at Kylie Jenner. She is so influenced by fake beauty standards that she bought herself a new face and body before hers was even done developing. Women like Nicki contribute to this.
I don’t know…I get what you’re saying and I think you make a lot of valid points, but I also see the other side of things too.
For so long we’ve had society telling us that women need to fit into an “ideal”. Most recently the VS models with their boobs-on-a-stick body type that’s unachievable for most of us not blessed with amazing genetics or a lofty bank account. It’s disheartening in the sense that they are the exception to the rule.
There’s a place for anthems that celebrate a curvier body. I think enough women have bodies similar to Minaj’s that weren’t bought–they simply have that aesthetic naturally–that they’d find a song like Anaconda empowering on some level and I’m cool with that. I’m comfortable and secure enough with my decidedly UN-curvy body to not be threatened. I think it also helps that the message is coming from a strong woman, unlike Sir Mix-a-Lot’s song.
I do feel you on what you say here though. It’s obvious that some women really do aspire to achieve the unachievable instead of just accepting and loving their body for what it is.
This!
I’m pretty sure the entire song/video was a parody of the song she sampled and the culture that created it.
Nicki was definitely talking about Taylor in her tweets, but I don’t think she meant it in a mean way. It was just to prove a point. Nicki doesn’t seem the type to shy away from controversy and I think if she had a problem with Taylor she would come right out and say it or make her references more clear.
If you look at the stats she posted, she was talking about several different white performers… Miley Cyrus more than anyone else, actually.
If I was a famous person and my comments here were public, I’d be more careful with what I type. In the first post about it, I was completely on Taylor’s side, even acknowledging the bigger issue Nicki brought up. I didn’t believed for a second that Nicki was advocating for black singers, to me she was just jealous and the racism matter came inevitably. But now I know that, even if she was “just jealous”, she has a very valid point that should be discussed.
Now, I really don’t buy her talk about body acceptance. She favours her body type, and that’s it. It’s not like “reverse racism” or “misandry”. Women are shamed nonstop since their teenage years (have curves, but not too much, be skinny “at the right places”, have big boobies, but keep them perky…), and image will for a long time be a sensitive issue for us.
Is this silicone molded mess really opening her mouth to speak on healthy body images for girls?
SMDH
Really! After seeing Nicki and the Kartrashians and their BIG fake butts, I can imagine a lot of girls going for implants. Disgusting. Why can’t people just rely on their talents and leave out the ‘sexier the better’ videos and almost nude scenes??? Also no social media and responses to it.
+1000
Preach. Talk about a hypocritical mess. Nicki had Taylor’s flat bum before she blew it five more sizes. She got her big boob job before that, making her nice boobs huge.
http://peacebenwilliams.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Nicki-Minaj_before-and-after-plastic-surgery-cover1.jpg
Good for her. She handled the situation well.
Good for Nicki! These problem do need to be called out, over and over and over. Things won’t change right away but, hopefully, as awareness grows, change will start to slowly happen.
Nik said the right stuff (thank you pr person)hope she truly believes in what she said, but given her track of eye rolling and bags of chips on her shoulder idk…her answers sounded more “in retrospect” of her intention of venting -bc she has a hot head and a fat mouth in general
I just wanted more than 39comments for her so that’s why I posted.
I think Nicki was absolutely right to point out that there does seem to be a slight against her not getting the nod for anaconda. Yes it could have been any skinny white girl pop star she referred to, but I think its disappointing on all levels that none of the anger vitrol and angst has been directed at MTV.
I stand clearly on team Swift, while not being against Nicki- just being sad about Nicki’s shade. But I do wish Taylor would have done is something, as Nicki asked: such as take a stand on this issue and use her power to help point out the disparities. Hells Bells, Taylor took on Apple, why not MTV? Its not like MTV or the VMAs even matter.