When Taylor Swift tweeted Nicki Minaj this week accusing her of pitting women against each other, she may have missed the point but she inadvertently sparked a massive discussion about race in pop culture.
Pop princess Swift got a nod in the Video of the Year category at the MTV video music awards, but rapper Minaj didn't... and she wasn't happy about it.
Nicki Minaj was nominated in other categories, including Best Female Video (alongside Swift) and Best Hip-Hop Video.
But it is the Video of the Year award that artists most highly prize.
Congrats, @NickiMinaj on your Best Hip-Hop Video #VMA nomination! Let's work out to it! http://t.co/Ya6yJZgUfN pic.twitter.com/wpuVDNUedq
— MTV News (@MTVNews) July 21, 2015
Minaj hit back on Twitter, claiming her Anaconda video would have been up for Video of the Year if she were 'a different kind of artist'
If I was a different "kind" of artist, Anaconda would be nominated for best choreo and vid of the year as well. 😊😊😊
— NICKI MINAJ (@NICKIMINAJ) July 21, 2015
But Taylor Swift - who got nine nominations - misunderstood and thought it was a dig at her.
@NICKIMINAJ I've done nothing but love & support you. It's unlike you to pit women against each other. Maybe one of the men took your slot..
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) July 21, 2015
Does this image offend you? Nicki Minaj's single cover for Anaconda
Minaj may have had something of a win though, because what everyone is talking about this morning is exactly what she wanted them to talk about - the fact that black artists have a massive impact on pop culture but are rarely recognised.
U couldn't go on social media w/o seeing ppl doing the cover art, choreo, outfits for Halloween...an impact like that & no VOTY nomination?
— NICKI MINAJ (@NICKIMINAJ) July 21, 2015
The way she tells it, people don't respect her work - which features pretty graphic and sexual imagery - because she and the others who star in her videos don't have a look that is as acceptable to the industry as those who did win nominations.
Of the five artists up for the Video of the Year award only two are women - Beyoncé and Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar. The others are Ed Sheeran, Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars and Kendrick Lamar.
When the "other" girls drop a video that breaks records and impacts culture they get that nomination. 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
— NICKI MINAJ (@NICKIMINAJ) July 21, 2015
In the middle of what is being widely reported as a Twitter 'row' between the pair, Minaj suggested Swift speak on the issue of race given her power to effect change.
Huh? U must not be reading my tweets. Didn't say a word about u. I love u just as much. But u should speak on this. @taylorswift13
— NICKI MINAJ (@NICKIMINAJ) July 21, 2015
Last month, Taylor Swift won plaudits for taking on big business on behalf of artists when she wrote an open letter to Apple and demanded better terms and conditions.
So why are people offended by Minaj's overt sexuality, but not Swift's? Is it a question of race?
This morning it's an issue that is receiving a lot of attention, so maybe Nicki won after all.
If your video celebrates women with very slim bodies, you will be nominated for vid of the year 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
— NICKI MINAJ (@NICKIMINAJ) July 21, 2015
I'm not always confident. Just tired. Black women influence pop culture so much but are rarely rewarded for it. https://t.co/2xOvJzBXJX
— NICKI MINAJ (@NICKIMINAJ) July 21, 2015
And now Katy Perry has joined the fray it is likely to get even more oxygen.
Finding it ironic to parade the pit women against other women argument about as one unmeasurably capitalizes on the take down of a woman...
— KATY PERRY (@katyperry) July 22, 2015
