Not feeling this.MTV announced the VMA nominations Tuesday morning, and one Nicki Minaj was not feeling them. While her “Anaconda” got nods for Best Female Video and Best Hip-Hop Video, she felt the work deserved a spot in the top category, Video of the Year, as well as Choreography and others. Her other video, “Feeling Myself,” was shut out completely. Minaj whipped up a Twitter storm, pointing out how the music video for “Anaconda” was basically all anyone could talk about last fall, and saying that if she were a different “kind” of artist, it would have gotten more nominations. What began as an exchange between Minaj and Swift rapidly expanded to include Ryan Seacrest, Kim Kardashian, and of course, Katy Perry.
If I was a different "kind" of artist, Anaconda would be nominated for best choreo and vid of the year as well. 😊😊😊
— QUEEN (@NICKIMINAJ) July 21, 2015When the "other" girls drop a video that breaks records and impacts culture they get that nomination. 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
— QUEEN (@NICKIMINAJ) July 21, 2015If your video celebrates women with very slim bodies, you will be nominated for vid of the year 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
— QUEEN (@NICKIMINAJ) July 21, 2015Oh but trust me. I'll be on that stage to collect my awards for vid of the year. Feeling Myself & Anaconda. 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
— QUEEN (@NICKIMINAJ) July 21, 2015I'm not always confident. Just tired. Black women influence pop culture so much but are rarely rewarded for it. https://t.co/2xOvJzBXJX
— QUEEN (@NICKIMINAJ) July 21, 2015One slim-hipped Taylor Swift, who led the VMAs with nine nominations total for “Blank Space” and “Bad Blood,” took personal offense to these tweets:
@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, 2015Minaj responded swiftly:
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
— QUEEN (@NICKIMINAJ) July 21, 2015And then tweeted a screen shot from a supporter:
@taylorswift13 I'm still confused as to why u just tweeted me when I made it abundantly clear... pic.twitter.com/A5kJyi6fQC
— QUEEN (@NICKIMINAJ) July 21, 2015But the crisis was quickly averted!
@NICKIMINAJ If I win, please come up with me!! You're invited to any stage I'm ever on.
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) July 21, 2015Then Minaj’s Twitter became more of an inquiry into how the media was framing this story, including one Ryan Seacrest, who has since deleted his tweet:
Nothing I said had to do with Taylor. So what jabs? White media and their tactics. So sad. That's what they want. https://t.co/AfcwoyDvpg
— QUEEN (@NICKIMINAJ) July 21, 2015Ryan posted a headline of Taylor saying she loves & supports me. But not me saying the same to her. Lol. Their headline says I took a "jab"?
— QUEEN (@NICKIMINAJ) July 21, 2015I'm so glad u guys get to see how this stuff works. Taylor took her music off spotify and was applauded. We launched Tidal & were dragged.
— QUEEN (@NICKIMINAJ) July 21, 2015Entertainment Weekly got caught in the crossfires when it juxtaposed a glamour shot of Swift with a bug-eyed one of Minaj. It eventually issued an apology and changed the photo.
End the #angryblackwoman narrative. Do better @EW ... pic.twitter.com/HwLgS1qFxR
— Sam White (@samwhiteout) July 22, 2015And this wouldn’t be a story about the Twitter vortex if it didn’t include Kim Kardashian. As all of this was going on, Kim Kardashian was lounging around in Paris and tweeted this photo with the (now deleted) caption, “Imma let you finish” — a reference, of course, to her husband’s infamous interruption of Taylor Swift.
Caption this... #VogueSpain #KimNoFilter pic.twitter.com/72Dewa6trr
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) July 21, 2015She can’t even be bothered with the music world right now, you guys!
Wait wait I'm in Paris it's the middle of the night & I'm posting my Vogue Spain pics not having a clue what's going on in the music world
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) July 21, 2015I'm not trying to shade anyone! That's not my style! I just thought that caption was perfect for that pic! Changing the caption now! #ironic
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) July 21, 2015Of course it took less than 24 hours for Taylor Swift Fan Club treasurer Katy Perry to issue a statement:
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, 2015The real travesty is where is the shine for #BBHMMVideo when VMA eligibility period was 7/7/14-7/1/15 & that gem dropped 7/1... @MTV
— KATY PERRY (@katyperry) July 22, 2015And that, kids, is how “Bad Blood Pt. 2” was written.
UPDATE: Swift has officially apologized (on Twitter, of course) for missing the point. Minaj has accepted the apology, but not before giving a little shout-out to Katy Perry.
I thought I was being called out. I missed the point, I misunderstood, then misspoke. I'm sorry, Nicki.@NICKIMINAJ
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) July 23, 2015That means so much Taylor, thank you. @taylorswift13 ❤️❤️❤️
— QUEEN (@NICKIMINAJ) July 23, 2015— QUEEN (@NICKIMINAJ) July 23, 2015I've always loved her. Everyone makes mistakes. She gained so much more respect from me. Let's move on. https://t.co/mx9pfIdnzT
— QUEEN (@NICKIMINAJ) July 23, 2015This post has been updated throughout.
Swift Takes Minaj’s Twitter Storm PersonallyncG1vNJzZmivp6x7t8HLrayrnV6YvK57kWlobmdgbHy1rdilpqtlo6y2p8CMp6Cco5liuqq6wKNkra%2BZqcGmvoyrmKesXp3Brrg%3D