I tried like hell not to cover this story. Mainstream celebrity Twitter feuds are boring because handlers usually get involved and shut things down before someone threatens to curb stomp the other. But something caught my eye — a comment by Nicki, right at the end after Taylor apologized for misunderstanding (although I am not convinced she did misunderstand).
This brief feud between Nicki Minaj and Taylor Swift all started after Minaj failed to get nominated for video of the year at the MTV Video Music Awards. Understandable because, while sexy as hell, Minaj’s song “Anaconda” took a once-fun, now seriously overplayed and annoying song sample in “Baby Got Back” and somehow managed to make it more overplayed and more annoying.
But Minaj went on Twitter to vent her frustrations about the snub:
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
Ellen did her own anaconda video and did the #choreo lol. Remember her doing that kick ?. Even mtv did a post on the choreo @MTV remember? — NICKI MINAJ (@NICKIMINAJ) July 21, 2015
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
When the “other” girls drop a video that breaks records and impacts culture they get that nomination. ?????????????????????????????????????? — 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
Then came the tweets heard round the world:
If your video celebrates women with very slim bodies, you will be nominated for vid of the year ????????????? — NICKI MINAJ (@NICKIMINAJ) July 21, 2015
@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
Which is great because it lets me use one of my favorite Taylor GIFs of all time … OF ALL TIME! To which Nicki quickly responded:
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
Taylor:
@NICKIMINAJ If I win, please come up with me!! You’re invited to any stage I’m ever on.
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) July 21, 2015
Oh but trust me. I’ll be on that stage to collect my awards for vid of the year. Feeling Myself & Anaconda. ???????????????????????????????? — NICKI MINAJ (@NICKIMINAJ) July 21, 2015
THEN, in the interim, the internet BLEW UP, taking sides — with Twitter users going with Minaj and traditional media apparently siding for Team Taylor:
I’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.
— NICKI MINAJ (@NICKIMINAJ) July 21, 2015
Ryan 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”? — NICKI MINAJ (@NICKIMINAJ) July 21, 2015
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
— NICKI MINAJ (@NICKIMINAJ) July 21, 2015
Even Kim Kardashian allegedly got involved, tweeting a pic of her lying on a couch with the caption: “Imma let you finish but…” which of course was what her hubby Kanye West said to Taylor onstage, when he interrupted her acceptance speech at the VMA’s in 2009. She later deleted the tweet and clarified, saying, “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. I’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!” Hmmm…. perhaps a little too “coincidental.”
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, 2015
And then Nicki accepts her apology:
That means so much Taylor, thank you. @taylorswift13 ??????
— NICKI MINAJ (@NICKIMINAJ) July 23, 2015
What’s interesting though, is this tweet from Nicki to Katy Perry:
? @katyperry — NICKI MINAJ (@NICKIMINAJ) July 23, 2015
Apparently regarding this tweet:
The 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, 2015
or was it this one:
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
What’s interesting is that obviously the rumor is that Taylor Swift wrote the song she was nominated for, “Bad Blood,” about Katy Perry.
So by publicly thanking Taylor Swift’s enemy, Katy Perry, in the aftermath of this all, is Nicki Minaj secretly getting the last dig in? Is the enemy of my enemy my friend? Daaaaaaaaaaaamn.