If one thing is for certain it’s that Miley Cyrus does things for attention. Still, if history is to repeat itself, she may one day regret her comments in a recent New York Times interview, regarding her hosting of the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday evening.
Straying from the topic at hand ever so slightly, Cyrus and interviewer Joe Coscarelli talked briefly about how Cyrus felt about Nicki Minaj’s Twitter rant from earlier this month, in which she points out that “Anaconda,” one of the biggest videos of 2014–it broke a VEVO record–was snubbed by less impactful visuals in the Video of the Year category. According to Minaj, that snub followed a noticeable trend at these types of award shows, in which slimmer, Caucasian artists are given favorable nominations.
Taylor Swift would eventually insert herself into the conversation, taking offense to Minaj’s comments, considering she’s a slimmer, Caucasian woman that consistently gets nominated for the aforementioned award–and is nominated for it this year once again.
Cyrus, who will set the tone for Sunday’s show, had this to say about the entire situation.
What did you make of the Nicki Minaj controversy around the V.M.A.s — that she was upset “Anaconda” wasn’t nominated for Video of the Year?
I saw that. I didn’t really get into it. I know there was some beef. I don’t really know. There’s a way to talk to people …
Do you know what she said?
She was saying that everyone was white and blonde that got nominated, I heard? And then Taylor Swift butted in.
She may have alluded to “Wrecking Ball” also, saying that when a naked white girl breaks a Vevo record she gets nominated.
I didn’t follow it. You know what I always say? Not that this is jealousy, but jealousy does the opposite of what you want it to — that’s a yoga mantra. People forget that the choices that they make and how they treat people in life affect you in a really big way. If you do things with an open heart and you come at things with love, you would be heard and I would respect your statement. But I don’t respect your statement because of the anger that came with it.
And it’s not anger like, “Guys, I’m frustrated about some things that are a bigger issue.”
You made it about you. Not to sound like a bitch, but that’s like, “Eh, I didn’t get my V.M.A.”
But she was ——
If you want to make it about race, there’s a way you could do that. But don’t make it just about yourself. Say: “This is the reason why I think it’s important to be nominated. There’s girls everywhere with this body type.”
I think she did say that ——
What I read sounded very Nicki Minaj, which, if you know Nicki Minaj is not too kind. It’s not very polite. I think there’s a way you speak to people with openness and love. You don’t have to start this pop star against pop star war. It became Nicki Minaj and Taylor in a fight, so now the story isn’t even on what you wanted it to be about. Now you’ve just given E! News “Catfight! Taylor and Nicki Go at It.”
I know you can make it seem like, Oh I just don’t understand because I’m a white pop star. I know the statistics. I know what’s going on in the world. But to be honest, I don’t think MTV did that on purpose.
Well then. Sure, one could say Cyrus isn’t as well-versed on exactly what happened during that Twitter exchange, but saying something “sounded very Nicki Minaj,” and then clarifying that to mean impolite and lacking love is certainly a risque method of assessment. Sunday will be most intriguing.
