Nicki Minaj, arguably the rap-queen of everyone’s lives, has been shorted a nomination for the Video Music Awards (the VMAs) for Video of the Year for “Anaconda.” She took to Twitter to express her frustrations—and rightfully so. “Anaconda” has people all around the world imitating the choreography and the costumes from the video, isn’t it only fair to give Minaj what she deserves?
Not exactly. While Minaj has impacted popular culture immensely and has an undeniable presence within the music world, it is not to say that such an iconic video “deserves” automatic nomination by the VMA committee. Yes, it is a fun video to watch, but it does not constitute the “Video of the Year.” It is something you watch when you have nothing else to do. It is shock value, not a piece of art.
There are plenty of individuals in the world who can easily shake their bare asses at a camera. It’s nothing new.
She continued ranting on Twitter upon learning that her video with Beyoncé for “Feeling Myself” was shorted a nomination as well. I love Beyoncé and Minaj as much as the next woman, but what did you expect when you released the video only to Tidal users? We are a poor generation, Minaj and Bey! We have college loans to pay off! There are only so many fancy knickknacks we can afford, and, unfortunately, paying for music gets the short stick.
