Both after making controversial statements and being asked to account for them, retreat .
So let’s start with the more well-known kerfuffle. Nikki Minaj was “overlooked” for her apparently groundbreaking video “Anaconda” that is composed of a vine like sample of Sir Mix-a-Lot’s 90s hit “Baby Got Back”. The “innovation” brought to this video is to populate it with well, women who got back. Truly groundbreaking. Who saw that coming right?
The VMA nominations come and go and Ms. Minaj crying amongst her huge piles of money, utters a passive aggressive dig at the nominees.
If your video celebrates women with very slim bodies, you will be nominated for vid of the year ?????????????
— Chun-Li (@NICKIMINAJ) July 21, 2015
The nominees for Video of the year are
Beyoncé – “7/11″
Ed Sheeran – “Thinking Out Loud”
Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Bad Blood”
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – “Uptown Funk”
Kendrick Lamar – “Alright”
So unless Bruno Mars, Kendrick Lamar, or Beyonce are being called out, by process of elimination one suspects that Nikki Minaj is calling out Taylor Swift. While she might not have been, it’s hard to say she wasn’t by looking right at this list. This leads us to a super annoying female trait that needs to stop now if Ms. Minaj wants to claim she’s a feminist, or is that Beyonce? Who cares. The point is, if you want to say something be clear instead of letting passive aggressive phrasing provide cover when your emotional fit inevitably gets called out.
This happens when Ms. Swift notes the list and sanely assumes it’s about 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
Ms. Swift is ridiculously skinny and likely has issues herself about her body. So yet another woman swimming in piles and piles of money proves Arthur Brooks’ thesis correct that after $75,000/yr money does not bring substantially more happiness to people. Two women making absurd amounts of money for pop confections are still trolling twitter to seek affirmation. Minaj now being rightly called out for her passive aggressive public display of nonspecific blame storming shifts quickly to a safe space.
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
Jezebel and Salon lead the way to make this about race because there are no black women being recognized in music. (Note that the list above includes Beyonce and is dominated by minorities with TSwift and Ed Sheeran in the minority which makes Minaj’s complaints seem a bit contrived for this specific “offense” of being left off the Video of the Year nominations.)
Katy Perry exhibits the best of the female species poor conflict skills by tweeting this passive aggressive dig at Taylor.
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
Many folks pondered the words contained, and the internet breathed a sigh of relief when one kind editor took it upon himself to clarify her tweet.
I Fixed Katy Perry’s Tweet That No One Could Understand http://t.co/WEmzLoKOHO via @BuzzFeedpic.twitter.com/ztkP4Au9p5
— Ira Madison III (@ira) July 23, 2015
So how does this connect to Donald Trump?
Trump, like Minaj after pushing the combative blowhard card too far with his comments about McCain and his POW status is now retreating to a more infantile crouch now claiming unless Republicans are nice to him that he will run third party.
Trump said he would “absolutely” launch a third-party candidacy if the Republicans continue to be “not fair.”
So for all the I’m a fighter and love confrontation bluster from Trump, his immediate reaction to the most MINOR of pushback for a truly offensive comment is to attempt to shield himself from any combat. If the Republicans are such losers, Donald, one expects you can stand the heat. Maybe Taylor will send you a social justice warrior mandated apology because “fairness”.
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
Or you might get a kind word from Ted Cruz. Any candidate who needs that much affirmation and can’t stand to be held to his words doesn’t have the mettle to take on Hillary and win. His entire act is less groundbreaking than the huge steps for female empowerment undertaken by Nikki Minaj in her revolutionary use of the female backside in a video.
Hillary definitely won’t play nice with Trump and will welcome a third party tantrum. It worked to get Bill into the White House the first time.