Video After The Jump

Nicki Minaj is getting a lot of negative attention recently. Her latest video for "Stupid H*e" has nearly 30 million views on youtube but the dislike to like ratio is more than double. The clip has also been banned from BET.

Last night her performance on the Grammys did nothing to quiet her growing number of critics. She showed up at the awards in a scarlet red outfit channeling her "Roman Zolanski" alter ego. She was accompanied by a man dressed up to resembled the pope. That was mild compared to her performance of "Roman Holiday" off of her upcoming album.

The Young Money rapper's performance resembled an exorcism. It started with a confession to a priest, before a short film "The Exorcism Of Roman" was shown. In the clip a mother tells a priest she didn't know where else to turn before he is shown to Roman's room. A possessed Roman retreats to an upper corner of the room and screams his name when asked what it is by the priest before the live performance begins again.

A performance that shows Nicki strapped to a table while dancers in robes gyrate beneath her. After freeing herself from the straps Nicki descends down a flight of stairs before things really go over the top. The exorcism begins complete with levitations and fire.

Catholic League President Bill Donohue issued a statement condemning the performance and Minaj.

Minaj’s performance began on stage with a mock confessional skit. This was followed by a taped video depicting a mock exorcism. With stained glass in the background, she appeared on stage again with choir boys and monks dancing.

Perhaps the most vulgar part was the sexual statement that showed a scantily clad female dancer stretching backwards while an altar boy knelt between her legs in prayer. Finally, “Come All Ye Faithful” was sung while a man posing as a bishop walked on stage; Minaj was shown levitating.

None of this was by accident, and all of it was approved by The Recording Academy, which puts on the Grammys. Whether Minaj is possessed is surely an open question, but what is not in doubt is the irresponsibility of The Recording Academy. Never would they allow an artist to insult Judaism or Islam.

The Hollywood Reporter accused the rapper of being a Lady Gaga rip off.

No Lady Gaga performance at the 2012 Grammys? Bummer. But wanna-be controversial rapper Nicki Minaj was happy do her best Gaga imitation.

 

First she arrived dressed in a Gaga-esque Versace red cloak-cape outfit accompanied by some strange old dude dressed like the Pope but without the necessary papal headgear and ornaments. He was more likely emulating a lower level bishop or something.

Then Nicki went on stage with that same poor guy, who seriously looked like he came from Central Casting, and began “fessing” the lyrics to her new single “Roman Holiday."

It got even more annoying when the show cut to a a pre-taped segment with the same dude doing his best Exorcist routine. (Think vintage SNL: "Your Mother Eats Kitty Litter, Your Mother Sews Socks That Smell"). All the while, Minaj applied more lipstick and sang the lyrics to “I Feel Pretty." Seriously, not making this up.

In case you fell asleep at this point, the show quickly flashed back to the Staples Center stage, adorned with enough stained glass to put Notre Dame and Chartres Cathedral to shame as Minaj was strapped to -- but eventually miraculously escaped -- some kind of of Hammer Studios Bride of Frankenstein table.

There was a lot  of pyrotechniques, popes, choir boys, stained glass and even Minaj elevating. What no speaking in tongues? Wait, maybe that was the rap lyrics. 

 

All of Minaj's sacrilegeous button-pushing is bound to annoy the Christian Right, the moral majority and make a few fleeting headlines. Was that the point?

Ouch! Tell us what you think of Nicki's performance in the comment section below.

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