CAN WE STOP PLEASE?

By now I’m assuming that most of you have seen the cover of Paper Magazine featuring Nicki Minaj. It kind of went viral over the weekend. You know, “broke the Internet” as images, videos and headlines are supposed to do now. Just in case you’re not sure what I’m talking about, let me be more specific. It wasn’t one Nicki Minaj, it was three Nicki Minajs on the cover. The three Nickis were all over each other in unconvincing provocative, voyeuristic, suggestive poses. The Nickis looked out at the viewer defiant, inviting, unashamed.

I think the term the cool kids are using these days to describe something they find completely redundant, mundane and extra for no reason is “collective eye roll”. So yes, I concur, collective eye roll indeed. If you haven’t seen the cover, google it and let me know how far back your eyes rolled out of sheer annoyance more than shock. Because believe it or not, there’s not much that shocks any more unless it’s boring and this was boring.

It’s important to remember here that Paper magazine is known to create conceptual and controversial images that go viral. Remember their cover last year of Kim Kardashian popping a bottle of bubbly while a glass flute was resting on the asset that made her famous? Yup, that Internet breaking image was Paper’s cover. But in comparison to Nicki Minaj’s cover, Kim’s actually feels, tame, fun, interesting and like actual art? Yes, I’m shocked by these words I’m writing too. We get it, believe me the whole world gets it, sex sells. But when it comes to Nicki, enough is enough really. The cover and the story inside (which by the way is nothing that interesting) gives the impression that Nicki is trying to hold on to the “Rap Crown” (cue another collective eye roll) and stay relevant no matter what. Nicki, who isn’t afraid to be in the centre of a public feud or scandal (Miley Cyrus incident, Remy Ma beef, Mariah Carey fight) has put herself time and time again centre stage for reasons that don’t include any of her actual talents.

Being able to fight with your female contemporaries (whether staged for ratings or not) isn’t talent. Being overtly sexual in your image when you don’t need to anymore under the guise of “art” isn’t talent. It’s actually offensive to the idea of contemporary art and photography. Using “shock value” or sensationalism is a valid way to bring attention to something but not continuously. Acting incredibly arrogant (in the interview Nicki said that she would only ever consider doing a collaboration album with Beyonce) isn’t talent. It’s insulting to the hundreds of other artist who are just as talented (if not more so) than Beyonce. After Madonna, Cher, Lil’ Kim and a range of other amazing female pop culture icons all of who have had their ups and downs, it seems boring and redundant to continuously use provocative imagery to stay relevant. We don’t need all the feuds, hyper sexualisation to like Nicki Minaj. We liked her, in fact a lot of people love her because she’s an amazing rapper.

MAAN JALAL Pop culture enthusiast, Willy Wonka Golden Ticket hunter and Hogwarts Graduate Class of 2001