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Oh, The Romanity: Nicki Minaj’s Grammy Performance Gets Its Catholic Outrage

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Posted by Katherine St Asaph on 02/13/2012 at 6:39 PM News

The Popdust Files: catholic league, nicki minaj

Nicki Minaj really has been spending a lot of time with Madonna lately. Enough that she’s no doubt wise to her long career of Catholic-baiting, storied and prolific enough that the Catholic League’s made it a veritable hobby to carp about her ongoing acts of blasphemy. And we imagine Nicki’s paid some attention lately to Lady Gaga, who’s also gotten blasted for recovering-Catholic themes. Where we’re going with this, of course, is Nicki Minaj’s papal stage-possession at the Grammys with “Roman Holiday,” by far the most polarizing act of the night not involving a controversial R&B singer. (Critical bias: I kind of loved it. Critical counter-opinion: a coworker just offered this take: “It was like she just read The Da Vinci Code.”)

But either way, from the moment Nicki stepped out of the car wearing symbolically provocative red and rolling one bishop deep, you knew what would happen today, no? You figured some members of the Catholic community might be upset about it, right? Yep: “IS NICKI MINAJ POSSESSED?” Here’s a quote from, and the gist of, the Catholic League’s release:

Whether Minaj is possessed is surely an open question, but what is not in doubt is the irresponsibility of The Recording Academy.

(We excised the next part, because it’s a bit… let’s just say “suspect.”)

To be fair, speaking out about perceived anti-Catholicism is literally their job, and other religious organizations haven’t spoken out about Nicki’s performance. But to be equally fair, everything about this is far more boring than “Roman Holiday” and its attached album is going to be. And that is all we have to say about that.