Nicki Minaj and Daytime Television

I don't watch nearly as much TV as days gone by but today I caught a portion of Good Morning America and they were broadcasting a segment of their summer concert series, this one featuring Nicki Minaj.  

Image from: http://abcnews.go.com/

I can't say that I was shocked to see Minaj gyrating at 8 o'clock in the morning on a major network but I have to admit I was thrown off center. Something in me asked, "What's wrong with this picture?" I mean, she displayed cleavage on the precarious edge of full exposure. In fact, her loose-fitting halter top lead to a wardrobe malfunction which briefly exposed her nipple--for which ABC News apologizes, of course.



Image from: AP on http://abcnews.go.com/

In fairness, it just could have been the full light of early morning that made Minaj's 2-inch eyelashes look like caterpillars and her blonde "Harajuku Barbie wig" look like a morning-after need for salvation. After all, I've never been troubled by Minaj's displays on late-night awards shows. So, I recognize that there was something reaching deeper--to my core.

What was shocking was the large number of grade-school and junior-high school girls in the audience of the Central Park venue. I thought to myself, "when did the audience of this Lil Kim inspired artist become adolescent girls?!"  It's clear that targeting this audience is a strategy, Minaj: being referred to as a living "Barbie," calling her young fans "Barbies" and "Ken-Barbies." Is it possible that Mattel is a behind-the-scenes sponsor struggling to keep Barbie relevant through a hip-hop personification of the 52-year old toy? Burger King's public endorsement (one of Minaj's props was an oversized, child-like, inflatable thrown) signals that it's okay for adolescent boys to be members of team-Minaj.

Image from: http://www.google.com/imgres

Simply put, I felt let down by early-morning TV generally and Good Morning America specifically.  'The morning gatekeepers supporting outrageous attire and precocious dance moves to young girls as a model to follow—disappointing.

---