Miley Cyrus Provokes Nicki Minaj Ahead of VMAs

In an interview with The New York Times, Miley Cyrus weighed in on the Nicki Minaj-Taylor Swift Twitter confrontation by suggesting that Minaj isn't polite. The poke comes just a few days ahead of the MTV Video Music Awards, which Cyrus will be hosting and on which Minaj will be performing.

When asked about the social-media altercation between Minaj and Swift over Minaj's accusation that the VMA nominations are racially biased, Cyrus at first tried to sidestep, claiming that she didn't even really know what happened. But when pressed, her criticism with Minaj's way of handling the situation.

"What I read sounded very Nicki Minaj, which, if you know Nicki Minaj is not too kind," Cyrus said. "It’s not very polite. I think there's a way you speak to people with openness and love."

Cyrus will host this year's VMA show, which airs Sunday night on MTV. The last time she was on the VMA stage, two years ago, she caused a controversy by rubbing herself all over Robin Thicke. This time the controversy could come in the form of a spat between the host and Minaj, who will be performing the show's opening number. Fortunately, Kanye West will be on hand to accept the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard award. He has a history of making sure the show runs smoothly with no awkward moments, so maybe we can count on him to keep everyone calm.