When it comes to award shows, today's viewers are a jaded bunch. To them, every "surprise guest," every "impromptu" speech and all the "onstage hijinks" were meticulously planned out beforehand as an attempt to shock viewers and up the coverage around the event.
So when Nicki Minaj called out Miley Cyrus, live onstage in front of everybody, a lot of people's initial reaction was that it was all a setup. Or that Nicki and Miley had planned it beforehand as a way to keep their names in all the VMA stories. And we would actually agree with the doubters…if it weren't for this footage of Miley's reaction when Nicki called her a "bitch" and then threw to her with a look of shade so powerful, the next eclipse is going to tag Nicki in to do its job.
When the moment aired, all we got was Nicki's face and then the next cut to Miley showed that she had already composed herself and began defending herself. Thankfully, the Internet got footage of Miley's face during Nicki's speech. Watch Miley's shocked "oh s--t!" reaction to Nicki dissing her on the VMA stage and try to tell us it was all fake:
Right?! There's no way Miley knew that was coming, based on this footage. Yeah, Miley was an actress once upon a time, but c'mon! That is the face of someone who just peed herself a bit and now has to react instantly in a way that doesn't make the situation worse.
"We all do interviews," Miley responded after Nicki's diss. "We all know how they manipulate s--t. Congratuf--kinglations, Nicki."
A source inside the venue told E! News that Miley may have congratulated Nicki onstage, but behind-the-scenes she was "pissed."
"She stormed backstage cursing and yelling about it as she headed toward her dressing room," the insider said.
It's the circle of Hollywood. Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj laid their feud to rest, and another one fired up almost instantly.