Cyrus’s scandalous VMAs performance was many things. But racist, as some are arguing, is not one of them.

Americans have abided by their hallowed annual tradition this Monday: being scandalized by a pop star’s antics at the previous night’s MTV Video Music Awards.

The recipient of this year’s Madonna in a wedding dress/Britney in a glittery thong/Kanye West “I’mma let you finish…” water-cooler buzz is Miley Cyrus, who personified the concept of “trying too hard” with her performance on Sunday night’s show. The whirling dervish of crᴀss, empty-calorie provocation that was her performance of “We Can’t Stop” and “Blurred Lines” with Robin Thicke shocked people for a number of reasons, but one accusation as absurd as the dancing Furries Miley was twerking with is the idea that her performance was racist.