Our Love/Hate Relationship With Taylor Swift

I would say Taylor Swift is probably the most famous person in the world in 2023. Now I have two friends who are rolling their eyes aggressively even after reading that first statement, however, they can not strongly argue it. Girls, I love you both, but as my friends you need to support my journalism career and read EVERY ONE of my articles. Even if they are about someone you painfully dislike. Instead of arguing one side of the Taylor Swift debate, I plan to give a balanced view on the subject matter. The subject matter is why so many people dislike and resent this person? On the other hand, why is she so loved? 

Taylor Swift comes across as a very strong woman who has made it outrageously big in the music industry. She has taken over the world with her lyrics. Before I lose my friends’ attention, in this paragraph I am going to discuss the points I find questionable about Miss Swift. Taylor Swift is a feminist icon I personally struggle with whether to support or not. After doing some research it has become apparent that Taylor Swift reportedly does not promote females within her own production team. This is just from word of mouth but I do question this as I have seen Taylor Swift tear down other female artists in the past. Usually via social media. Katy Perry comes to mind. Taylor Swift’s feminism comes across as a little raw and exclusive. In fact, sometimes it seems as though her whole image depends on the feminist movement. If it was not for the fact that women walk the earth generally damaged from dealing with men, Taylor Swift would not have half the career she has had. Her friend group seems to be a gathering of women who have also been in very public relationships. Instead of healing and moving on the best you can, it seems to me that these women band together and almost gang up on their ex-partners. There is a tone in the group that does not scream out inclusion. You have to be beautiful and rich to join in.

You could also argue that singing countless songs about men who have hurt you can become tedious. It can come across very much as girls rule and boys drool. Others may not like Swift due to the constant drama that seems to follow her. I can personally understand this as when you are reading news sometimes the programme itself can lower your mood. Reading about someone who is always under some kind of negative press just becomes irritating, especially when they are in the news every day following their latest worldwide tour. 

The last point I want to make is that her fan base is extremely off-putting. Whether you like this statement or not, it is very clear to those who may not be her biggest fan that their opinion is incorrect and heinous to Swifties (Taylor Swift die hard fans). If you have any kind of negative opinion of the singer and try to discuss this, there is no platform there for someone who dislikes her. I have seen some very aggressive opinions and attitudes online from Swifties. When I investigate further, these people seem to have followed her through her whole career. They have pictures with her and draw her face on all their walls. This is concerning and almost cult-like dare I say? Obviously, this is not what all of her fans are like, but personally, I have never come across another group of fans just as cut-throat as hers. What's the magnetic pull though? Why has she had the ability to draw in such fierce support?

From personal research, I have found that if you ask someone why they dislike Taylor Swift, they usually respond with something like “Ugh she is just so annoying.” She has connotations of being dumb and slutty but to begin to argue the other side of this story, I ask why is that the immediate go-to when insulting her? Due to the kind of words used to describe her, she earns the feminist symbol badge. Feminism challenges these labels and Taylor Swift does too. I could double back to my previous argument against Swift. Those who decidedly hate her, really do hate her. There is not much room for changing their opinion. The hate I have heard about Taylor Swift sometimes matches the hate I hear about despots who commit horrible crimes. Surely this is unfair? Words commonly associated with her are usually used to belittle women. To hate Taylor Swift without reason is practically giving into anti-feminism. If you can provide a solid argument this is fair. If not, you might just be a hater? I am going to throw some impressive points about Swift your way now. 

Her songwriting ability is excellent. Don't agree? Harvard doctors literally study it as it is now a course you can take at this prestigious University in Boston. Her words impact people all over the globe. They have a way of tugging your heartstrings. It can also be comforting that another person feels pain the way you do but can put it into a better context. I find this relieving in a way. Swift’s music tells stories and presents attitudes. At the micro level, the vowels and consonants in her song fit together. Along with her melodic gifts, her music is not superior to anyone. Her music does not alienate any social group but is inviting for everyone. To the extent that saying you like Taylor Swift is considered a guilty pleasure. Taylor Swift’s body of songwriting altogether has a larger number of words than any body of comparable hit songs.

In addition to her talents, Swift is very charitable and has been known to give extremely generous donations over the years. Swift often pops up in the news for giving to various GoFundMe campaigns to pay for hospital bills. She donated her profits from her hit song Welcome to New York to New York public schools in 2015 and pledged $1 million to Louisiana flood relief. Swift is someone who stands out, leads and inspires others so this effort encourages others to help the cause. These are only a few examples of her charity. 

 Let me quickly get to the part people argue about the most. The feminist argument. Swift is controversial because she is a feminist and expresses this in her songs. People argue that she is anti-men. Why? Because she has dated quite a few? That means she likes them. She is just not frightened to express how they made her feel. It angers you that she dates so many men? Why? At this point surely you can see Swift’s intelligence throughout this? She dates these men and probably hopes it will work out. If it doesn’t, why shouldn’t she use her superpower and write a song about them? Earn money and therapy. Maybe your dislike of her, lies in jealousy of how convenient that deal in life is for her.

 At the end of the day, it cannot be great to always have your personal life in the limelight. Swift is still very young, at 33, she has dealt with more hate than anyone and is using this to power through and create more music. She earns some pretty big bucks off this, just to address the elephant in the room. Who is really winning?  Not many other musical artists put down her skills and talent so why do the public? Swift is human and so are you and I, no matter how annoying she can be at times. I will leave you to develop your own opinion of Taylor Swift. You Belong With Me is a banger though. 

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