How are we supposed to feel about Taylor Swift?

Snarky Oracle!

Telly Talk Supreme
LV
4
 
Messages
15,103
Reaction score
1,273
Awards
13
Location
USA
 

Daniel Avery

Admin
LV
6
 
Messages
7,366
Reaction score
13,261
Awards
16
Location
Sunny South Florida
Member Since
June 10, 2000
An interesting question.

I saw a profile of her several years ago on 60 Minutes when she was just starting to catch on and I don't think Lesley Stahl thought she was for real. Maybe Stahl thought she could make the mask slip at some point, but it didn't. Stahl painted her as a parent-approved role model for teen girls, a refreshing change from the Miley Cyruses and Paris Hiltons of the world. I think there's a generally good person under all that PR and packaging, but the "image" people try too hard to make her out to be Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. At some point they'll catch her being human* and every press outlet will take delight in tearing her down, which is what they do. I don't really care for her music, but then I'm about as far from her target demo as you can get.

* I'm picturing a "scandal" like having a diva-like meltdown over being ignored in a restaurant, or maybe humiliating an intern or something--nothing earth-shattering, but enough to light the fuse among media types who exist to torpedo the careers of celebs.
 

James from London

International Treasure
Top Poster Of Month
LV
5
 
Messages
8,201
Reaction score
15,809
Awards
16
Location
Brixton
Member Since
Time immemorial
Swifty is our leader.
 

Emelee

Telly Talk Warrior
LV
6
 
Messages
5,403
Reaction score
9,024
Awards
15
Location
Sweden
She feels like a woman with integrity and confidence. Not a perfect person though, but she knows how to stand up for herself. Good feminist.
 

Emelee

Telly Talk Warrior
LV
6
 
Messages
5,403
Reaction score
9,024
Awards
15
Location
Sweden
What's a bad feminist?

I've only recently started saying good or bad feminists, because there are so many people who claim feminists lack humor, are easily offended and hates men. That is a common view of feminism. And the feminists who hate men are the ones I would call bad feminists - even though the real question is if they are feminists at all. I would claim that they are not, but there is such a common view that all feminists hate men. The ones who think that and the feminists who claim they are feminists but hate men, they much not understand the definition of feminism - or just refuse to accept the definition.
 

Alexis

Telly Talk Superhero
LV
6
 
Messages
7,706
Solutions
1
Reaction score
10,645
Awards
14
Member Since
July 2007
She's just so dull. All the jazz around her seems very fake and affected, I guess it's like putting chocolate sprinkles on a vanilla custard and calling it fabulous. Also I think she's demonic. Dully demonic.
 

Snarky Oracle!

Telly Talk Supreme
LV
4
 
Messages
15,103
Reaction score
1,273
Awards
13
Location
USA
I've really tried, and waited patiently, not to dislike this woman.

I don't think she's evil or demonic, and she can sometimes be "right" (more or less) in her observations. But the chipper sense of entitlement, focused like a laser beam, is just something I can't quite get around.

I've only recently started saying good or bad feminists, because there are so many people who claim feminists lack humor, are easily offended and hates men. That is a common view of feminism. And the feminists who hate men are the ones I would call bad feminists - even though the real question is if they are feminists at all. I would claim that they are not, but there is such a common view that all feminists hate men. The ones who think that and the feminists who claim they are feminists but hate men, they much not understand the definition of feminism - or just refuse to accept the definition.
Of course, that's the thing about any movement. There's no consensus about what feminism is.

There are those for whom it is truly about equality. And there are many more who simply claim that it's about equality. And movements also change, develop, devolve.

Eric Hoffer once said: “Every great cause begins as a movement, becomes a business, and eventually degenerates into a racket.”



For me, this part rings true: "Swift only engages with social issues when they’re routed directly through her own life – that she responds to sexism only when she can best leverage social capital from it – ie when the story is entirely about her."

Even though the article only offers up this viewpoint in order to dismiss it.
 

James from London

International Treasure
Top Poster Of Month
LV
5
 
Messages
8,201
Reaction score
15,809
Awards
16
Location
Brixton
Member Since
Time immemorial
She makes good pop records and that's the main thing. And she's only 27. I didn't have much of a clue what I was doing when I was 27.
 

Snarky Oracle!

Telly Talk Supreme
LV
4
 
Messages
15,103
Reaction score
1,273
Awards
13
Location
USA
She's just so dull. All the jazz around her seems very fake and affected, I guess it's like putting chocolate sprinkles on a vanilla custard and calling it fabulous. Also I think she's demonic. Dully demonic.
Although everything is so overproduced these days, it's hard for me to compare.

She's defended her boyfriend-by-boyfriend-by-boyfriend songwriting, claiming the criticism of it is sexist because male artists write about their exes, too, and don't get bashed for it. But she seems to miss the context of the criticism.

Someone recently said that Miley (and others) gets called a "whore/slut" because she's deliberately provocative even though she's dated mostly one guy for years. While Swift gets praised for elegance and taste when she's had 14 boyfriends over a five year period.

Not that I care how many boyfriends Swift has had, except that they each become a song the weekend of the break up, so it's hard to miss.
 

Emelee

Telly Talk Warrior
LV
6
 
Messages
5,403
Reaction score
9,024
Awards
15
Location
Sweden
I dislike using words like "whore" for anyone who doesn't take money for sexual favors.

Miley Cyrus isn't a whore for whatever she's doing on stage. Taylor Swift isn't a whore for dating 14 guys in a 5 year period.

I will on this matter at least defend Swift. We nmdon't know how serious her relationships have been, media sure don't know either. A few dates and kisses does not make a real relationship. And 14 guys in 5 years may seem a lot to some, but it's not an enormous amount. I think my BFF is up in that number or close to it. She's not a slut or a whore. Of those who she has dated, only 2 were real relationships; rest were casual dating or just mutual carefree quick romps.
 

Willie Oleson

Telly Talk Schemer
LV
8
 
Messages
18,832
Reaction score
32,278
Awards
22
Location
Plotville, Shenanigan
Member Since
April 2002
While Swift gets praised for elegance and taste when she's had 14 boyfriends over a five year period.
Gets praised.
I always struggle when the artist and the public opinion of an artist get mixed up.
And then there's that general subconscious "demand" for consistency.
But I don't really know her and I don't know what she's said about Miley Cyrus.

Being a slut and having good taste are not mutually exclusive, and that is my opinion.
 

Payton Cross

Telly Talk Dream Maker
LV
5
 
Messages
1,673
Reaction score
3,428
Awards
13
Location
Netherlands
Member Since
2008
I do not know how to feel about Taylor Swift, I totally do not care for her music and as a person, I think she's just doing what she likes to do, score hits and make money just like any other artist.
 

Alexis

Telly Talk Superhero
LV
6
 
Messages
7,706
Solutions
1
Reaction score
10,645
Awards
14
Member Since
July 2007
Although everything is so overproduced these days, it's hard for me to compare.

She's defended her boyfriend-by-boyfriend-by-boyfriend songwriting, claiming the criticism of it is sexist because male artists write about their exes, too, and don't get bashed for it. But she seems to miss the context of the criticism.

Someone recently said that Miley (and others) gets called a "whore/slut" because she's deliberately provocative even though she's dated mostly one guy for years. While Swift gets praised for elegance and taste when she's had 14 boyfriends over a five year period.

Not that I care how many boyfriends Swift has had, except that they each become a song the weekend of the break up, so it's hard to miss.
Yea... Like I said. She's demonic.
 

Alexis

Telly Talk Superhero
LV
6
 
Messages
7,706
Solutions
1
Reaction score
10,645
Awards
14
Member Since
July 2007
When I see young gay boys praise and worship her like she's the second coming I really don't get it at all. I mean, I don't like Beyoncé either and I'm not too fussed on Gaga but I can sort of see where they could get excited about the latter two. Swift... not so much.
 

Snarky Oracle!

Telly Talk Supreme
LV
4
 
Messages
15,103
Reaction score
1,273
Awards
13
Location
USA
I dislike using words like "whore" for anyone who doesn't take money for sexual favors.

Miley Cyrus isn't a whore for whatever she's doing on stage. Taylor Swift isn't a whore for dating 14 guys in a 5 year period.

I will on this matter at least defend Swift. We nmdon't know how serious her relationships have been, media sure don't know either. A few dates and kisses does not make a real relationship. And 14 guys in 5 years may seem a lot to some, but it's not an enormous amount. I think my BFF is up in that number or close to it. She's not a slut or a whore. Of those who she has dated, only 2 were real relationships; rest were casual dating or just mutual carefree quick romps.

Gets praised.
I always struggle when the artist and the public opinion of an artist get mixed up.
And then there's that general subconscious "demand" for consistency.
But I don't really know her and I don't know what she's said about Miley Cyrus.

Being a slut and having good taste are not mutually exclusive, and that is my opinion.

Well, I'm not condoning those comments about either one of them, Miley or Swift. Just reporting them. There does seem to be a different standard some people are held to, however.
 

Alexis

Telly Talk Superhero
LV
6
 
Messages
7,706
Solutions
1
Reaction score
10,645
Awards
14
Member Since
July 2007
Well, I'm not condoning those comments about either one of them, Miley or Swift. Just reporting them. There does seem to be a different standard some people are held to, however.
Even her wholesome niceness seems fake. She's likely a hard-core lesbian who's into breath control, S&M and scientology. Hence all the songs about her shitty boyfriends. It's not them, it's her.
 

Snarky Oracle!

Telly Talk Supreme
LV
4
 
Messages
15,103
Reaction score
1,273
Awards
13
Location
USA
Even her wholesome niceness seems fake. She's likely a hard-core lesbian who's into breath control, S&M and scientology. Hence all the songs about her shitty boyfriends. It's not them, it's her.
Yeah, she reeks of that overused (sometimes by me) word "narcissism".

I've really tried to not dislike her. But I've failed.

Perhaps that's why she cleared all her social media accounts in the last 24/7.

First, Victoria dismantles 19 years of Soapchat history, now Taylor Swift withdraws into a cocoon.

When will the carnage stop??
 
Top