Of course Fox's calling our Taylor's private jet use is cynical, but they're not entirely wrong. That said, I love Taylor in general. I'm a gigantic supporter and fan. But I do worry that her level of celebrity is unsustainable and unhealthy for her as a human. I also worry about our tendency as a society to put our faith in "saviors", be they Obama, Trump, Oprah or Taylor Swift. I think our putting our faith in individuals is misplaced. We need to work on systems. We need to take responsibility ourselves to change things. I love Taylor, and while I think she uses her influence for positive change, the flip side of that very same power is a cult of personality that is not good for a society.
I think it’s hilarious the people from F world have literally sensationalized T Swift! Is it ironic that the owner of F has multiple private jets?!? Never heard a peep from the employees. Reminds me of an episode of Succession…another great read LP
Liz, I’m so happy you are writing about this, as I have also been reflecting on this for the past several months. I am a devoted O.G. Swiftie, yet I feel very strongly that *no one* is above reproach, even Taylor Swift. Voicing her political views, standing up for the marginalized, using her voice against bigotry and misogyny, fighting for reproductive and social justice, promoting voter registration—all of these things make me so proud to be a Swiftie. Yet, we cannot turn a blind eye to areas where she could do better—such as her massive carbon emissions. If we blindly follow “our goddess and savior Taylor Swift”, we’ve created a cult leader who is beyond reproach or criticism. We should praise the (many) ways she has advanced feminism in this country and literally boosted the economy, while acknowledging areas in which she could do better.
However, on the flip side, I struggle when asking myself: “as a billionaire, is she doing *enough*?” Is this a representation of my own internalized misogyny? Am I asking the same thing of billionaires Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, even philanthropist billionaires like Bill Gates (no)? Are we holding Taylor to a double standard—in fact, a higher standard—*because* she is a woman? And even if we are, does it do any good? Does social pressure truly influence Taylor’s behavior? The Queen of Easter eggs, I can’t help imagine there is more going on behind the scenes than any of us are aware of—good, bad, and ugly.
I agree with you - though with a gulp in my throat because that does mean acknowledging Fox.
I also feel like her fandom tends to stamp down very real critiques of billionaires in the US. Billionaires are a public policy failure and though she’s a superstar, she still got there through a system largely built on inequity, extractive capital practices, limited worker protections and an underfunded social safety net. It’s hard to have nuanced conversations online about that component of her brand given the size and scale of the fandom. The jet conversation is one small piece of the larger discussion.
Liz I just love the way your mind works, sees and plays with what’s obvious and overlooked. Taylor’s jet pollutes? Oh, jets pollute! Hmm, maybe that’s worth looking into
Great post, Liz! Definitely gave me food for thought...
My initial response (unfortunately) is to jump to Taylor's defense because I can't think of a solution for how she'd travel otherwise. I could truly see chaos erupting - both in an airport or on an actual plane - if she attempted to fly commercial because, as Chris C. mentioned earlier, "her level of celebrity is unsustainable" to the point that she can't integrate with the general population. Taxes or increased fees could help, but I still think private travel would be necessary.
This article is just delicious! I love that this topic has come up on Fox News and they are creating their worst enemy in all this coverage and hype about Tay-tay being the ultimate villan. What idiocy! Certainly they have no care for the matter at hand, its just a matter to throw up as a critique of our Lord and Savior Taylor.
Of course Fox's calling our Taylor's private jet use is cynical, but they're not entirely wrong. That said, I love Taylor in general. I'm a gigantic supporter and fan. But I do worry that her level of celebrity is unsustainable and unhealthy for her as a human. I also worry about our tendency as a society to put our faith in "saviors", be they Obama, Trump, Oprah or Taylor Swift. I think our putting our faith in individuals is misplaced. We need to work on systems. We need to take responsibility ourselves to change things. I love Taylor, and while I think she uses her influence for positive change, the flip side of that very same power is a cult of personality that is not good for a society.
Taylor Swift is the type of Billionaire I want to see more of in the world.
I think it’s hilarious the people from F world have literally sensationalized T Swift! Is it ironic that the owner of F has multiple private jets?!? Never heard a peep from the employees. Reminds me of an episode of Succession…another great read LP
Liz, I’m so happy you are writing about this, as I have also been reflecting on this for the past several months. I am a devoted O.G. Swiftie, yet I feel very strongly that *no one* is above reproach, even Taylor Swift. Voicing her political views, standing up for the marginalized, using her voice against bigotry and misogyny, fighting for reproductive and social justice, promoting voter registration—all of these things make me so proud to be a Swiftie. Yet, we cannot turn a blind eye to areas where she could do better—such as her massive carbon emissions. If we blindly follow “our goddess and savior Taylor Swift”, we’ve created a cult leader who is beyond reproach or criticism. We should praise the (many) ways she has advanced feminism in this country and literally boosted the economy, while acknowledging areas in which she could do better.
However, on the flip side, I struggle when asking myself: “as a billionaire, is she doing *enough*?” Is this a representation of my own internalized misogyny? Am I asking the same thing of billionaires Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, even philanthropist billionaires like Bill Gates (no)? Are we holding Taylor to a double standard—in fact, a higher standard—*because* she is a woman? And even if we are, does it do any good? Does social pressure truly influence Taylor’s behavior? The Queen of Easter eggs, I can’t help imagine there is more going on behind the scenes than any of us are aware of—good, bad, and ugly.
I agree with you - though with a gulp in my throat because that does mean acknowledging Fox.
I also feel like her fandom tends to stamp down very real critiques of billionaires in the US. Billionaires are a public policy failure and though she’s a superstar, she still got there through a system largely built on inequity, extractive capital practices, limited worker protections and an underfunded social safety net. It’s hard to have nuanced conversations online about that component of her brand given the size and scale of the fandom. The jet conversation is one small piece of the larger discussion.
Liz I just love the way your mind works, sees and plays with what’s obvious and overlooked. Taylor’s jet pollutes? Oh, jets pollute! Hmm, maybe that’s worth looking into
Great post, Liz! Definitely gave me food for thought...
My initial response (unfortunately) is to jump to Taylor's defense because I can't think of a solution for how she'd travel otherwise. I could truly see chaos erupting - both in an airport or on an actual plane - if she attempted to fly commercial because, as Chris C. mentioned earlier, "her level of celebrity is unsustainable" to the point that she can't integrate with the general population. Taxes or increased fees could help, but I still think private travel would be necessary.
This article is just delicious! I love that this topic has come up on Fox News and they are creating their worst enemy in all this coverage and hype about Tay-tay being the ultimate villan. What idiocy! Certainly they have no care for the matter at hand, its just a matter to throw up as a critique of our Lord and Savior Taylor.