Falling Out of Love with Taylor Swift

A month ago, I wrote about my problems with Sabrina Carpenter. I don’t mean to keep complaining about female pop stars, but I wanted to do something different with Taylor Swift: talk about reasons I fell out of love with her as a person. I’d like to start by saying that she does face sexist criticism. A lot of it. The problem I have is more with her fanbase than with her in particular. Ultimately, the problem lies in billionaire worship, something that Taylor cannot control.

My whole life I’ve been listening to Taylor. One of my first memories was listening to “I Knew You Were Trouble” on the radio. I fondly remember freaking out when the “Wildest Dreams” music video was released. I’ve cried to Folklore. I even went to the Era’s movie tour last year. I still love her music and think she’s a wonderful musician. I would be fine if I never heard Carpenter again, but I cannot say the same about Swift’s music. My problems lie with how her fans still tout her as a good person despite her actions and failure to take action. 

There’s this idea among Swifties that their queen is a philanthropist, pure-hearted individual. I'd like to say “there’s no such thing as an ethical billionaire". I know a lot of people would disagree, especially in the case of Swift. You might say “she gets her money from the fans”. But she doesn’t need your money. Think about it. Think about the money you spend on vinyls, CDs, t-shirts, coffee table books, and popcorn buckets. She sells everything and not at a small price either. A poorly made in china t-shirt is sold for fifty plus dollars, which seems reasonable to pay (at least for me) for a smaller musician who makes hardly anything off music streams or touring BUT for a billionaire, she could lower that upcharge for fans OR even better pay those making her merch a fair wage. But this isn’t about how the capitalist violently steals money from the working class in the form of profits, NO, this is about philanthropy. 

I’d like to recognize that there are ways I approve of having wealth. Another blonde iconic country-to-pop singer IS someone who deserves recognition for her work to help others and use her wealth for good. Of course, that person is Dolly Parton. Coming from a classic country upbringing without much wealth, she decided to use her enormous wealth for good: helping reduce childhood literacy, giving a million to develop the COVID-19 vaccine, and assisting families who have been harmed by natural disasters. After all… what else could she possibly spend all of that money on. 

She likely privately engages in philanthropy, but not to the point where it makes a substantial dent in her worth. The reason I think billionaires should give away a good amount of their money is simply because they’ll never be able to spend it all. No matter how many designer dresses, red-bottom shoes, or expensive cars she buys, she will not be able to spend all her money. So why not give it to those who need it more? Through and through I am a charity shamer for the wealthy because her tipping cocktail waiters in hundred is the equivalent of us tipping them in pennies. 

Now time for political views and activism! She has done the very classic “I’m endorsing [insert democratic canadite] for president. Please do your research and vote regardless of your party”. Honestly, that’s fine. I wish she could’ve said things about Trump not being definitive as to whether he would sign a nationwide abortion ban or project 2025 or any issue that she finds important, but I understand that getting out to vote no matter who they’re voting for is important. Even though I wish some Trump voters would’ve just stayed home. 

A smaller thing that’s worth mentioning since it is something I care about as a Missourian is her support of the Chiefs. Her boyfriend plays for the Chiefs so naturally she goes to their games, wears their merch, etc. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’ve never heard her speak on the harmful Native American stereotypes that the team perpetuates, most specifically the tomahawk chop. I’m likely in a liberal bubble, but with most teams (for example, Washington Redskins and Cleveland Indians) listening to native activists and recognizing their faults, I doubt many people would take offense at Taylor bringing attention to activists who want changes within the Kansas City Chiefs. She’s without a doubt the person of most influence to make a change since she’s their most famous fan. 

Another place where activism is needed is in Gaza. A celebrity's failure to speak out about Palestine, especially someone like Taylor Swift, who has the unique ability to influence millions of people, is a moral failure. Change can only occur with US government and business pressures on Israel, which requires Americans to enact the pressure. I’m not trying to gatekeep how she talks about it, even one repost showing a picture of Gaza could make a big difference. Again, I don’t want to make this post describing my views on so many issues. I do just want to point out her actions instead of trying to change your personal opinions on these issues. One can think of many other or different causes she could advocate for, all of which would make an incredible difference; these are just two: one which I think she’s uniquely positioned to speak out on, and the other, the most pressing issue facing the world today.  

She’s a person as complex as you and me. Her failure to speak out isn’t a result of her being an evil person. I think it comes from a place of fearing loss of money and personal relationships. But when there’s so much going on and you have everything someone could ever want, it’s time to consider the interests of those being harmed without prioritizing your interests. 

Finally, what I consider her most terrible actions, the jet rides. She has broken her record numerous times for shortest jet rides, which were all for the sake of saving a few thousand dollars in airport slotting fees. In 2022, she was named “celebrity polluter of the year,” and it only got worse when she began frequently travelling to Kansas City. Over the span of three months in 2023, her jet released 138 tons of CO2 emissions. To be fair, many celebrities’ private jets release more carbon emissions than her, and it’s been reported that she has purchased carbon credits to offset emissions. I argue that carbon credits, which are primarily used as a deterrent from polluting, should not be taken as undoing the damage. I consider this “greenwashing”; she wants to seem environmentally conscious while not taking real steps to change her carbon footprint. These credits are not like “oh that much carbon gets taken out of the atmosphere”, like literally only an idiot could think that. The money is used on projects that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, an example of which would be planting more trees. There are numerous problems that environmentalists have with these credits. An article I enjoyed reading on this was from Time Magazine, written about two years ago, entitled “Bogus Carbon Credits are a ‘Pervasive’ Problem, Scientists Warn”. Carbon credits are a situation where you should do some research and come to your own conclusions because, from my understanding, they can be an effective short-term solution if implemented correctly by governments, but if incorrectly done, can do nothing and at worst, harm indigenous land. Hearing about how she releases so much carbon can feel debilitating because it makes me think it’s impossible for me, an individual, to make a difference. While I’m doing everything I can, she only does what she needs to do to avoid backlash. Her impact is so much larger than mine or hers that she has a moral imperative to reduce her pollution. The climate is getting warmer which is already impacting the global south in numerous ways. She, other celebrities, and big businesses need to do more. Point blank. Period. 

Still, I would never judge someone for listening to her music. I love her music. I grew up listening to her, coming of age as she became a pop star. As a teenage girl, I found her ability to never get over anything relatable, and it’s great that so many young women can find a place of belonging as a Swiftie and within her music. I also admire her as a smart businesswoman and think critiques of her being manipulative are largely based in sexism. The marketing around her re-releases and eras tour was genius. All that I wish to say is reconsider the artists whom you choose to idolize. Just because someone presents themselves as a down-to-earth person who loves all their fans doesn’t mean they’re not profiting off you and using those profits to harm the environment.