3:41 am - 01/21/2013
I've finally reached my breaking point. LEAVEBRITNEY TAYLOR ALONE.
To give you some background, it seems that people are especially mad at T Swizzle this month. They are upset with her for many reasons, like ostensibly being asexual, having an out-of-control interest in antique shopping, dating too many men, and not being sufficiently feminist. Let me repeat. Asexual. Antique shopping. Too many men. Anti-feminist.
First of all, judging a young person's perceived sexual orientation? Just stop. And I'm not going to touch the antiquing thing with a 10 foot pole.
In terms of slut-shaming her for having multiple boyfriends, I think it's pretty obvious why we shouldn't be doing it to a 23-year-old girl, whether she's a mega-star or just out of college from small town Pennsylvania. No one deserves that. Not Taylor and not her young fans, who are probably internalizing these critiques as we speak.
Even Michael J. Fox joined the chorus this week. He said: "Taylor Swift writes songs about everybody she goes out with [...] What a way to build a career." (Sidenote: Taylor tweeted that he got in touch and they were "good.")
Now, I have a lot to say about this "Taylor Swift is sexist" argument. There was one particularly jarring article recently published on Buzzfeed that got to the heart of the issue for me. The piece analyzed lyrics from her songs and asked us: "Does Taylor Swift Hate Other Women?"
But what I'd like to know from Buzzfeed is: "Why do you?"
I'm not arguing that her songs are perfect feminist anthems that romanticize healthy romantic relationships. Few, if any, mainstream musicians today (male or female) write songs that are not problematic in that sense, and this probably says more about our preferences as an audience than their talent as artists.
Why, suddenly, do we all feel it's her responsibility to carry our political banner for us?
It's one thing to have a feminist analysis of Taylor Swift's songs and to find them wanting. It's another to dismiss her because her music doesn't achieve feminism perfection in a vacuum where no one does. The more we focus on and disapprove of the few female singers who dare do their own writing, the more we are creating a hostile environment for empowered female artists to exist, period. Moreover, Taylor Swift has actually negotiated interesting -- and arguably, unprecedented -- ways to retain her agency in an industry that would rather she didn't.
That's what makes her a feminist role model. When any young singer writes a love song after being in a high-profile relationship, there will always be salacious speculation. Taylor Swift participates in the guessing game -- she drops actual code words in her song titles to help guide her fans -- and in doing so, she coopts the conversation. Some people even accuse her of manufacturing paparazzi photo-ops of public dates she has with her boyfriends.
Even though there's little she can do to change the system that puts her private life as a young, female celebrity on display, Taylor Swift appears to have created a model where she can manipulate it. She has preemptively created a narrative for herself that she has power over and, for the most part, has benefitted her career ("Red" has broken how many sales records?).
In an industry that is known for targeting young, successful women and attempting to strip them of their agency, Taylor Swift serves as a powerful example of someone who has fought back in ways that are smart, complicated, and unapologetic. And that's pretty badass, in my humble feminist opinion.
So, I guess what I'm trying to say is, for the sake of my sanity, I would like it very much if you would all take a moment to think about why it is that you hate her and other successful women in our viciously sexist celebrity culture. (Also, why you seem to think shopping for old furniture is such a reprehensible habit. Seriously, what?)
It's also probably worth mentioning that Taylor Swift clearly doesn't need my defense. She's got this.
Follow Elizabeth Perle on Twitter: www.twitter.com/lizperle
Source
*I don't fully agree that Taylor is some kind of feminist role model, because she doesn't label herself as one. However, I do find that some of the critiques of her and her music are very telling. Criticizing Taylor Swift for her life choices says more about those criticizing her than it does about Taylor.
Defending Taylor Swift
I've finally reached my breaking point. LEAVE
To give you some background, it seems that people are especially mad at T Swizzle this month. They are upset with her for many reasons, like ostensibly being asexual, having an out-of-control interest in antique shopping, dating too many men, and not being sufficiently feminist. Let me repeat. Asexual. Antique shopping. Too many men. Anti-feminist.
First of all, judging a young person's perceived sexual orientation? Just stop. And I'm not going to touch the antiquing thing with a 10 foot pole.
In terms of slut-shaming her for having multiple boyfriends, I think it's pretty obvious why we shouldn't be doing it to a 23-year-old girl, whether she's a mega-star or just out of college from small town Pennsylvania. No one deserves that. Not Taylor and not her young fans, who are probably internalizing these critiques as we speak.
Even Michael J. Fox joined the chorus this week. He said: "Taylor Swift writes songs about everybody she goes out with [...] What a way to build a career." (Sidenote: Taylor tweeted that he got in touch and they were "good.")
Now, I have a lot to say about this "Taylor Swift is sexist" argument. There was one particularly jarring article recently published on Buzzfeed that got to the heart of the issue for me. The piece analyzed lyrics from her songs and asked us: "Does Taylor Swift Hate Other Women?"
But what I'd like to know from Buzzfeed is: "Why do you?"
I'm not arguing that her songs are perfect feminist anthems that romanticize healthy romantic relationships. Few, if any, mainstream musicians today (male or female) write songs that are not problematic in that sense, and this probably says more about our preferences as an audience than their talent as artists.
Why, suddenly, do we all feel it's her responsibility to carry our political banner for us?
It's one thing to have a feminist analysis of Taylor Swift's songs and to find them wanting. It's another to dismiss her because her music doesn't achieve feminism perfection in a vacuum where no one does. The more we focus on and disapprove of the few female singers who dare do their own writing, the more we are creating a hostile environment for empowered female artists to exist, period. Moreover, Taylor Swift has actually negotiated interesting -- and arguably, unprecedented -- ways to retain her agency in an industry that would rather she didn't.
That's what makes her a feminist role model. When any young singer writes a love song after being in a high-profile relationship, there will always be salacious speculation. Taylor Swift participates in the guessing game -- she drops actual code words in her song titles to help guide her fans -- and in doing so, she coopts the conversation. Some people even accuse her of manufacturing paparazzi photo-ops of public dates she has with her boyfriends.
Even though there's little she can do to change the system that puts her private life as a young, female celebrity on display, Taylor Swift appears to have created a model where she can manipulate it. She has preemptively created a narrative for herself that she has power over and, for the most part, has benefitted her career ("Red" has broken how many sales records?).
In an industry that is known for targeting young, successful women and attempting to strip them of their agency, Taylor Swift serves as a powerful example of someone who has fought back in ways that are smart, complicated, and unapologetic. And that's pretty badass, in my humble feminist opinion.
So, I guess what I'm trying to say is, for the sake of my sanity, I would like it very much if you would all take a moment to think about why it is that you hate her and other successful women in our viciously sexist celebrity culture. (Also, why you seem to think shopping for old furniture is such a reprehensible habit. Seriously, what?)
It's also probably worth mentioning that Taylor Swift clearly doesn't need my defense. She's got this.
Follow Elizabeth Perle on Twitter: www.twitter.com/lizperle
Source
*I don't fully agree that Taylor is some kind of feminist role model, because she doesn't label herself as one. However, I do find that some of the critiques of her and her music are very telling. Criticizing Taylor Swift for her life choices says more about those criticizing her than it does about Taylor.
i'm not speaking to you personally, but i do think it's relevant that ontd criticises taylor for 'slut-shaming' more than it does beyonce, for example. it suggests that taylor gets more criticism just because she's less popular here, rather than slut-shaming being a 'no-go' area for ontd.
Its not hard to pick out damaging stereotypes about being virginal and being oversexed/slutty, its bullshit most women have dealt with our whole lives and she's participated in it more than almost any other modern popstar. Its depressing that she feels women need to be separated by how much sex and what type of sex you are having.
"she feels women need to be separated by how much sex and what type of sex you are having" - that is totally putting words into her mouth.
I personally don't think anyone has done anything that wrong, sometimes it's fine to call out people for their behavior and Taylor never really names names. I love both of them as singers and people really do cause much ado about nothing. But if you are all going to focus on Taylor, you have to focus on the rest as well.
You's a nasty, nasty, trashy, nasty
Sleazy, nasty classless, nasty
Nasty put some clothes on, I told ya
Don't walk out your house without your clothes on, I told ya
Girl what you thinkin' bout lookin' that to' down, I told ya
These men don't want no hot female that's
Been around the block female, you nasty girl
Nasty put some clothes on, I told ya
Don't walk out your house without your clothes on, I told ya
Girl what you thinkin' bout lookin' that to' down, I told ya
These men don't want no hot female that's
Been around the block female, you nasty girl
Shakin' that thang on that man
Lookin' all stank and nasty
Swore you look cute girl in them dukes
Booty all out lookin' trashy
Sleazy put some clothes on, I told ya
Don't walk out ya heezy without clothes on, I told ya
You nasty girl, you nasty you trashy
You classless girl, you sleazy you freaky
I never met a girl that does the things that you do
Change don't come your way it will come back to you
Put some clothes on girl
Nasty put some clothes on, I told ya
Don't walk out your house without your clothes on, I told ya
Girl what you thinkin' bout lookin' that to' down, I told ya
These men don't want no hot female that's
Been around the block female, you nasty girl
Nasty put some clothes on, I told ya
Don't walk out your house without your clothes on, I told ya
Girl what you thinkin' bout lookin' that to' down, I told ya
These men don't want no hot female that's
Been around the block female, you nasty girl
Booty all out, tongue out her mouth
Cleavage from here to Mexico
She walks wit a twist, one hand on her hip
When she gets wit'cha she lets it go
Nasty put some clothes on, you look to' down
Nasty don't know why you, will not sit down
Boots on her feet, swear she's in heat
Flirtin' wit every man she sees
Her pants hangin' low, she never says no
Everyone knows she's easy
Nasty put some clothes on, you lookin' stank
Nasty where's your pride, you should be ashamed
Hard for women like me
Who try to have some intergrity
You make it hard for girls like myself
Who respect themselves and have dignity
You nasty girl, you nasty, you trashy
You classless girl, you sleazy, you freaky
N A S T Y ya nasty, F R E A K Y ya freaky
Girl where's your P R I D E, put some clothes on
Nasty put some clothes on, I told ya
Don't walk out your house without your clothes on, I told ya
Girl what you thinkin' bout lookin' that to' down, I told ya
These men don't want no hot female that's
Been around the block female, you nasty girl
Nasty put some clothes on, I told ya
Don't walk out your house without your clothes on, I told ya
Girl what you thinkin' bout lookin' that to' down, I told ya
These men don't want no hot female that's
Been around the block female, you nasty girl
You so nasty girl, you so, you so nasty girl
You so, you so nasty girl, you so
You so nasty girl put some clothes on girl
Nasty put some clothes on, I told ya
Don't walk out your house without your clothes on, I told ya
Girl what you thinkin' bout lookin' that to' down, I told ya
These men don't want no hot female that's
Been around the block female, you nasty girl
Nasty put some clothes on, I told ya
Don't walk out your house without your clothes on, I told ya
Girl what you thinkin' bout lookin' that to' down, I told ya
These men don't want no hot female that's
Been around the block female, you nasty girl
Nasty girl, you so, you so, you so
Nasty girl, nasty, nasty, nasty, nasty girl
all taylor stans need 2 stop posting