As a general rule, I do not look to celebrities to inform my opinions on politics. And I strongly recommend that approach for everyone. Getting your politics from a celebrity is like getting medical advice from a plumber. It’s both misguided and irrational.
That even applies to celebrities with the star power of Taylor Swift. I’m fully aware that, in terms of celebrity star power, she’s on a very different level compared to most. I even referenced her when I said nobody should ever be as famous as Michael Jackson. Be that as it may, she might very well be the only one to come close to that level of star power.
Now, I don’t consider myself a full-blown Swifty, as they’re called. But I do have friends and relatives who are as passionate about all things Taylor Swift as I am about superhero comics. And I totally respect that. I get that kind of passion. But even those die-hard Taylor Swift fans understand on some levels that she’s not a political figure. She’s an entertainer and, by far, one of the most successful of the past 25 years.
Then, there are those who are angry at Taylor Swift for her recent politics. But unlike other instances in which celebrities mix star power with politics in objectively awful ways, this anger is even dumber than usual. It barely even has anything to do with politics, which makes it even dumber when people try to put a political spin on it.
While I’d rather not get into all the drama surrounding Taylor Swift’s foray into politics, going back to 2020, the current source of outrage is this. Taylor Swift is dating Travis Kelce, the star tight end of the Kansas City Chiefs. And her presence at Chiefs games has had a significant impact on both the ratings of those and the overall interest in this relationship.
Naturally, the NFL loves the extra attention they’re getting from Swift’s legion of dedicated fans. But there is also a sizable crowd of angry, politically motivated individuals who hate the attention she’s bringing to the games, as well as the “politics” she’s engaged in. And I put “politics” in quotes because the criteria these people are using is too stupid for me to put into words.
Officially, the only real political activity Swift has engaged in since 2020 is encouraging people to register to vote. She never told anyone who to vote for or even what party to vote for. She just used her massive platform as a celebrity to get people out to vote. In most circumstances, that’s an objectively good thing. Getting people to participate in the democratic process helps the country, as a whole.
But unofficially, those who hate this brand of “politics” think she and Travis Kelce are part of some elaborate conspiracy to rig the 2024 Presidential Election against their side. They genuinely believe in a real, tangible conspiracy theory that has shadowy political forces manipulating Swift into influencing the upcoming election in a certain way.
Again, it is too stupid for words. I could write an entire book on how stupid it is, but it still wouldn’t be enough.
So, without getting too deep into the politics, I just want to convey one important message to those who are angry with Taylor Swift, her politics, her current relationship, and her public persona.
Getting angry at her for such petty reasons is a huge mistake.
That’s not a warning or anything. That’s just a simple, logical observation. Because targeting public figures for their political views is bad enough. We’ve already seen this same crowd of angry reactionaries target companies, comedians, school boards, and even a children’s hospital.
Yes, they actually got angry at a children’s hospital. That, alone, should tell you all you need to know about the nature of these peoples’ anger.
But going after Taylor Swift is different. She is not someone who is unaccustomed to public scrutiny. She has been a celebrity for over a decade, long before the current political climate. She also is familiar with dealing with hostile fans. So, she’s likely not going to be intimidated by that sort of fiery rhetoric.
Most critically, Taylor Swift has legions of passionate fans who won’t hesitate to defend her. And in this case, they would be perfectly right in defending her because she’s doing nothing outrageous. Again, all she has done since 2020 is encourage people to register to vote. And the fact that this is what enrages these reactionaries so much is both telling and pathetic.
It’s as though they know for a fact that if more people vote, they’re more likely to lose major elections. They’re aware that their views are unpopular, untenable, and just plain wrong. And the only why they have a chance of winning is if enough people aren’t motivated to vote.
That, in and of itself, is pretty egregious. But take another step back and look at the larger message this outrage is sending. These people are utterly outraged at Taylor Swift, one of the most successful and celebrated entertainers of all time, for simply not agreeing with them politically. The way she carries herself, the way she navigates the world of celebrity, and the political stances she’s taken in the past are just too much for them.
And that, simply put, is pathetic.
On top of that, these reactionaries are telling Swift’s legion of fans that they hate her for this one simple disagreement. And many of those fans are young, passionate, and likely weren’t even interested in her politics until people from a certain end of the political spectrum started attacking her. How do you think they’re going to feel about those who hate her? Moreover, how do you think that’s going to impact their voting habits?
Personally, I still don’t care about Taylor Swift’s politics. Even if she didn’t agree with me politically, I would still have her songs on my workout playlist. Whenever there’s a disagreement like that with anyone, celebrity or otherwise, it’s just easier to shake it off.
But that apparently isn’t enough for these angry, reactionary whiners. They still feel compelled to attack her for the sin of not going along with their agenda. And they really think they’re more powerful than Taylor Swift’s legion of fans.
Well, if they really think that, by all means. Keep trying to villainize her. Keep pretending that hating her won’t have a significant influence on young people who love her music. Just don’t be surprised if the consequences aren’t something you can easily shake off.
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