An unpopular opinion of Taylor Swift

The fact that Taylor Swift is mixed up with football somehow makes perfect sense, considering everyone seems so eager to proclaim themselves for “Team Taylor” or tear her down.

This says a lot about us on two levels.

First, it illustrates how we’ve become so dependent, in our society, on living vicariously through others. It would be simple to just tell people to “get a life,” and I’m often tempted to do just that. But then I remember how hard life can be, especially for the increasing number of folks on the lower end of the economic spectrum.

When you’re struggling to get ahead, distracting yourself with a reality show might not be so bad. It’s entertainment. And when you’ve got two forms of entertainment within the entertainment (music and sports), well, that’s a win-win-win… Unless the Chiefs lose or you happen to be a Raiders fan.

Personally, I don’t want to see camera shots of Taylor Swift at a Chiefs game any more than I’d want to see them of Travis Kelce at a Swift concert. If I’m watching a football game, I want to see football. If I’m at a concert, I’m there to hear the music and don’t care whether some football player’s in the audience, backstage, or in the same city.

But that’s me.

Besides, it’s the other level that worries me more.

PERSONAL TASTE

I grew up in world where musical taste was about just that: music. I liked some artists a lot; with others, I’d change the station if one of their songs came on the radio. But the vast majority existed in some nether region for me. I didn’t love them or hate them. They were either pleasant enough or easy to ignore.

Taylor Swift falls into that category for me. I’ve heard some of her songs; some I find appealing (“Anti-Hero,” “Love Story”) , while others are just annoying to me. There’s even one, “Cruel Summer,” that I find catchy and annoying at the same time.

She’s obviously talented and hardworking. But Taylor Swift will never be Queen to me (I’m talking about the band, not the title). Or Fleetwood Mac. Or Green Day. Or P!nk. I’d rank scores of other musical artists ahead of her if you asked my personal preference—all of whom are talented and hardworking too. I just like their music better.

On the other hand I have no desire to cart them all away to a baseball stadium and set them on fire, either, like it was 1979 all over again.

I love the fact that Swift fought to win back the rights to her songs. It’s the thing I like most about her. On the other hand, it seems kind of crass to air your dirty relationship laundry in songs that are heard by millions of people.

The upshot is, I have a nuanced opinion of Taylor Swift.

But in today’s world, that’s not allowed. Increasingly, people aren’t even judging Swift by her music, but as some sort of symbol in the “culture wars.” For some reason I don’t quite understand, a lot of self-described conservatives downright hate her. Is it because of her positions affirming LGBTQ rights and a woman’s right to choose an abortion?

A lot of celebrities hold those views and don’t get the kind of flak that she does.

More likely, it’s because she’s become SO popular that they see her as a threat. Maybe it’s because she, as a woman, fought back against the male-dominated music industry and won. But whatever the reason, they don’t like her at all.

‘OWNING’ THE ENEMY

Then there are those on the left who relish her success—not because of her talent or her music or even her views in themselves, but simply because she has conservatives in a tizzy. How mature is that? And how is it any different than the right wing taking glee in “owning the libs”?

Regardless of anyone’s views on Swift’s music or even her social views, it’s come down to a very simple and primitive equation: If the “other side” likes her, we don’t, and if the other side hates her, we love her. If you’re on the left and don’t like her music, there must be something wrong with you. If you’re on the right and do like it, you’d better not admit it.

I’m not interested in any of this. I want to be free to express my opinion of Swift’s music or concert performance or whatever without worrying about the political ramifications. That’s what I’ve done in this article and intend to keep doing, because I have the right to my opinion (you do too). Plus, it’s the best way I know to push back against the impulse to aggrandize or stigmatize someone based solely on what “the other side” thinks of her.

I grew up in a world that in some ways was very unlike this one. We judged music based on whether we liked it, not whether our “tribe” likes the person who’s singing it. I miss that world, not get because I’m nostalgic, but because people treated each other better, by and large, when they focused on content and taste rather than culture wars.

As a fellow artist, I wish Swift all the best—just as I do millions of other artists who aren’t on the front pages, in stadium skyboxes, and symbols of the divisiveness that is tearing us apart.

When it comes to using Swift as a political football, I’d rather just punt.

Stephen H. Provost is a former journalist, the author of more than 50 books, and the founder of Dragon Crown Books. You can find out more about his books at dragoncrownbooks.com.