Everybody makes mistakes; it is simply human nature. However, the pattern I’ve seen as of late of glorifying icons, especially to the point of disregarding any wrongdoing they are guilty of, is alarming. You can have whatever opinion on “cancel culture” you want, but not holding people accountable is another thing. The first person with a comparable fanbase that comes to mind will for sure be a controversial one, but is a great example: Taylor Swift.
Swift has garnered millions and millions of fans over the course of her career, making her one of the most successful musicians of all time and a role model to girls all over the world. I think it’s fine that girls are able to relate to Swift’s music and look up to her, but it’s saddening to me how ignorant many are of some of her actions. Today, awareness about global warming and attempting to reduce our carbon footprint is more important than ever, but according to Newsweek, Taylor Swift’s continuous and constant private jet use (even for flights of just 13 minutes!) is causing some serious damage to our atmosphere (Smith). According to The Fulcrum, Swift also has said that she “need[s] to be on the right side of history (Daley-Harris),” stating a desire to be more politically active, but there has been an active genocide in Palestine funded by the US for years now, and it’s been radio silence from her. With such a platform, even a brief acknowledgement of the atrocities taking place could be huge for raising awareness and funds for the cause, but (presumably in fear of losing fans who are in favor of Israel), Swift hasn’t made a single statement.
Now, while I cannot completely come for “Swifties” as many are very young and may not be educated enough to understand these types of things, many are also definitely old enough to be able to choose whether or not they will be ignorant. I want to make it clear that I believe it’s fine to still partake in a celebrity’s content and like aspects about them as a person, even after they have done questionable things. I don’t believe Taylor Swift is completely irredeemable by any means, but to act like she is a “feminist icon” when she’s been spotted and associated with known abusers like Jackson Mahomes (Press), and Matty Healy, who’s been known to make many sexually objectifying and racist comments about women (Carter), is not right. We cannot keep putting celebrities on a pedestal when they have their own flaws they are guilty of. I will never judge somebody for being a fan of Taylor’s, or any other celebrity with a similar track record, for that matter, but it’s a different story when it turns into blatant ignorance.
Smith, R. (n.d.). Taylor Swift’s private jet flew on 13-minute journey to T… Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/taylor-swift-private-jet-jack-sweeney-flights-1868272
Daley-Harris, S. (2024, May 30). Taylor Swift: “I need to be on the right side of history.” The Fulcrum. https://thefulcrum.us/pop-culture/taylor-swift-miss-americana
Carter, A. (2023, June 25). Rina Sawayama called out Matty Healy for his racist remarks. Teen Vogue. https://www.teenvogue.com/story/rina-sawayama-calls-out-matty-healy
Press, A. (n.d.). Jackson Mahomes, brother of Chiefs QB, sentenced to probation. ESPN. https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/39684295/jackson-mahomes-brother-chiefs-qb-sentenced-probation