I would consider myself a casual Taylor Swift fan. While I listen to her music, I definitely don’t know all of her songs and I’m definitely not an expert on picking up on the “easter eggs” other Swifties do.
With her Eras Tour underway, Swift is attracting thousands of her fans to see her perform live for the first time in years. However, the experience for some is muddled by some fans being mean.
But the hate is not directed towards Taylor. People are being mean to fellow fans.
Social media is being flooded with horror stories from Swift’s concerts, such as people being made fun of for their concert outfits. Many fans are going all out on costumes for the concert, making references to Swift’s albums or specific songs.
Dr. Panicha McGuire posted on her TikTok account @drpanichamcguire coming forward with her experience. McGuire dressed as a squirrel in reference to Swift’s Halloween costume in 2021, but she said the reactions she got from some fans made her feel out of place.
“It’s so upsetting to me because I feel like I’ve always seen the Swiftie community as very kind and just loving people,” McGuire said. “We all have this common interest and love for her songs and her music.”
One TikTok that has since been removed showed a fan using the app Shazam to look up a song that Swift was singing. Text on the video read “some people didn’t deserve to survive the great Ticketmaster war.”
People are being called out for being to excited, singing along, sitting down and not knowing all of her songs. There is seemingly no winning for Swift fans, and some have expressed anxiety about attending concerts in fear of being attacked.
Content creator @mellyrios attended a show in Glendale, Arizona, and was shocked to see the how many people were being disrespectful. She took to TikTok to express her disappointment with some fans in the community.
“Swifties are not mean to other Swifties,” she said. “Because not only is it gross and immature behavior, it goes against everything that Taylor Swift believes in.”
Taylor Swift has spoken about how she was bullied when she was younger, specifically in middle school for being a fan of country music. She wrote her song “Mean” following her performance at the 2010 Grammy Awards, where a critic told her she sang off-key and that she “killed her career.”
“The worst kind of person is someone who makes someone feel bad, dumb or stupid for being excited about something,” Swift said in an interview with BBC Radio 1.
There is no “right” way to experience a concert. Some people might be so excited that they spend the whole concert singing along and dancing. Others might just sit and take in the experience.
Both are totally valid.
As Covid-19 restrictions have loosened and people have begun to go to concerts again, some people feel that there needs to be a refresher on concert etiquette. The behavior of some fans at concerts are seemingly ruining the experience for everyone else.
Everyone has the right to enjoy the concert they paid money to go see. As long as you’re being respectful and considerate, you should be able to go out and have a fun night.
For those who are going to see Taylor Swift and are worried about these “mean girls,” remember to just shake it off and enjoy your time.