I've never particularly cared for Taylor Swift. I've also never particularly cared for both Kim Kardashian or Kanye West. Now, suddenly I care about both.
In case you've been living completely off the grid and aren't polished up on the latest popular culture, Taylor Swift and Kim Kardashian have found themselves in a celebrity feud so explosive, it's practically World War III for the entertainment industry. Long story short, Kanye West released a song called "Famous" that references Swift and their infamous moment at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. Swift was not happy upon the song's release, swearing that she had never heard the lines in which she's referenced and most certainly did not approve them. She even called West out on the fiasco while accepting a Grammy award in February. Fast forward a few months, and West's wife Kim Kardashian tells her side of the story for GQ, calling Taylor a liar. The building tension finally erupted into full-blown madness when Kim posted a series of Snapchat videos detailing a phone call between the two musicians, in which Swift clearly and enthusiastically approves the line West read to her.
Recommended for you
There have been plenty of memes, trending hashtags, and emoji spamming (the snake emoji will forever have a different meaning) in wake of the incident. For the most part, Internet users have sided with Kim and Kanye, even praising them for exposing Taylor's previous statements to be false.
I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy watching this unfold. While I do wish that Kim, and the entire Kardashian clan for that matter, be less sensationalized in the media, I can't help but enjoy the fact that she has now made a name for herself for doing something at least somewhat important.
Taylor Swift has become notorious for not-so-subtly referencing various celebrities in her music (Katy Perry, John Mayer, Harry Styles and the list goes on and on). She is practically branded for it, and anytime she is photographed with a new man, expect to hear a song about him in the months to come (sorry Calvin Harris and Tom Hiddleston, but you've been warned).
Swift began her career as a young, impressionable and innocently sweet country girl. She gained a fan base by giving off the persona that she was down-to-earth, and that she was someone people could root for. And oh did they root for her, especially when West famously rooted against her in favor of Beyoncé. But since that moment nearly seven years ago, Swift changed. Most obviously, with her music. She transitioned herself from a country artist to full-blown pop superstar, never wavering in either genre's charts. But her downfall came in the way she presented herself. Constantly playing the role of the victim eventually became old, and many grew sick of her act. Her songs, while undoubtedly catchy, also grew tiresome. When she burst onto the scene as a 16-year-old, writing songs about young love and heartbreak was endearing. But as she got older, so did her material. Now 26, her lyrics continue to sound like a teenage girl's diary, making her look and sound immature. Just see her single "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together," which is rumored to be about Jake Gyllenhaal, if you aren't fully convinced.
Now, I don't mean for this to sound like strictly a bashing of Taylor Swift. The couple known as Kimye have rubbed celebrities and average people alike the wrong way. He is thought to be arrogant, rude and selfish. She is thought to be promiscuous, unintelligent, and essentially, famous for nothing. These people would be right, and I will not deny that I share the same thoughts. Despite overwhelming Internet reaction to Kim's Snapchats exposing Taylor, the couple may in fact face legal trouble due to the fact that they recorded a phone call that Swift was not aware of. Even though their son's name might imply otherwise, they are no saints.
However, when it comes to the industry, people need to be smart--even if that means being ruthless in the eyes of some. Swift may have thought she was smart by bending the truth and acting that she knew nothing of "Famous." Kim turned out to be smarter. She took the time to think about executing a plan to prove Taylor wrong, and let it run its course instead of firing back immediately after Taylor told the press she did not approve.
This feud is surely not going to die down anytime soon, and many believe that Kim actually destroyed Taylor's career from here on out. It's unknown whether that is true, but for now, there is some truth behind her act. Whether people will continue to buy it is up to them.
