When I first started writing for The Odyssey, back in September, my first article was a defense of Taylor Swift. Ever since around seventh grade, Taylor Swift has been my hero. I thought I would always admire Taylor Swift and consider her my favorite celebrity, but that's changed rapidly in the span of six months.
If I had to point out when I started doubting Taylor Swift, I'd pick the Paris attacks. Weird,right? Doesn't seem like there should be any relation. However, one of my memories of that day was Swift, like most other celebrities, posting about Paris on Facebook. I wasn't angry that she hadn't mentioned the other terrorist attacks around the world (although, let's face it, there is definitely a double standard between the reaction when terrorist attacks happen in Western countries and when they occur in Non-Western ones), but I was disappointed that she expressed her sympathy for the victims and for Paris by using a photo of herself from one of her music videos. My first thought was that the use of the picture was selfish. Maybe she used it in order to show how much she loves Paris, but Paris is Paris. It's hard to find someone who doesn't love Paris. By putting herself in that situation, Swift distracted from the victims and their suffering. It almost seemed like she was trying to promote/readdress her music video at the same time, which should have been the last thing on her mind.
Like all of us other "normal" people, I sometimes wish that I was famous. Not just for the clothes and the fancy house and money (although all of that sounds pretty good) but also because celebrities have power. Whether you're an actor, a singer, a businessman/woman, or a chef, if you're famous, your words reach a wide audience. Therefore, I believe that people who have the power to address a wide audience and to use their fame to make the world a better place have a responsibility to speak out about important issues. Perhaps "Humans of New York" founder Brandon Stanton put in best when he said that, although he's not an activist, he began to feel a lot of guilt when not speaking out about moral problems (in his case, he's referring to his dismissal of Donald Trump). Celebrities will be heard if they speak out about moral problems, and they need to do so in order to help improve the world.
I was disappointed when Swift refused to address politics or anything concerning the presidential race, but I didn't think she was obligated to. Even though her fellow singers, Katy Perry and Demi Lovato, have supported democratic candidate Hilary Clinton, I didn't expect Swift to say anything about politics. However, I recently found out that Trump has previously called Taylor Swift terrific, this past November. Now, I don't know about you, but if I was called terrific by someone who was racist and misogynistic, I'd probably be a little bit worried and want to respond. However, Swift remained silent.
Truth is, Taylor Swift let me down. And yes, I know she wouldn't care and that it doesn't matter because you shouldn't make celebrities your heroes, but it still matters when people who have power refuse to advocate for important causes. I think Swift wants to stay out of everything controversial because she doesn't want to lose fans by sharing her own views. In other words, because talking about moral problems would case her to lose fans and money, Swift refuses to do so. When she does donate money, she gives to foundations and causes that could not be considered controversial, such as organizations to help find cures for cancer. She only started speaking about feminism in 2014, when, to be honest, being a feminist became "mainstream," and even when she mentions issues in feminism, her feminism is so white that it automatically excludes many women of color. Swift is so against controversy that even when she donated money to Kesha during her trial against Dr. Luke, she didn't voice her opinion or denounce Dr.Luke in any way. While I realize that it was very generous of Swift to donate money, one has to keep in mind that Kesha is also an international popstar. What she needed at the time was vocal support, and Swift refused to give any to her because it might be seen as controversial.
I don't think I could ever actively dislike Taylor Swift. I still admire her music, but I realize that she's not the person I thought she was. As someone who knows the importance of speaking out about important issues, it's hard for me to believe that celebrities who have so much reach and power would keep silent about moral questions and concerns. Celebrities have the power to change and shape the world more than most of us, and it's about time that they used it.
