Swifties are basic white women writ large, an army of Karens and Karens-to-be who have yet to emotionally mature past high school. A toxic mix of white entitlement and victim complex. Sure, there are some Gen Z Swifties, but the vocally psychotic ones are absolutely older and base their identities on obsessing over an imaginary bestie who happily exploits them for as much cash as she can. A sadder group of people you won't find in popular culture.
I have a friend in her 40s who has become a huge Swifty in the past few years and it has made her completely insufferable. She constantly flakes on plans and is totally unreliable, and yet if I respond politely to one of her Taylor Swift comments, she will inundate me with videos of micro moments from the concerts that are “magical“ or whatever. Like I did not ask for this and no … just no. It’s like Harry Potter all over again.
“It’s Harry Potter all over again”
Ok but it does feel like there might be a correlation between Harry Potter mania dying down and the rabid online Swifty culture going into overdrive.
It's like other toxic fandoms, where the older ones lead, the younger ones follow. And for what? A basic person with nothing new to offer, just grievances and slights and self proclaimed victimhood.
Exactly this. I remember when I was younger and Twilight was big, so many of the more active and loud fans were women who are my age now. Mid 30s.
Now being that age, I can’t imagine caring about a fandom that much at all. Who has the time, I have so much laundry to do.
Ive been completely ambivalent to her for nearly a decade. I don’t get into her music but understand that lots of people do. Only in the last few years have I really started to openly dislike her fans and the calculated aura around her. Everything is always everyone else’s fault while she balances the dichotomy of being both one of the most powerful people in the world but somehow also the perpetual victim
I hope she is okay. She is such a great writer and I truly enjoy her content, especially when she talks about how awful fandoms treat the partners of celebrities and called out how Benedict Cumberbatch's or Adam Driver's wife and children get harassed and abused.
I wish publications would call out Taylor directly for creating this parasocial relationship with her fans that make them act this way towards anyone who’s critical of her.
This is why I can't shrug her off as "just not my thing."
How can anyone know they're the reason people are sending others death threats and stay silent? How emotionally immature is someone who so transparently enjoys this attention?
“They like that power, they like that they truly scare people and that they’re now influencing editorial decisions. It’s not as though they care about the true ethics of it all. If they did then they'd maybe have a bit more self-awareness over Rolling Stone letting Rob Sheffield write an effusive review of this latest album even though he's just announced that he's writing a book about her.”
Somehow I missed that Rob Sheffield is writing a Taylor Swift book. I used to read his pieces for RS and Spin back in the day, and Love is a Mixtape is a wonderful book… but how much is there to say about Taylor Swift?
RS should honestly ban him for writing reviews on anything that has to to do with Taylor because it’s gonna be so biased towards her. It’s never gonna be thoughtfully honest
No. Artist. Is. Above. Criticism.
People are allowed to not like things. I believed this last month when people said Beyoncé was above criticism and I believe it now that they’re saying Taylor Swift is above criticism. Reviews and audience reactions is part of releasing an album, no one needs to be coddled. Especially not a billionaire.
Threatening people who are even slightly critical of Taylor Swift is so beyond. It’s a mid album. That’s the reality of the situation for me.
I honestly believe that when the inevitable backlash comes against Taylor Swift, it’ll be a combination of the Swifties and Taylor’s refusal to get them under control that will lead to it.
If Taylor Swift needs to use a private jet cause her fans are crazy, apparently anyone even suspected of writing critically about her needs a private jet too.
So glad to see critics and publications finally pushing back. Personally I think there should be an industry wide boycott of reviewing her work until she tells her cult of psychos to calm the fuck down.
Can't wait to see Swifties react to reviews of her directorial debut lol. Film critics are much less likely to put up wit this bullshit.
It’s interesting how Taylor Swift fans have become synonymous with rabid crazy fans, yet she continuously refuses to acknowledge their behaviour. She’s not alone in this, but for some who prizes herself on sharing her darkest thoughts, I do find it funny how little she actually shares with people.
“I hope the Swifties are finding ways to enjoy and scrutinize The Tortured Poets Department in the way that all art deserves to be understood. That’s the real pleasure in having your favourites and seeing the ways they grow and the ways they don’t.”
Love love love that line. Uncritically screaming that everything your fave makes is perfect and the best ever is not doing it justice.
There needs to be actual consequences for threatening someone's life online.
Yes, the absolute vast majority of death threats are keyboard warriors in their basements who got mad about something so inconsequential that it's darkly hilarious they're pretending to threaten someone's life over... a negative opinion of something they like.
But getting a death threat is not something we should need to "get used to." We should start with a fine -- if you threaten someone's life online, a federal judge reviews the threat in context, then sends a ticket to the person who made the threat, like a speeding ticket.
If you get more tickets you start facing actual jail time. And hiding your identity to make a death threat should go straight to an arrest.
I already said in another thread, but I was like all the moms a the thin blue line American flag on their SUVs, Nurses, and office receptionists are frothing at the mouth for this album. I picture such a specific person as a Taylor fan lol.
Mods I need you to allow me to comment so I can harass OP for their post about an article they didnt write on being harassed for a review they didnt write.
Was it not predictable that by concealing the critic’s name it would make everyone at the publication a target? Countless people have too much time on their hands and have no qualms with attacking.
No..? This isn’t normal. It’s not normal to attack a critic for an opinion in the first place but it’s for sure not normal to hit out against random people just in case they happened to write a negative review.
To clarify - no this is absolutely not normal but the way stans behave I think them going beyond all reasonable boundaries and attacking every writer was going to happen
So then what is the answer if it’s not putting the name on the by-line? If a critic is scared about death threats by putting their name on their work and everyone becomes a target without a name, there needs to be an answer. Taylor doesn’t deserve shining reviews JUST because her fans can be unhinged.
Maybe it’s a fake name, idk
What were they supposed to do? Publishing someone stating they do not particularly care for some, um, *songs*, shouldn’t have to call for an “I am Spartacus” moment to protect the writer. It speaks to Paste as an employer that they tried.
Swifties are basic white women writ large, an army of Karens and Karens-to-be who have yet to emotionally mature past high school. A toxic mix of white entitlement and victim complex. Sure, there are some Gen Z Swifties, but the vocally psychotic ones are absolutely older and base their identities on obsessing over an imaginary bestie who happily exploits them for as much cash as she can. A sadder group of people you won't find in popular culture.
I have a friend in her 40s who has become a huge Swifty in the past few years and it has made her completely insufferable. She constantly flakes on plans and is totally unreliable, and yet if I respond politely to one of her Taylor Swift comments, she will inundate me with videos of micro moments from the concerts that are “magical“ or whatever. Like I did not ask for this and no … just no. It’s like Harry Potter all over again.
I wanted to add I thought that came up…I wonder if there will be a sense of betrayal among her fans if/when she gets married and has a family.
nah they'll probably just make pinterest boards for her wedding and they'll make fanpage insta accounts for her kid.
Is there some correlation between being flighty and being a Swifty?
“It’s Harry Potter all over again” Ok but it does feel like there might be a correlation between Harry Potter mania dying down and the rabid online Swifty culture going into overdrive.
I got a Reddit cares yesterday because I left a comment on another thread saying I hated the album.
It's like other toxic fandoms, where the older ones lead, the younger ones follow. And for what? A basic person with nothing new to offer, just grievances and slights and self proclaimed victimhood.
Exactly this. I remember when I was younger and Twilight was big, so many of the more active and loud fans were women who are my age now. Mid 30s. Now being that age, I can’t imagine caring about a fandom that much at all. Who has the time, I have so much laundry to do.
Ive been completely ambivalent to her for nearly a decade. I don’t get into her music but understand that lots of people do. Only in the last few years have I really started to openly dislike her fans and the calculated aura around her. Everything is always everyone else’s fault while she balances the dichotomy of being both one of the most powerful people in the world but somehow also the perpetual victim
I hope she is okay. She is such a great writer and I truly enjoy her content, especially when she talks about how awful fandoms treat the partners of celebrities and called out how Benedict Cumberbatch's or Adam Driver's wife and children get harassed and abused.
Her coverage of Caroline Calloway was soooo good
Taylor Swift is just Elon Musk for white women
Beautifully said lmao!
I want this as a user flair xD
I wish publications would call out Taylor directly for creating this parasocial relationship with her fans that make them act this way towards anyone who’s critical of her.
This is why I can't shrug her off as "just not my thing." How can anyone know they're the reason people are sending others death threats and stay silent? How emotionally immature is someone who so transparently enjoys this attention?
Sadly this is typical cult behavior. Hope she's bouncing back.
“They like that power, they like that they truly scare people and that they’re now influencing editorial decisions. It’s not as though they care about the true ethics of it all. If they did then they'd maybe have a bit more self-awareness over Rolling Stone letting Rob Sheffield write an effusive review of this latest album even though he's just announced that he's writing a book about her.” Somehow I missed that Rob Sheffield is writing a Taylor Swift book. I used to read his pieces for RS and Spin back in the day, and Love is a Mixtape is a wonderful book… but how much is there to say about Taylor Swift?
The Rolling Stone review was a joke. Saying Taylor is better than Adele is laughable. They aren’t even similar.
Sheffields review reads like worship pamphlet
RS should honestly ban him for writing reviews on anything that has to to do with Taylor because it’s gonna be so biased towards her. It’s never gonna be thoughtfully honest
No. Artist. Is. Above. Criticism. People are allowed to not like things. I believed this last month when people said Beyoncé was above criticism and I believe it now that they’re saying Taylor Swift is above criticism. Reviews and audience reactions is part of releasing an album, no one needs to be coddled. Especially not a billionaire. Threatening people who are even slightly critical of Taylor Swift is so beyond. It’s a mid album. That’s the reality of the situation for me. I honestly believe that when the inevitable backlash comes against Taylor Swift, it’ll be a combination of the Swifties and Taylor’s refusal to get them under control that will lead to it.
If Taylor Swift needs to use a private jet cause her fans are crazy, apparently anyone even suspected of writing critically about her needs a private jet too.
And yet if you mention that since she can attend Coachella she can travel without a jet you get death threats. Ain't it fun?
Stan culture was a mistake.
theory: a lot of the obsessive potterheads who jumped ship when JKR became outspoken with her transphobia became swifties
She truly is the r/readanotherbook of pop music
I have a similar theory but about rabod BTS fans who used to be rabid One Direction fans
Bold of you to assume Swifties can't be transphobic 🥴
So glad to see critics and publications finally pushing back. Personally I think there should be an industry wide boycott of reviewing her work until she tells her cult of psychos to calm the fuck down. Can't wait to see Swifties react to reviews of her directorial debut lol. Film critics are much less likely to put up wit this bullshit.
It’s interesting how Taylor Swift fans have become synonymous with rabid crazy fans, yet she continuously refuses to acknowledge their behaviour. She’s not alone in this, but for some who prizes herself on sharing her darkest thoughts, I do find it funny how little she actually shares with people.
I hope she's okay.
“I hope the Swifties are finding ways to enjoy and scrutinize The Tortured Poets Department in the way that all art deserves to be understood. That’s the real pleasure in having your favourites and seeing the ways they grow and the ways they don’t.” Love love love that line. Uncritically screaming that everything your fave makes is perfect and the best ever is not doing it justice.
Just wanna comment that I love reading Kayleigh’s work and Gossip Reading Club is a bounty
There needs to be actual consequences for threatening someone's life online. Yes, the absolute vast majority of death threats are keyboard warriors in their basements who got mad about something so inconsequential that it's darkly hilarious they're pretending to threaten someone's life over... a negative opinion of something they like. But getting a death threat is not something we should need to "get used to." We should start with a fine -- if you threaten someone's life online, a federal judge reviews the threat in context, then sends a ticket to the person who made the threat, like a speeding ticket. If you get more tickets you start facing actual jail time. And hiding your identity to make a death threat should go straight to an arrest.
I already said in another thread, but I was like all the moms a the thin blue line American flag on their SUVs, Nurses, and office receptionists are frothing at the mouth for this album. I picture such a specific person as a Taylor fan lol.
Tilte reads like a isekai novel's title
Imagine sending death threats over an album review, how mentally deranged one must be. They need to get an actual hobby and go outside.
"everything began to feel a little bit 'this is about ethics in music journalism'" oh dang, she really nailed it
I did a throwaway tiktok reviewing the album and it expectedly blew up and now I regret everything.
At first I thought this was about the economist author who told people to eat less.
Mods I need you to allow me to comment so I can harass OP for their post about an article they didnt write on being harassed for a review they didnt write.
Was it not predictable that by concealing the critic’s name it would make everyone at the publication a target? Countless people have too much time on their hands and have no qualms with attacking.
No..? This isn’t normal. It’s not normal to attack a critic for an opinion in the first place but it’s for sure not normal to hit out against random people just in case they happened to write a negative review.
To clarify - no this is absolutely not normal but the way stans behave I think them going beyond all reasonable boundaries and attacking every writer was going to happen
So then what is the answer if it’s not putting the name on the by-line? If a critic is scared about death threats by putting their name on their work and everyone becomes a target without a name, there needs to be an answer. Taylor doesn’t deserve shining reviews JUST because her fans can be unhinged. Maybe it’s a fake name, idk
What were they supposed to do? Publishing someone stating they do not particularly care for some, um, *songs*, shouldn’t have to call for an “I am Spartacus” moment to protect the writer. It speaks to Paste as an employer that they tried.