Winona Cajefe
August 3, 2023
Taylor Hayes, Taylor Lautner, Taylor Dent.
According to statistics, the name ‘Taylor’ is ranked as the 844th most popular given first name in the United States of America. Approximately 46,656 of the country's enormous population are of the said name. From these Taylors, a great deal has impressively distinguished themselves in various industries, especially in the media. However, one particular Taylor is recognized for her signature red-coated lips and her never-irrelevant, blunt, blonde bangs. Some also remember her for her immense love for her feline pets or her past romantic partners. Still, it is no doubt that the majority of her popularity is because of her unrivaled songwriting and singing prowess.
Taylor Allison Swift.
Taylor Swift is a celebrity so relevantly famous that even if one has yet to listen to even a … of any of her music, there’s a million-to-one chance that they still know a thing or two about her. Swift has become a bridge that has brought forth a diverse and complex bundle of people together, birthing one of the most devoted and unmatched fanbases, the ‘Swifties’. This legion of fans has grown greater and stronger, recruiting more and more fans from various generations who all work 24/7 to make Blondie’s spot at the top of the charts comfy and secure. Through cracking numerous hints, clues, and hidden messages from Swift’s albums faster than Sherlock Holmes solved his cases, intelligence has also become a common asset within this group. However, it has been put up to a tough discourse whether this fanbase has progressively become a double-edged sword, yielding both positive and negative impacts toward Swift, themselves, and the people around them. Unfortunately, the sword is more often swung for harmful consequences, building a hostile reputation for the Swifties.
“And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Why you gotta be so mean?”
Swift, T. (2023). Mean [Lyrics]. Retrieved from https://genius.com/Taylor-swift-mean-taylors-version-lyrics
The Swifties are Taylor Swift’s personal soldiers. As a public figure, a very popular one at that, she is bound to receive a plethora of opinions—both good and bad, and with everyone’s access to the internet, the majority of these are publicly voiced out. The Swifties gush over the positive feedback toward their idol but viciously attack people who so much as peep a negative thought about Swift. It is safe to say that the Swifties go out of their way to passionately defend and protect their Miss Americana, especially when comments on her apparent “lack of talent” are thrown at her. However, there have been more than a lot of instances that this fanbase has become unnecessarily savage to critics that say anything not synonymous to ‘flawless’ about Swift’s music.
Just three years ago, when Taylor Swift’s eighth album, ‘folklore’, was released, many audiences, critics, and publications expressed their verdicts online. One of which is Pitchfork, an American online music publication known for giving the 'Best New Music' distinction to the album they award the highest rating of 10/10. Folklore was rewarded with a solid score of 8/10. Given the imperfect score, the Swifties ruthlessly ambushed the review’s author and even publicly doxed their personal information in retaliation. More recently, Chris Panella, a reporter, shared their own experience of being bullied by the Swifties because of his remarks on Taylor Swift’s ongoing concert, ‘The Eras Tour’. He was pounced upon in the same way but was also sent cruel death threats, false accusations, and revolting slurs.
“All alone, or so it seemed
But there were strangers watching
And whispers turned to talking
And talking turned to screams, oh”
Swift, T. (2014). Wonderland [Lyrics]. Retrieved from https://genius.com/Taylor-swift-wonderland-lyrics
They say to never meet your heroes, but if we were all being honest, we have never believed and planned to follow that. The recent sale of Taylor Swift’s ‘The Eras Tour’ is concrete evidence of this statement as millions of Swifties worldwide put out every gadget in their possession and tirelessly waited for long hours in a glitching queue just to get ahold of a ticket. Whether it’s merely catching a glimpse, taking a selfie, or getting a signature, when it comes to Taylor Swift, personally meeting her is considered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Moreover, Swift has maintained a strong bond and connection with her cherished fans, which was consistently at the top of her list of priorities. The singer has always ensured nurturing her relationship with the Swifties by going out of her way to bring a smile to their faces.
However, as many heartwarming encounters Taylor Swift has had with a lot of her fans, she has also experienced the most alarming meetings with Swifties whose impassioned desire and persistence to see Blondie have dangerously tipped to become a threat or worse: an invasion of her privacy. For instance, last May, a mob of fans waited outside the singer’s apartment, screaming her name, snapping at their camera, and pointing fingers at her as she returned to a place where she sought rest, peace, and solitude. In a more terrifying and intense scene, there have also been obsessive peeping toms breaking into Swift’s apartment claiming to have intimate connections with the singer. Taylor Swift expressed her deep anxiety towards these invasive incidents before. However, several fans have continued to cross the line, especially with Swift’s ongoing concert.
“It's a scene, and we're out here in plain sight
I can hear them whisper as we pass by”
Swift, T. (2014). I Know Places [Lyrics]. Retrieved from https://genius.com/Taylor-swift-i-know-places-lyrics
Given the size of the Swiftie population, there are subgroups within them, such as the ‘Gaylors’. The term is a wordplay of Taylor and gay, and from the first read, it may connote a group of her avid gay supporters. However, the Gaylors are firm believers that Taylor Swift is bisexual and will publicly come out of the closet someday. The Gaylors have continuously shared their theories about the singer’s sexuality online by unpacking the supposed Easter eggs from her songs’ lyrics and music videos and by meticulously dissecting her past and current friendships. In truth, the Gaylors have shed light on quite strong and plausible evidence that corroborates their theories.
After years of speculation, Taylor Swift addressed the issue last 2019, clarifying that she was straight and shutting down the rumors. Despite this revelation, the Gaylors have continued to question every move Swift makes in hopes of proving their claims true. Although theorizing about celebrities is normal and a canon event, sexuality, especially when identifying one self, is an extremely personal and sensitive topic to discourse on, more so when one is not ready for it. Public figure or not, Taylor Swift does not deserve the critical analysis of her sexuality. Her personal life is not something to examine like a scientist observing a subject in an experiment, but instead, should be given her rightful privacy.
At the end of any day, year, or era, the very core of the Swifties’ actions is fueled by their fervent love toward Taylor Swift. However, as Swifties, we must stay devout to our given name and respect our favorite popstar as much as we give her our unwavering support and admiration. It is not an easy task to merely shake off these practices; thus, we must not tolerate the inappropriate behavior of our peers and instead, rationally call each other out. Besides, the Swifties are not known for simply being a timeless fanbase but a big mixed family that may do the wildest things once in a while for their mother, Taylor Swift. We can be the best thing that’s ever been hers, so why don’t we?