Recently, a blog post from Bust magazine’s website featured Taylor Swift, implying she has outdated notions of women and their stereotypes. Calling her a “professional pissed off ex-girlfriend”, she is receiving a lot of flack from the feminist community due to her failure to identify as a feminist in a Daily Beast interview, as well as the female roles portrayed in her music video “You Belong With Me”.
Let’s break this down here. In Taylor Swift’s interview (mentioned above) she stated, “I don’t really think about things as guys versus girls,” instead of saying she identified as a feminist. Now, I really don’t have an issue with Taylor not being a feminist. Whatever, that’s fine. But it is rather silly to disregard the differences in ways women and men are treated: unequal pay, unfair female stereotypes, etc. Basically, implying that it is “guys versus girls” is way too simple to even scratch the surface of feminist stances.
Secondly, this whole “You Belong With Me” video debacle makes sense, but may also be a little blown out of proportion, in my opinion. In the video, Taylor takes on the characters of two different stereotypes: the virginal good girl and the promiscuous mean girl.
Okay, so maybe Bust has a point. As an influential person in the media that many teens and young adults alike admire, she is, in fact, reinforcing negative black and white stereotypes that simply aren’t true. However, I don’t think it’s out of malicious intent. I seriously think that she just doesn’t get it/think about it ever. Maybe that’s even more harsh than her having stereotypical opinions, but I’m just calling it as I’m seeing it.
Granted, it’s very easy for us as an audience to form opinions of celebrities who we know nothing about when their images are completely contrived, but that’s just part of the fun of it, I guess.
I’m not really here to debate whether or not Taylor Swift thinks that women are too promiscuous, but I must say that the whole thing is pretty funny. It’s partially funny because Swift seems to be practically unaware that these rumors about her are flourishing or why they are. Even if she is aware (which one can assume she is), she certainly isn’t doing anything about it to prove anyone wrong.
It’s also funny that the feminist community is so riled up about the whole debacle, considering Swift’s messages weren’t even intentional.
Very reminiscent of Mean Girls, we are living in an extremely interesting period of time where women are struggling to find the true equality they desire, while women are also a large reason they aren’t. Personally, I think it’s just a cruel to beat down Taylor Swift as it is for Taylor Swift to influence young female fans to be cautious of boyfriend-stealing girls and play into unfair stereotypes.
So Lovelies, here comes the big question: how do we enforce ending women hating on women when we also want to call out women who are giving into harmful stereotypes? Do y’all think Swift is being unfairly judged? Or do you agree that she is sending out a negative message?
guest
I know a few guys from the Army, who I deployed to Afghanistan with who think that women have a limited capacity to think logically, and are overly emotional, and fickle. That’s rather extreme, culturally. I think it’s a rare viewpoint nowadays.
guest
Taylor just uses the “I’m pure/you’re a whore” thing cuz she gets dumped. Like you said, the world isn’t black/white or pure/whore. I think Taylor just uses it as an excuse because she can’t look within herself and see her own issues.
Honestly I just wish people would stop talking about her. Seriously. She’s not talented, she’s not a good sweet girl, she’s just a twenty-something who needs some therapy and some time alone-SINGLE. Seriously I’m so over her crap but for some reason every time someone starts bitching about her I can’t help but join in….maybe I’m jealous cuz she gets a zillion guys and then goes crazy while meanwhile I can’t get ANYONE…yeah.
guest
I think this piece of current events was a good way to bring up a great topic of woman on woman hatred – I feel this way talking about abortion issues, stay at home vs. working mom issues, about weight and eating disorders, about plastic surgery, about women talking about men, and so on and so on. Even I will complain loudly about the stereotypes against women that I perceive in everyday life and in the media, but I can turn around and be very harsh and hypocritical and hypercritical towards my fellow women-folk. Sometimes I get the feeling that a few people make it really hard for the rest of us to undo those notions, and that angers me sometimes, but I’m learning to talk it out and educate, or at least share my viewpoints and concerns, instead of verbally attacking and demeaning those few.
guest
The easiest way to disempower a group is to a turn it against itself. Don’t let “them” win. The hate will only end when all women recognize that our gender isn’t the enemy, society is. It’s like when a man cheats on his SO the other woman is immediately to blame. Why? She’s not the one who did anything wrong.
guest
“how do we enforce ending women hating on women when we also want to call out women who are giving into harmful stereotypes?”
You probably can’t do both. How do you decide what’s harmful someone else? What do you mean enforce harmful stereotypes? If you want to end women hating on other women, you have to accept that not all women think or even want to think like you do. Another woman’s choices is not your business unless it affects you directly.
As far as the video is concerned, I do not think Taylor Swift thought about it that deeply.
guest
The problem started when somebody took the video out of context. What was the point of the video? Sell records, get radio contracts, entertain an audience, talk about Swift’s past, perhaps.
What is the point of the group? Advocate female rights/raise awareness of female issues.
Most celebrities and artists run into this at one point or another, in some form, and it basically is “You are more successful than me and people listen to you, therefore YOU are obligated to make MY cause YOUR first and foremost priority.” It hasn’t ever been true, and never needs to be. If Taylor Swift decides to advocate a cause, it should be one she believes in and endorses, not one that a certain rights group forced upon her, especially not in a superior chiding manner about a subject that isn’t even relevant.
To me, this is akin to something like PETA protesting the Superbowl because people at home eat chicken wings while they watch it, and calling for the Superbowl to run ad time about the poor conditions of produce chickens. It may all be true, but the Superbowl has nothing to do with any of it, and they advocate a number of charitable efforts and causes of their own.
Just because somebody else has a bigger trumpet than you, doesn’t mean they have to play your tune.
guest
im glad she didn’t say she’s a feminist. She’s not. She makes money off of being virginal and promoting that image. If she said she cared she’d be lying.
guest
Isn’t she promiscuous herself? Tired of hearing about her once again -_-
guest
@O_MaRgArEt_X@xanga - So a feminist can’t be virginal? What?
guest
I’m a little confused. What negative stereotype is she seemingly putting forth? I missed something. o.O;
guest
she’s not antifeminist– she’s just girly and religious. i find her annoying as holy hell, but i think she still teaches young girls a valuable lesson about self-respect and staying true to yourself. as a woman, you don’t have to rely on sex appeal to get a man. that’s a good thing for little girls to know.
however, if a woman is promiscuous for her own reasons that have nothing to do with trying to impress others, i say go for it. and THIS is an issue that receives very little awareness….some women are just very sexually open for reasons that have NOTHING to do with the male community’s opinion of them. and there’s nothing wrong with that. that just means her self-respect is not tied up in who she sleeps with, and that is just another way a woman can stay true to herself. to each her own…. it’s not about anyone else. it’s about having a positive self-image. if purity makes you feel good about yourself because you only want to share yourself with one person, go for it. if being sexually dominant and playing a classically male role makes you feel empowered, go for it. but if you’re just having sex because you have low self-esteem and you want someone else to make you feel pretty…….. that’s a problem.
and lol @shatteredmoonbeams@xanga - at least you’re more self-aware than she is XD
guest
Even if she did portray a negative stereotype of woman-hating-woman in her music video, I can’t say that it’s completely her fault. She grew up with that kind of stereotype taught to her when she was young, through the media that she grew up with. She’s only regurgitating a stereotype that’s been part of American culture (and many other cultures for the matter) for a long long time. If anything, it’s ridiculous that any sensible feminist is hating Taylor so much. Are they not doing the exact same thing that they’re condemning Taylor for by bashing her publicly through the internet? For a music video that she probably didn’t even direct? For a song that she probably wrote when she was a teenager or barely twenty. Give her a break.
guest
Really not your target audience, but I laugh at this shit all too often…
All I can think of is the family guy cut away
“MEN! We know how to be friends!”
guest
Like any singer, Taylor writes songs that are relevant to her audience. I personally love Taylor, and there are a lot of songs I can relate to. She writes a lot of break-up and in love songs, songs about life, and sad songs. If you don’t like it, don’t listen. She is just doing what she loves. Venting is a human nature. Some people write songs, some people go to therapy, draw, paint, etc. She’s a singer, and she’s taking her talent to different levels. It’s her way of letting everything out. I’m really sick of people complaining about her. Everyone is over thinking her personality. She’s actually a pretty good role model for children, believe it or not. She doesn’t dress slutty or sing about sex and drugs and partying. She actually makes her songs related to the public. Leave her alone. Damn!