I’m going to depart from the curmudgeonly responses to this article. The Swift phenomenon is, to me, a remedy to the polarized, angry dominant culture of nihilism and lack of meaning and purpose. We are witnessing society-wide increased crime, drug addiction, loneliness and despair that has increased chronic illness and clinical anxiety and depressing in all age groups. As trite as it may sound, Taylor Swift brings people together in community; something our culture desperately needs. Kids need something to be optimistic about. Adults do, too.
My 15-year-old daughter saw Taylor Swift in the spring and she’s still talking about it. I waited in the parking lot with the other parents for the show to wrap up, listening to the end of it floating through the air from the stadium. I’ve never seen so many happy kids in my life, all emerging with their sequins and glitter and dresses and armfuls of friendship bracelets.
Swift is an amazing song writer and performer. She’s generous to her crew and fans. Her fans span generations, even my 79-year old dad likes some of her songs. It’s nice to see a positive force at work.
O M G!!! The commenters here. Unbelievable! Lighten up!! Geez. This is a very well written, enjoyable to read article about a phenomenon! The power of music. The strength of good. The healing of fun. The love that unites us all. All coming through one person. Celebrate!! Taylor has been around a long time. Something beyond all of us and through all of us is gifting the world with her and through her. Appreciate!
I admit that I'd like to see more unbiased coverage of the serious issues that are impacting us in the United States today. And I wonder whether we're going to hear about some sort of scandal involving Taylor Swift someday.
But in the meantime, it certainly seems like Taylor is the real deal. We've seen that she's actually able to pick up a guitar and sing beautifully without the benefit of a huge back-up band or autotune. She seems like a genuine, decent, but occasionally troubled young woman. In a way that makes her seem more relatable to all of us, because aren't we all occasionally troubled? I'm a crabby old guy in his 60's who has to admit that I enjoy at least some of her music.
I was in Seattle during the weekend that Taylor Swift's concerts took place. The city sidewalks were full of excited fans, primarily young women wearing sparkly dresses. There were lots of moms and daughters, and groups of friends of all shapes and sizes. Due to a case of bad timing on my flight itinerary, I rode with many of them on the Link train as they headed to the concert as I was heading to SeaTac for my flight home. Everyone on the jammed train was polite, friendly, and happy. Strangers were excitedly talking with each other about their outfits, where their seats were, whether they had seen Taylor in concert before, etc. Sure, being stuck on a jammed train was a bother, but in a way it was all kind of surreal and fun - being surrounded by genuinely happy people.
I feel like all the TFP articles are about certain obscure or niche topics this week. Talking about Taylor Swift feels very fluffy when I 'm really concerned that MSM is not reporting about the Biden corruption and the Facebook Files censorship. What's going on?
America needs movie stars? Jim Caviezel, Sound of Freedom. How about a story on Angel Studios, giving away tickets to this film, so people can know the truth about the new slavery in the world, sex trafficking children. At the end of the film, Caviezel does a monologue to the audience. He says, What Harriett Beecher Stowe (Uncle Tom’s Cabin) did for slavery in the 1800s, this movie should do for sex trafficking of kids. Based on a real American hero who went from arresting pedophiles to rescuing enslaved children. No dry eyes in the theatre.
Or, we can go on celebrating formula music ensconsed in glitter.
For those that are apoplectic that the journalistic integrity of TFP is forever lost because they had the audacity to post an article about the highest grossing cultural event of our time - lighten up. It is Saturday. Not all should be doom and gloom. We have been so fragmented as a society and have very few positive shared experiences. We watch shows on demand from countless streaming services. Gone are the days of recapping the NBC Thursday night lineup or the season finale of anything at the office water cooler - I’m working from home in my Lulus. We’re just starting to leave our homes to go to the movies again - why should we, I can stream it at home on opening weekend and the microwave popcorn is a lot cheaper. So the fact that vast swaths of people, young and old, are clamoring to attend a live event in any city they can manage to travel to where a poised and talented woman sings songs that she wrote about themes relatable by all, is a very good thing. I didn’t attend, but I wish I did. And I enjoyed reading about The Intern’s Taylor back story and concert experience while I drank my morning coffee. I have the rest of the day for doom and gloom.
I disagree with the comments that this article is not newsworthy. If you want to read about Hunter Biden, there are plenty of other sources for you to do so. I appreciate reading something that makes me aware of something going on in America that is outside of my usual focus. I know who Taylor Swift is, but I couldn't name a single one of her songs.
Not sure what is going on with TFP lately, but between the weekly bashing of DeSantis on TGIF, Suzy Weiss recommending the most asinine Washington Post article attacking masculinity, to now having Taylor Swift(!!!???) as the main topic of an article... Really unpleasantly surprised... Bari, seems like it is time that you put order here...
Jesus Christ.......just when I was beginning to think TFP wasn't going straight in the sh*tter, you guys publish this piece. If you all need help on finding stories that are actually impacting American lives, feel free to DM me.
I just looked at some comments about how this is a niche or obscure topic, but when someone is grossing a Billion dollars for a tour, and there is a youth movement going on, this is something one should know about. Why are so many people spending 650 dollars on bubble gum rock?
These movements are reflections of our society. This is mainly a movement of young women who are worked into a frenzy. We have had Elvis, the Beatles, Bee Gees, Micheal Jackson, and Taylor Swift. This cult-like following is nothing new. What is new is all of the other eras had greatness around them; in this one, Taylor Swift is alone. Our cultural institutions are not producing things people want to see. The movies could be better, is any good music?, and most TV shows are built for small niches, not mass audiences.
Taylor Swift is a symptom of voters. Many of us that are political animals think everyone else is following what we want; they are not. Everyone buying tickets and singing Taylor Swift songs are voters. If and when the wheels come off the economy, whatever leader has to lead a large slice of the population who sings substantive songs like this bubble gum rock.
These articles might seem frivolous, but our culture is becoming frivolous, which does not bode well for the future.
A wonderfully written and enjoyable read. Thank you. It appears the comment section is full of those who are incapable of engaging for even a moment with content outside of the usual 2-3 topics. Don’t listen to them.
A couple or three points to make. I remembered when Prince died, and I could not believe the people crying in the streets with grief. Then I thought, oh wait a minute old man, you cried when John Lennon was killed so maybe cut those people some slack. It made me realize each generation has their icons whether I like them or not. Secondly, I just listened to the three songs the writer suggested in the article. Taylor's writing is phenomenal! It's penetrating, and haunting, and very personal and interesting. I just became a Swiftie.
I’m going to depart from the curmudgeonly responses to this article. The Swift phenomenon is, to me, a remedy to the polarized, angry dominant culture of nihilism and lack of meaning and purpose. We are witnessing society-wide increased crime, drug addiction, loneliness and despair that has increased chronic illness and clinical anxiety and depressing in all age groups. As trite as it may sound, Taylor Swift brings people together in community; something our culture desperately needs. Kids need something to be optimistic about. Adults do, too.
My 15-year-old daughter saw Taylor Swift in the spring and she’s still talking about it. I waited in the parking lot with the other parents for the show to wrap up, listening to the end of it floating through the air from the stadium. I’ve never seen so many happy kids in my life, all emerging with their sequins and glitter and dresses and armfuls of friendship bracelets.
Swift is an amazing song writer and performer. She’s generous to her crew and fans. Her fans span generations, even my 79-year old dad likes some of her songs. It’s nice to see a positive force at work.
O M G!!! The commenters here. Unbelievable! Lighten up!! Geez. This is a very well written, enjoyable to read article about a phenomenon! The power of music. The strength of good. The healing of fun. The love that unites us all. All coming through one person. Celebrate!! Taylor has been around a long time. Something beyond all of us and through all of us is gifting the world with her and through her. Appreciate!
I admit that I'd like to see more unbiased coverage of the serious issues that are impacting us in the United States today. And I wonder whether we're going to hear about some sort of scandal involving Taylor Swift someday.
But in the meantime, it certainly seems like Taylor is the real deal. We've seen that she's actually able to pick up a guitar and sing beautifully without the benefit of a huge back-up band or autotune. She seems like a genuine, decent, but occasionally troubled young woman. In a way that makes her seem more relatable to all of us, because aren't we all occasionally troubled? I'm a crabby old guy in his 60's who has to admit that I enjoy at least some of her music.
I was in Seattle during the weekend that Taylor Swift's concerts took place. The city sidewalks were full of excited fans, primarily young women wearing sparkly dresses. There were lots of moms and daughters, and groups of friends of all shapes and sizes. Due to a case of bad timing on my flight itinerary, I rode with many of them on the Link train as they headed to the concert as I was heading to SeaTac for my flight home. Everyone on the jammed train was polite, friendly, and happy. Strangers were excitedly talking with each other about their outfits, where their seats were, whether they had seen Taylor in concert before, etc. Sure, being stuck on a jammed train was a bother, but in a way it was all kind of surreal and fun - being surrounded by genuinely happy people.
I feel like all the TFP articles are about certain obscure or niche topics this week. Talking about Taylor Swift feels very fluffy when I 'm really concerned that MSM is not reporting about the Biden corruption and the Facebook Files censorship. What's going on?
America needs movie stars? Jim Caviezel, Sound of Freedom. How about a story on Angel Studios, giving away tickets to this film, so people can know the truth about the new slavery in the world, sex trafficking children. At the end of the film, Caviezel does a monologue to the audience. He says, What Harriett Beecher Stowe (Uncle Tom’s Cabin) did for slavery in the 1800s, this movie should do for sex trafficking of kids. Based on a real American hero who went from arresting pedophiles to rescuing enslaved children. No dry eyes in the theatre.
Or, we can go on celebrating formula music ensconsed in glitter.
For those that are apoplectic that the journalistic integrity of TFP is forever lost because they had the audacity to post an article about the highest grossing cultural event of our time - lighten up. It is Saturday. Not all should be doom and gloom. We have been so fragmented as a society and have very few positive shared experiences. We watch shows on demand from countless streaming services. Gone are the days of recapping the NBC Thursday night lineup or the season finale of anything at the office water cooler - I’m working from home in my Lulus. We’re just starting to leave our homes to go to the movies again - why should we, I can stream it at home on opening weekend and the microwave popcorn is a lot cheaper. So the fact that vast swaths of people, young and old, are clamoring to attend a live event in any city they can manage to travel to where a poised and talented woman sings songs that she wrote about themes relatable by all, is a very good thing. I didn’t attend, but I wish I did. And I enjoyed reading about The Intern’s Taylor back story and concert experience while I drank my morning coffee. I have the rest of the day for doom and gloom.
Second FP article in as many days where the writer manages to tell us they are Ivy League right out of the box in Paragraph One.
I disagree with the comments that this article is not newsworthy. If you want to read about Hunter Biden, there are plenty of other sources for you to do so. I appreciate reading something that makes me aware of something going on in America that is outside of my usual focus. I know who Taylor Swift is, but I couldn't name a single one of her songs.
“ This is the essence of Swift’s stardom: she flawlessly straddles the line between the accessible and the divine.”
Well at least you’re not in denial about worshipping (pop) idols…
But seriously y’all need to get to real church! I hear tix don’t even cost that much on stub hub…
Not sure what is going on with TFP lately, but between the weekly bashing of DeSantis on TGIF, Suzy Weiss recommending the most asinine Washington Post article attacking masculinity, to now having Taylor Swift(!!!???) as the main topic of an article... Really unpleasantly surprised... Bari, seems like it is time that you put order here...
Jesus Christ.......just when I was beginning to think TFP wasn't going straight in the sh*tter, you guys publish this piece. If you all need help on finding stories that are actually impacting American lives, feel free to DM me.
I just looked at some comments about how this is a niche or obscure topic, but when someone is grossing a Billion dollars for a tour, and there is a youth movement going on, this is something one should know about. Why are so many people spending 650 dollars on bubble gum rock?
These movements are reflections of our society. This is mainly a movement of young women who are worked into a frenzy. We have had Elvis, the Beatles, Bee Gees, Micheal Jackson, and Taylor Swift. This cult-like following is nothing new. What is new is all of the other eras had greatness around them; in this one, Taylor Swift is alone. Our cultural institutions are not producing things people want to see. The movies could be better, is any good music?, and most TV shows are built for small niches, not mass audiences.
Taylor Swift is a symptom of voters. Many of us that are political animals think everyone else is following what we want; they are not. Everyone buying tickets and singing Taylor Swift songs are voters. If and when the wheels come off the economy, whatever leader has to lead a large slice of the population who sings substantive songs like this bubble gum rock.
These articles might seem frivolous, but our culture is becoming frivolous, which does not bode well for the future.
Finally, an article about things that unite us! I welcome more about events in arts and sciences any time. For a change.
A wonderfully written and enjoyable read. Thank you. It appears the comment section is full of those who are incapable of engaging for even a moment with content outside of the usual 2-3 topics. Don’t listen to them.
A couple or three points to make. I remembered when Prince died, and I could not believe the people crying in the streets with grief. Then I thought, oh wait a minute old man, you cried when John Lennon was killed so maybe cut those people some slack. It made me realize each generation has their icons whether I like them or not. Secondly, I just listened to the three songs the writer suggested in the article. Taylor's writing is phenomenal! It's penetrating, and haunting, and very personal and interesting. I just became a Swiftie.