by Lelia Erscoi
Living in Europe, with no immediate prospect of grabbing tickets for the Eras Tour, I find myself closely following Taylor Swift’s journey across the ocean. From secret hints about her upcoming rerecorded album to her dazzling outfits, and the excitement surrounding surprise songs at each concert, there’s always something intriguing happening in Taylor’s world. With her being such a huge personality, arguably at the peak of her career (so far), fans can’t help but be intrigued by her personal life. However, many “swifties”, myself included, inevitably feel disappointed with her very public relationship now with Matty Healy, the lead singer of the band The 1975. How does this tie into Taylor’s public image, and why are fans hurt and even enraged by this? Yes, here we are once again, delving into Taylor’s love life. What’s a girl gonna do?
Taylor’s well-known roster of ex-lovers has been a subject of widespread discussion. Often fueled by sexist and judgmental perspectives, she has faced criticism for dating too many men and writing too many break-up songs. Men in the music industry, for instance, rarely face the same level of scrutiny and criticism for their dating choices. Hell, Leonardo DiCaprio’s trend of breaking up with his girlfriends before they turn 25 is not much more than a recurring joke. Taylor herself brings up this issue numerous times:
In the last 10 years, I have watched as women in this industry are criticized and measured up to each other and picked at for their bodies, their romantic lives, their fashion, or have you ever heard someone say about a male artist, I really like his songs but I don’t know what it is, there’s just something about him I don’t like? No! That criticism is reserved for us! (Billboard)
The singer has used her platform to advocate for women’s rights and empowerment, addressing issues such as body image or double standards. In her music, she often explores themes of self-acceptance and independence, resonating with many young women who find strength in her lyrics. Swift has also taken public stances on political matters during the the dark times of the Trump presidency, speaking out against sexism and endorsing candidates who align with her values. Not unrelated to the many biased criticisms Taylor has received over the years, the singer has gone a long way to proclaim herself as a feminist.
That all feels a bit ironic with Taylor’s recent connection with Matty Healy. Why? Because when you build a fan base primarily comprised of young women and queer people and then engage with someone who has been seen making Nazi salutes on stage and publicly demeaning and mocking other women, especially women of color (Billboard), it becomes reasonable to raise an eyebrow. In fact, Matty Healy himself said that he would never date Taylor Swift as it would be “emasculating”. Healy has additionally admitted to watching porn where women, especially women of color, get violently degraded (Reddit), which makes his connection to Taylor Swift even more puzzling, as she herself is a victim of sexual assault and is an advocate for victims of SA (The Washington Post). Healy also garnered criticism for using the Black Lives Matter movement to promote one of his songs. And yes, there is more: Healy repeatedly makes out with his fans during concerts, sucks on their fingers (Daily Mail), or pretends to “rape” the camera. An all-around lovely guy!
Matty Healy appears to do a nazi salute while marching during a lyric that says “Thank you, Kanye, very cool”. Kanye West has recently posted and publicly expressed antisemitic sentiments, including mentioning that people should “stop dissing the nazis” and that he loves Adolf Hitler.
Healy’s gesture has been defended as a satirical reference to Kanye’s discourse. Even as an “edgy joke”, Healy’s gesture is highly repugnant.
Before you mention it, Healy’s disgusting behavior is as recent as a couple of months ago, with little to no apologies following it (or comments from Taylor). His relationship with Taylor is also rumored to have started beginning of this year, with Taylor being a surprise guest at a 1975’s concert this January. Their romance is now very public, sending each other secret romantic messages during concerts, and Healy being in the opening act of Taylor’s concert as well. This has unsurprisingly upset Taylor’s fans, who are very confused at how this all fits in with her feminist views. This is not a new problem, which is where white feminism comes in.
White feminism can be characterized as an approach that centers on the experiences, concerns, and priorities of white women while disregarding the intersecting dynamics of race, class, sexuality, and other identities. This brand of feminism often fails to acknowledge the systemic and structural oppression faced by women of color, and tends to perpetuate a limited understanding of feminism as solely advancing the rights and needs of white women. By neglecting the struggles of marginalized communities and perpetuating a narrow narrative, white feminism inadvertently reinforces systems of power and privilege.
Taylor paints herself throughout her discography as the outsider country music girl that made it in the big industry, and while it is undoubtedly more difficult for women to pave their way in male-dominated industries, this self-portrait completely ignores the privileges Taylor has benefited from. Coming from a wealthy, Christian American family, being white and conventionally attractive, calling herself a feminist and yet openly pushing her misogynistic racist boyfriend, Taylor only reinforces problematic ways that completely erase intersectionality. During her documentary, there is a scene with her being emotional about how to speak out against the “conservative Christian” value-centered politicians of her state (The Chariot). Taylor kept a relatively neutral profile before this, making fans question her “alliances”. The documentary is alleged to be a PR move to maintain her predominantly young, liberal fanbase. In addition, following the re-release of her album Red, Taylor also sold a keychain saying “Fuck the patriarchy” for 20 euros. She has put out music videos where she calls out male privilege or proclaims that “shade never made anybody less gay”. Such actions have garnered her the love and respect of many young women or queer people as a “feminist icon”. However, Taylor is known to speak up about issues that mostly affect her. Looking behind the carefully crafted PR image, we can’t help but notice Taylor has not spoken up about Roe v Wade being overturned or any of the anti-trans momentum happening in the States right now. Having boyfriend Healy is the cherry on top of the performative feminism cake.
I personally believe it is an unfair expectation to place the weight of addressing all forms of oppression on the shoulders of women, especially when they already bear the brunt of countless injustices. At the same time, it is undoubtedly disheartening and hurtful to witness someone who claims to be a feminist associate themselves with individuals who perpetuate violence or hold hurtful beliefs. For swifties who joined the fandom believing it is a safe space, it is natural to feel betrayed and disappointed when someone who professes to stand for equality aligns themselves with individuals who promote discrimination or engage in inexcusable actions.
As a fan, I find myself struggling with a mix of disappointment and confusion regarding Taylor’s association with Matty Healy, even if it’s in an “I can fix him” kind of way. While I empathize with the challenges she has faced, from enduring public attacks by Kanye West (People) to her personal struggles with an eating disorder (Variety), it is disheartening to witness her lack of vocal support for women of color while continuing to benefit from calling herself a feminist. I also acknowledge that my ability to still be a fan despite this disappointment comes itself from a place of privilege, where I am not directly affected by the consequences of her actions (or inactions). Hopefully, Taylor takes the time to truly see where her fans are coming from – the desire and need for a more inclusive, intersectional feminist movement – instead of shaking it off as yet another attack at her relationships.
Note: A very interesting development occurred after the original draft of this article. An unexpected collaboration took place recently involving Taylor Swift’s hit single “Karma”. To everyone’s surprise, Taylor teamed up with none other than… Ice Spice herself! I honestly am in disbelief at this move, especially since there have been no additional comments from either her or Matty Healy on his racist and sexist remarks at her expense. Notably, Ice Spice is an up-and-coming artist, so there is an obvious imbalance in power at play here. Taylor mentions in her announcement of the collab that Ice Spice is “an incredible” artist and THE ONE to watch, but fans expressed their skepticism, labeling the project as tokenization designed to improve public perception. With no comments from Taylor Swift, we can only resort to speculations about the real reason behind this collab, but Taylor, karma is definitely not your boyfriend…
Raffia 