Jazz Shaw over at Hot Air is reporting that Taylor Swift, who has been described more than once as the living embodiment of American exceptionalism, is in trouble. She is being attacked by the Twitter mob, not for what she said, but for what she is not saying. Swift is not taking any political stands at all, not even to reveal for whom she voted in the last election. A particular group of people is taking offense at this and are drawing conclusions.
Who is Taylor Swift?
Yeah, the gentle reader must think I’m kidding about that last question. Anyone knows that Taylor Swift is the biggest thing alive on the pop music scene.
I remember the kerfuffle that happened several years ago when Kayne West insulted her at a music awards ceremony. She was more recently involved in a court case when a former radio host grabbed her behind and then tried to sue her when he lost his job. Swift also donated a lot of money to Harvey relief, which redounds in her favor.
Why are people so upset with her?
A lot of actors and singers like to use their celebrity to advance causes, which is fine when such are worthy, like helping refugees in Africa or curing a loathsome disease. However, all too often, people who think their skill in pretending to be other people or belting out music translates to sound political judgment are motivated to share such with their fans.
Nine times out of ten, that involves incidents like Ashley Judd declaring herself to be a “nasty woman” or Madonna expressing the wish to blow up the White House with Trump inside.
Taylor Swift seems to have taken the rather outside the box view that no one cares about what her political opinions are. Her fans just want to watch her belt out tunes (which I am told are often angry attacks on people who have wronged her) and look good doing it.
The fans are rewarding her by buying her albums and filling stadiums where she appears.
Apparently, the social justice warrior mob does not take kindly to this kind of reticence. Some are spreading the rumor that Swift must be a closet Trump supporter since she had not declared her love for Hillary Clinton. They are demanding that she open up about her political beliefs, The or else that follows is implied.
It will only serve the SJW crowd right if Swift makes her response known in a caustic song. In ancient Celtic tradition, it did not do to insult a bard and one will hope that the lesson will be driven home again for the 21st Century.
