Taylor Swift a Feminist Icon
Why Taylor Swift is a Feminst Icon and not a pawn in misogynistic scheme
Taylor Swift is notorious for her break-up songs and is often criticized for them, even though they tend to be her most well-known songs. Ex. “Dear John,” “We Are Never Getting Back Together,” and “Better Than Revenge.” Although she does write about break-ups, her songs are not always about that. Many are about friendship, fame, life lessons, and revenge. So why is Taylor receiving hate for writing about her exes when other singers do too? Selena Gomez, Katy Perry, and Kelly Clarkson are just a few females that do the same. Women are also not the only people who do this. Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars, and John Mayer are just a few examples of the men that do so as well. So why is Taylor criticized and the others are praised?
Taylor swift was sexually assaulted where a photo was taken of the incident and happened in a room full of people. Yet as she was in court the perpetrator tried to deny any wrongdoings. Social Media made a huge joke of the entire case yet she still decided to press charges. She chose to sue for the grand total of 1 dollar. She did this out of symbolism, she did not need the money but she wanted justice. After the trial she said it was a “lonely and draining experience, even when you win.”
But why does this make her an icon? In weekend following her sexual assault case Rape Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) saw a 35% increase in reporting. Showing that her bravery had the ability to influence others to speak out against their own traumas.
While Taylor Swift is one of the most nationally recognized names in the world she is often met with so much disdain. Taylor Swift has crushed records repeatedly, been given numerous awards, is extremely talented and yet is met with high levels of criticism and hypocrisy. Yet Taylor Swift has changed the face of the music industry for women, and as a whole.
She holds 11 grammys. She had the fastest selling digital album back in 2010 with her album Speak Now, She holds the most American Music Awards at 29 topping Micheal Jackson at 26. She also had an entire album debut in the top 100 simultaneously and is the only artist to do so. So why is it that when her success is brought up it's often dedicated to her male exes?
In Taylor's Netflix documentary, Miss Americana, she talks openly about her body image struggles and poor relationship with food. In the film, Taylor mentions that the first time she was on a magazine cover was when she was only 18. The headlines said she was pregnant because she wore something that made her stomach not look completely flat. Taylor goes on to say that this triggered her not to eat because she thought her stomach was too big.
Taylor's bravery for opening up about this subject will resonate with many worldwide. According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), 28.8 million people will struggle with an eating disorder at least once in their lifetime in America only. So not only do girls and boys around the world see themselves in Taylor's struggles, but it also can encourage them to find help for their eating disorders.
After re-reading the lyrics it seems as if someone who is deeply hurt and doesn't want to be continued being hurt. However if someone sees it this way Taylor Swift has educated herself on this stance on being a feminst since the release of this song from 2014. Since 2014 she has broken down talking about taboos such as body image issues, sexual assault, encouraged communities to go out a vote, spoken out about the misogyny she deals within the music industry. She might not be the perfect feminist spokes-person but she has revealed tremendous growth in educating herself about these issues. She proves herself to be human and thus letting us know that she is not any better then any of us but it is always important to do what's right.