Last year, USA Today hired their first Taylor Swift-dedicated reporter. As in, a reporter whose entire job is knowing everything there is to know about Taylor Swift and reporting on Taylor’s professional and personal life. I sort of agree that Taylor is, to borrow an economic phrase, too big to fail, and that the life and times of Taylor Swift are certainly begging for more concentrated and knowledgeable reporting, if not genuine scholarship on Taylor’s whole deal in a musical, cultural and economic context.
Personally, there are many issues in which I am on Taylor’s side: her political power scares all the worst people in the country; she’s one of the smartest businesswomen I’ve ever seen; she’s incredibly powerful but she’s mostly careful and thoughtful about how she wields that power. And then there are some issues where I think she deserves criticism in good faith: her selective white feminism; her weaponization of her fans against her enemies; her obsessive focus on charts and numbers rather than simply making good music; her perpetual and performative victimhood. Would I consider Taylor a “good role model”? A qualified yes. But Newsweek columnist John Mac Ghlionn says no, “Taylor Swift Is Not a Good Role Model.” This is why national outlets need to hire dedicated Swift reporters, so they won’t publish some guy sh-tting his pants over a pop star in her 30s being unmarried. I kid you not. Here’s part of the column:
Taylor Swift wields immense power. Although her economic impact is extremely beneficial, it’s worth asking if Swift’s influence extends positively to other areas. More specifically, is she a good role model for young girls in the U.S. and beyond? Numerous pieces have been written explaining why she is; I would like to offer some pushback. Swift is now the most influential celebrity in America. Her popularity is staggering, and her position as a cultural colossus is unquestionable.
At 34, Swift remains unmarried and childless, a fact that some might argue is irrelevant to her status as a role model. But, I suggest, it’s crucial to consider what kind of example this sets for young girls. A role model, by definition, is someone worthy of imitation. While Swift’s musical talent and business acumen are certainly admirable, even laudable, we must ask if her personal life choices are ones we want our sisters and daughters to emulate. This might sound like pearl-clutching preaching, but it’s a concern rooted in sound reasoning.
Swift’s highly publicized romantic life has been a source of prime tabloid fodder for years. She has dated numerous high-profile men—at least a dozen—including the singers Harry Styles and Joe Jonas, the actor Jake Gyllenhaal, and, more recently, the American football player Travis Kelce. This revolving door of relationships may reflect the normal dating experiences of many young women in today’s world, but it also raises questions about stability, commitment, and even love itself. Should we encourage young girls to see the “Swift standard” as the norm, something to aspire to? Or should we be promoting something a little more, shall we say, wholesome? Would any loving parent reading this want their daughter to date 12 different men in the span of just a few years? This is not an attack on Swift; it’s a valid question that is worth asking.
The superstar’s vocal criticisms of the patriarchy add another layer of complexity. Swift’s recent rallying cry against patriarchal structures stands in stark contrast to her personal dating choices. The singer often dates strong, influential men—celebrities who embody significant social and economic power. This can appear hypocritical. Hypocrisy fundamentally undermines the ability to be a good role model because it involves a contradiction between one’s actions and the principles or values they publicly advocate. Swift either doesn’t realize this or doesn’t care. Neither of the two is a good look.
Again, this is why dedicated Swift reporters are needed, if only to catch the lies and falsehoods: “Would any loving parent reading this want their daughter to date 12 different men in the span of just a few years,” right after he cites Swift’s boyfriends from over a decade ago. Taylor has probably dated a dozen guys throughout her entire LIFE, not “in the span of just a few years.” She was in a relationship with Joe Alwyn for around seven years. She was with Calvin Harris for two years, right? By my count, she’s dated five men in the past TEN YEARS: Calvin Harris, Tom Hiddleston, Joe Alwyn, Matt Healy and Travis Kelce. Not that it even matters, but I’m just pointing out that this guy doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about.
As I said, I think there are plenty of subjects in which you can criticize Taylor in good faith, but her dating life is pretty typical of a powerful, wealthy woman with terrible taste in men. “Having a healthy romantic/dating life as an adult woman” is not a moral issue and we’re living in the year 2024, not 1954. The part about Taylor dating men “who embody significant social and economic power” is ridiculous too – Taylor stands alone, she is peerless in a certain sense because no boyfriend is going to be equally famous or powerful. Even Travis Kelce, who is certainly famous, understands that Taylor’s fame and power is next-level.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images.