No news here: Kanye West hijacked Taylor Switft’s acceptance of her award at the MTV Video Music Awards last weekend and proclaimed Beyonce’ the true winner.
As I watched the clip on the Internets, I focused – as I am sure most everybody else did, as well – on Taylor Swift’s stricken face. She was nakedly hurt and shocked and vulnerable and it was all there for anyone to see.
Here’s what infuriates me. Taylor Swift is 19. Say what you will about her music (and, in all honestly, I’m not really a fan), but at a very (very!) young age she’s reached a level of success most of us will never see in our lifetime.
Achievement, baby.
But in that moment – perpetuated over and over again by the media – it was snatched away from her. Instead of being the representation of successful and powerful budding womanhood, she was relegated to a role as the latest in a series of media-manufactured female “victims” for America to feel sorry for. Move over, Kate Gosselin. Breathe a sigh of relief, Serena Williams, because the harsh glare of the media spotlight is off you just in time. It’s Taylor’s turn.
Just to be clear, I don’t blame the media and instead put the responsibility squarely where it belongs: On the man succinctly labeled a “jackass” by our Prez. But what made this story so compelling? Why are we so comfortable – so willing to embrace – victim stories? Because truth is, even though America loved Taylor as a star, we love her even more as a victim.
And that pisses me off.
Taylor Swift, keep going and achieving and making people remember why they voted for you in the first place. There are always pigs out there who will put you down for being blonde and pretty and successful and talented. For being a woman of achievement. (Oh, yeah, for reading romance novels, too.) Take it back, Taylor.
-Sandy AAR
Hello People! Just wanted to tell you that I got tickets to the Taylor Swift concert on Oct 22ndSat. In this site you can find tickets for other dates too. It’s amazing Taylor and his band performance, this is my third time and I’m still so excited about listening him live! On this page you can see the section where you’re buying the ticket, so it’s very recommended!
Hello People! Just wanted to tell you that I got tickets to the Taylor Swift concert on Oct 22ndSat. In this site you can find tickets for other dates too. It’s amazing Taylor and his band performance, this is my third time and I’m still so excited about listening him live! On this page you can see the section where you’re buying the ticket, so it’s very recommended!
what i like about taylor swift is that her music can easily connect to our emotions`
what i like about taylor swift is that her music can easily connect to our emotions`
Taylor Swift is the best country-pop singer today. I love all her songs and i love the she dress. She is pretty too. ‘
Taylor Swift is the best country-pop singer today. I love all her songs and i love the she dress. She is pretty too. ‘
Taylor Swift is the best country-pop singer today. I love all her songs and i love the she dress. She is pretty too. `
Taylor Swift is the best country-pop singer today. I love all her songs and i love the she dress. She is pretty too. `
Taylor Swift is the best country-pop singer today. I love all her songs and i love the she dress. She is pretty too. :
Taylor Swift is the best country-pop singer today. I love all her songs and i love the she dress. She is pretty too. :
Matt C, I totally agree with every one of your assessments. I didn’t know many of the details you mentioned — the cut off mic, Taylor crying in the wings, Kayne’s capped bottle, and his constant interruptions for attention. I came of age to the music of ABBA, so I wouldn’t know a Kayne song from any other rapper (I’m assuming he’s a rapper), and although I love popular music, I’ve never watched an award show, but actually happened to catch this particular moment because my teenager was watching.
However, what I found very interesting in his apologies (and I watched Leno the next night unaware he would be a guest) was that he kept giving them. Since I didn’t know Kayne tends to be a “”flagrant interrupter”” at these events, I had no idea he’d done this before. I thought his apology seemed sincere. Over the course of the next day, reading about the uproar on blogs, I learned much more about his inflated ego, his need to be in the limelight, etc.
My point here, is that when Taylor Swift was on The View on Tuesday (which I never watch but learned about), she said she still hadn’t received a personal apology from Kayne West. This, to me, was very telling. He apparently called immediately after the show to offer one. But it says to me that his various apologies before her appearance on The View were ALL ABOUT HIM. If you’re an egotistical, attention-hog, and you mess up big-time, you need to seriously apologize all over the world. But when you do, if you’re Kayne West, you apologize to save your own ass. Until Tuesday, his apologies were never about feeling remorse for what he did to Taylor Swift.
I hope he learned a good lesson. (shrug)
Matt C, I totally agree with every one of your assessments. I didn’t know many of the details you mentioned — the cut off mic, Taylor crying in the wings, Kayne’s capped bottle, and his constant interruptions for attention. I came of age to the music of ABBA, so I wouldn’t know a Kayne song from any other rapper (I’m assuming he’s a rapper), and although I love popular music, I’ve never watched an award show, but actually happened to catch this particular moment because my teenager was watching.
However, what I found very interesting in his apologies (and I watched Leno the next night unaware he would be a guest) was that he kept giving them. Since I didn’t know Kayne tends to be a “”flagrant interrupter”” at these events, I had no idea he’d done this before. I thought his apology seemed sincere. Over the course of the next day, reading about the uproar on blogs, I learned much more about his inflated ego, his need to be in the limelight, etc.
My point here, is that when Taylor Swift was on The View on Tuesday (which I never watch but learned about), she said she still hadn’t received a personal apology from Kayne West. This, to me, was very telling. He apparently called immediately after the show to offer one. But it says to me that his various apologies before her appearance on The View were ALL ABOUT HIM. If you’re an egotistical, attention-hog, and you mess up big-time, you need to seriously apologize all over the world. But when you do, if you’re Kayne West, you apologize to save your own ass. Until Tuesday, his apologies were never about feeling remorse for what he did to Taylor Swift.
I hope he learned a good lesson. (shrug)
Another point I would like to make. I believe Kanye carrying the bottle on the carpet was a pre-planned alibi. The bottle was actually capped and never open when he was “”drinking”” from it. I believe he planned ahead of time to interrupt at the best opportunity for him just for publicity and notoriety for his upcoming tour. When Taylor won the award she did, as a young nieve, happy girl he felt safe in intruding on her moment of happiness and excitement, with no thought of her right to enjoy that moment, and her honest heartbreak and dismay was so natural and visible that it is what caused a much bigger consequence than he ever envisioned. I don’t believe he was sincere in his apologies, nor would he ever have made them if the world hadn’t been so immediately and consensually in accord in denouncing his reprehensible action.
Nevertheless, I don’t believe it will have a lasting ill effect on his career; one reason being the callousness and readiness of people today to forgive and excuse incivility and rudeness and outrageous behavior in public figures and also for the reason that Taylor publicly said she accepts his apology, and because of her class and decency will not attempt to denounce him. I believe from what her family and others close to her have said, as well as her own demeanor and words that the incident itself was so distasteful and jarring that she wants to completely forget it. What’s saddest to me is that up till that moment, she still retained quite a bit of her girlish outlook on people, never having thought that anyone would be other than happy with her at acknowledgement she received for her work and music, because she has always been nothing but happy when other people won or received honor for their accomplishments. A moment that should have become a memory of just happiness and joy and fondness was marred, and as much as the love and support and approbation she received from all her friends, family and peers after, it can never take back that stolen moment of personal joy in a fulfillment of one of her dreams.