2018 has become the middle school dodge ball game I tried to avoid: I either get involved or I fake cramps and sit on the side because the game has no meaning to me.
It almost makes me miss the times of the Clinton era when the main question was whether the president hooked up with someone in the Oval Office. Kids today will never know.
But what kids do know today, for better or worse, is that Taylor Swift is in fact, a Democrat. This revelation is much to the chagrin of the Alt-Right / Far-Right movement, which had taken Swift’s historical political silence as a sign of support. In a lengthy Instagram post Swift jumped into the political bouncy house, stating:
“As much as I have in the past and would like to continue voting for women in office, I cannot support Marsha Blackburn. Her voting record in Congress appalls and terrifies me. She voted against equal pay for women. She voted against the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which attempts to protect women from domestic violence, stalking, and date rape. She believes businesses have a right to refuse service to gay couples. She also believes they should not have the right to marry.”
Following Swift’s announcement, media outlets have speculated whether she has caused a spike in voter registration. Whether not Swift has sparked a wave of young feminist voters has yet to be determined, but it has been some time since popular music and the youth vote have been this powerfully linked.
Back in the 90’s, MTV and Rock the Vote made being involved in the political process ‘hip’, pairing musical acts with politics as if the two were chocolate and peanut butter. But as the years went on, MTV started to be more about reality TV and less about the political process and social justice (not to mention music). The 90’s heyday of Rock the Vote now seems like a distant memory with a cool, retro Snapchat filter on it.
Taylor Swift’s political silence irked some during the presidential campaign of 2016 when other artists campaigned for Hillary Clinton, leaving many to speculate on Swift’s political affiliations. It makes sense that the Far Right claimed her as their own: she’s white, blonde, and rich. (Although, to be fair, that also describes Hillary Clinton.)
As a female artist, keeping your work and your politics separate seems like good business. Much like Beyonce, who seems to have a very tight hold on how fans receive her, Swift for the longest time seemed more interested in her artistic statement than any political statement. Her latest album, Reputation, was an attempt to take back her story from the media and seemingly come out on top.
I personally found it a little strange that Swift’s announcement came less than a week after the Supreme Court hearings. It felt a little oddly timed, an exciting development but it left a taste of, “… but where were you before this?” in the mouth.
Unless you’re Kanye West, who likes to merge art and personal political statements on a daily basis, there is a lot at stake. Music has this amazing ability to cross borders, regardless of sex, race, religious or political affiliations. But there’s a limit. Often, music fans react very passionately to artist’s political statements (see The Dixie Chicks and Kanye West for examples). I always feel guilty listening to Kanye’s Dark Twisted Fantasy album now because of his support of Donald Trump.
Putting my skepticism aside, it makes sense that Swift has been mum for this long. Her music doesn’t have an agenda. Anyone who has been done wrong, or fallen in love, can relate to Swift’s lyrics. I doubt that Swift’s shedding of her political neutrality will have any meaningful impact on her career in the long run. Nothing, save the receipts of Kim Kardashian, can doom her.
