Taylor Swift and 21st century activism

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[@pisceanbeauty2503]

Tonight, I’ll be going to a county budget meeting for the first time. This is a part of my long overdue beginning actions to become more engaged in my local community. I think the exhaustion we feel from these big picture issues can be tempered by more local actions. The momentum for wide-scale change always comes from the ground up.

[@MagisterialVoyager]

❤❤❤

[@mkmt1287]

hope you had fun and created new connections ;)

[@XOChristianaNicole]

I think that is a fantastic idea.

[@Meandyoujustus]

I'm so proud of you!

[@sarahmalta4625]

I went to the eras tour in brazil as well. True nightmare. Ana died and she acted as if nothing important had happened when she decided to maintain the other show the very next day. My show was the second one, which was canceled. She knew that the climate would be worse than the day before (the day ana died) and decided to maintain the show anyway. I was scared to go but i, as well as many people, traveled to rio and it cost me a lot of money. We spent HOURS outside waiting under the boiling sun. hours. I wouldn't stop sweating, my food MELTED and i almost fainted. So many people fainted. I saw a girl in a wheelchair having a convulsion. Finally, when everybody was inside the stadium, after HOURS waiting under the sun... she postponed. it was such an irresponsible and terrible thing to do. She didn't even announce it in person. A robotic voice was given the job. I used to be a huge fan, but im just not able to be anymore... not after such disregard, disrespect and irresponsibility. I understand people who are still huge fans, but that's only because it didn't happen to them. Now it's personal.

[@nuclearwessels2078]

That is so gross of her. The concert should have been canceled immediately after Ana died out of basic respect.

[@sarahmalta4625]

@@nuclearwessels2078 it still blows my mind she didn't postpone sooner. It's truly absurd

[@sarahnovaes8707]

E o pior é que os swifties gringos vão e falam “aaah eles estão reclamando que cancelaram o show” não cara, a gente tá reclamando que ela submeteu milhares de pessoas às mesmas condições que a Ana ANTES de cancelar o show. Além de fazer as pessoas de idiota ainda colocou todo mundo em risco e fez muita gente perder dinheiro que demoraram meses pra pagar. Eu perdi muito o respeito e muito do carinho que eu tinha pela Taylor. Espero que você e seus amigos tenham se recuperado bem!

[@Man-ej6uv]

if i was her i don't know what i would even do. that's beyond tragic.

[@sarahmalta4625]

@SonderDAzeX-nc6vg 1. No, she just should've postponed sooner. I mean, just read the text. 2. She did not performe a tribute. She didn't mention ana's name or what happened. 3. She did not donate money. The fans even paid for the transportation of ana's body to her hometown

[@amattyg]

In relation to Taylor Swift and women in country music. When the Dixie Chicks stood up to Bush and the Iraq War it got them death threats from male country stars. I'm not saying it's an excuse because I believe Taylor Swift was about as much of a country singer as Drake is a rapper. They're both popstars. Taylor Swift has levels of protection that the Dixie Chicks didn't.

[@shanebattistv2165]

Good point. I haven’t thought about that incident in so long. I’ll bet the Dixie Chicks story unfortunately spooked many celebrities from making waves in politics. Cut the wrong wire and your career blows up in your face.

[@destituteanddecadent9106]

The fact that I hadn't heard of the Dixie Chicks until two decades after that whole ordeal, and only because it was featured in a video about protest music, says so much.

[@amattyg]

@@destituteanddecadent9106 I was never a country music fan and I still liked the Dixie Chicks music. I was a teenager from the city, I was raised around rap and alternative rock music depending on where I lived.

[@armchairbrain]

I don't mind Swift's music, but she's a capitalist to her bones with an incredible amount of class privilege (case in point: just recently, we learned how her team is protecting her from getting infected with COVID while her fans have to risk their health). And on social issues, she was a little late to the party when it came to LGBTQ+ rights, and even here during her "You Need To Calm Down" music video, she was taking shots at the Westboro Baptist Church (a small bigoted, but easy target that even Republicans could point to and say "see? Our bigotry is not like their bigotry!"). She's always been a disappointment, putting aside the painfully hilarious rants FOX News will put out every time she utters one word. The sad thing is she has every opportunity to speak out when its necessary, but her silence is emblematic with regard to most in the celebrity class. For them, politicians like Biden are fine so long as they're not rocking the boat too much. Nicely done.

[@ellevasc]

as a swiftie, i WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree with you. it’s not just on her to be an activist ofc, but she definitely could (and should) use her voice for good more often rather than using it only for commercial purposes.

[@chrisohara9986]

“…she’s a capitalist to her bones…” and? And what? Even today’s unemployed are capitalists even as the serfs before them were feudalists. As capitalism subsumed feudalism so the next suite of social arrangements must subsume capitalism, and while individual exertions may make a tremendous difference to our lived experience such efforts neither help nor hinder social development.

[@fireflieswishes]

@@chrisohara9986 not sure what you're talking about but erm great bootlicking.

[@studyacc1210]

Damm people will always have something to complain about her

[@Personal_Chizo]

Unironically, she's got Michael Jordan levels of "Republicans buy sneakers, too".

[@marinatavares7630]

the way I see taylor changed so much after the eras show in brazil where a fan died. I was there with two cousins of my and it was one of the most traumatic experiences of my life. I don’t expect anything form her anymore, besides some songs that I can listen to sometimes. she is not our friend

[@raduungureanu2080]

i disagree. i think she's still an important voice and she is on the right side of history. sometime the pressure from the other side can be a bit too much and she will go quiet at times, but i'm sure she will still find opportunities to be our friend. also, the fan incident was more climate change related than anything to do with taylor... (at least from what i can gather from far away).

[@sweettea018]

Né!!!! Foi exatamente a mesma coisa pra mim. A experiência toda foi um trauma, e ficou muito claro o elitismo e o distanciamento

[@ellevasc]

how is the the rio fiasco her fault? i 100% agree she should speak out more but she donated to ana’s family and invited them to another concert. she didn’t change after that show, she’s always been too quiet about political issues for my taste, but i honestly don’t see how a heatwave and a lack of organisation by the stadium have anything to do with that

[@sweettea018]

​@ellevasc she did not donate money to Ana's family. Also, the fans had to start a gofundme to transfer Ana's body back to their home state, because her family couldn't afford to, and Taylor didn't donate. Ana's death wasn't her fault, but she handled the situation horribly and did nothing to help. Plus, the heatwave was actually insane, Rio was in a major crisis because of it and she didn't donate any money to local charities like she does on the US. I was there and I felt literally heartbroken. I know it sounds stupid, but I didn't expect that type of contempt coming from her. I don't have a single swiftie friend who remained a true fan after all this. Like OP said, she ir not our friend, but she sure wants us to believe she is

[@chrisohara9986]

As a matter of fact, she is not now nor has she ever been your friend and she can not be your friend (or my friend for that matter). Swift is an entertainer. Get a grip.

[@sarahnovaes8707]

I went to the eras tour in Brazil. And all I can say is that Taylor did a terrible job being a “good person” here. She built this whole persona that she cares about her fans, that she loves us but when it’s her Latino fans it doesn’t matter that one died and multiple fans fainted, had third degree burns or lost all the money they spent going to an impossibly expensive concert. And to top it all off she flooded the international media with stupid interviews of her and Travis so that they wouldn’t care about the tragedy. Not once did she mention Ana’s name and we swifties had to raise money to transfer her body and guarantee that all fans would have water the next two shows. It’s crazy that she just chooses silence time after time and then when we get disappointed with her lack of positioning we are the ones who expect too much from a celebrity. Let’s call it what it is: she’s a billionaire that clearly doesn’t care about the environment, people or politics. White feminism, true imperialism and fake empathy.

[@taliafernandes9921]

Uma coisa que eu tenho conversado com meus amigos sobre, é que o consumo de Taylor Swift na nossa bolha diminuiu consideravelmente depois dos shows e de como ela manejou os acontecimentos no Rio de Janeiro. Não que o fato dela ter perdido alguns streams de algumas pessoas no interior do Brasil tenha impactado na conta bancária dela.... até porque nós não diminuímos porque não queríamos dar mais dinheiro à alguém que já é bilionário (isso também), mas por pura decepção com a cantora e equipe dela.

[@ellevasc]

she’s always been quiet about political issues and i hate that, but saying her reaction to the rio fiasco is to do with the fact it happened in brazil is going too far imo. she would’ve been quiet anywhere, i don’t think it’s fair to call her a racist. i do think it’s fair to call her complacent, though.

[@sweettea018]

​@@taliafernandes9921o consumo das músicas dela também diminuiu muito na minha bolha (eu também tava lá). Achei legal saber que isso rolou com mais gente. Eu não tenho nenhum amigo swiftie que continuou fã mesmo

[@sarahnovaes8707]

@@ellevascwhen a girl fainted in USA her mom (Taylor swift’s mom) went to see her personally at the help station and they gave her a ticket for another concert. With the fan that died her team didn’t even help pay for the body to be transported back to the girl’s city… so… I’m not saying it’s racism, but I am saying that it’s considering one life less valuable than the other

[@sarahnovaes8707]

@@sweettea018menina, eu ando bem sem clima pra ouvir as músicas dela e ainda por cima ando ficando de saco cheio com o jeito que ela trata outras artistas. Sei lá.. fui Swiftie desde 2012 mais ou menos, mas tô cada dia mais decepcionada

[@dsolis7532]

I have such a big problem with Taylor. She is a billionaire. There is no way, no matter how talented you are to reach that level of wealth without the exploitation of the environment and workers. People seem to justify her because she objectively works on her music, but the biggest share of her wealth comes from shows that pollute and depend of hundreds of people’s work and merch fabricated in third world countries. She is a capitalist, she will never say anything that challenges the system. She will at best endorse the neoliberals with blue tie and “social justice” for white people.

[@atrophus5355]

Reminds me of the "Taylor swift going from one side of her plane to the other" meme showing a plane flying inside her private jet. Top 100 most polluting people on the planet and stuff. And even if a billionaire truly used literally as his wealth for a good cause, it still doesnt change the fact they should never have had the power to begin with. Im not saying the bad dictators should be thrown down, I want all dictators gone. The very existence is problematic.

[@Ukraineaissance2014]

She barely writes her own music. I've worked with somebody who contributed to production on some of her music and she writes a few lines about a breakup while everybody else around the place actually does the music, arrangement etc. Same with Ed Sheeran. It was hilarious when she went crazy at Damon Albarn for pointing this out politely, he could have gone further and proven her lack of contribution but stayed out of it. The current reproduction of her first few albums is actually about her getting credited for the original work of others on those original tracks-she didnt have the power or money to get those songwriters to sign their work over to her back then like she does now. Many of these actual songwriters earn a relative absolute pittance for their work and sign it over to these big 'artists' so get no subsequent royalties. Others just have their music outright stolen

[@WellActualllyyy]

what do you expect her to do play concerts on zoom only?

[@atrophus5355]

@@WellActualllyyyWhat an willfully obtuse question. Ofc not, but then the millions and billions of revenue need to go to the whole supply chain, not just the star themselves and a few managers. Anticapitalism really isnt that hard to understand, the workers are not content with the crumbs, they want their fair share of the whole foggin bakery.

[@WellActualllyyy]

@@atrophus5355 yea im sure she can pay people more but not really going to help the environment

[@KootFloris]

There's a famous quote, that goes for Taylor, that goes for everyone: Evil wins when good people do nothing. Many countries and companies are run by crooks with nice faces and awesome PR. But the lack of integrity, the greed and amount of damage to planet and people means no one can afford to stay silent anymore. Not me, not Taylor Swift. I get her reluctance, I understand it's not her, nor Alice's, nor my job. But we can't let evil will, not Netanyahu, not Trump and ... not Biden, oopsie, USA your choices are too limited. You're being played.

[@richlisola1]

Taylor Swift is not a good person. And I’ll wager you aren’t either.

[@KootFloris]

@@richlisola1 You must be either divine to know for sure, or brilliant like Holmes. Applause.

[@juliette6035]

Taylor is a capitalist at heart, and she will always prioritize her business. That isn't to say that she has NO care for fans or for certain issues, but it clearly isn't her first priority to speak up on them. Miss Americana was a marketing ploy to paint her in a good light, and she saw the Grammy's this year as simply another way to promote her business. This is coming from someone who really loves her music, and went to her tour. I think that it's a bit ignorant to think that she would speak in anyway that would critique the economic and political system that she relies on for business. Anywho, as much as I love Swift's music, she was very selective about speaking out politically when it benefitted her career. To her, it's just business.

[@maddybarnham]

yess, as a huge fan as well and went to her tour. it feels music is just her job and she is focused on the numbers. The album versions is ridiculous.

[@pendragon2012]

Well said, Alice. The AI bit is really troubling. And I think your overall point about expecting celebrities to do the work for us is really excellent. I always think of the one good line from a bad Fantastic Four movie when one of the team claims the villain is "stronger than any of us," the leader replies, "Yes, he is, but he's not stronger than all of us." Great video, as always--I always need to watch them at least twice to start to get my head around the topics. Keep up the good work, Alice!

[@Babyblue115]

The AI bit is so dark. I can't believe tools like these that traumatize and humiliate a person is so accessable :(. I really hope there will be strong regulations soon.

[@matthewcaldwell8100]

The biggest objection I have to Taylor Swift is ultimately the same critique of all obscene wealth. Her ability to insulate herself from the world leads to an infantile view of it. So we see every response out of her reduced to middle school cant. Any accountability for the savage or predatory business practices of her brand is diverted into whiny imprecations that she is a well meaning victim

[@allllll5609]

Your point of view is pure fiction. When did she complain about being "attacked" for her carbon footprint ? Never.

[@lisab3287]

@@allllll5609 Shes suing a student who used publicly available information about her jet to track her climate footprint.

[@ciggytwiggy]

​@allllll5609 she did. Dont be so blind to her faults. She has plenty.

[@clairei5171]

You need to do a video on how taylor swift is trying to capitalise feminine rage and how she's skewered the meaning of feminine rage as a woman being angry.

[@lordfreerealestate8302]

TPD was less "feminine rage" as "feminine pettiness".

[@alicejanekennedy]

Thank you for discussing Sinead, she's a member of my father's family, and is missed dearly ❤

[@spectrum3127]

Oh wow is she a nephew?

[@Neonseasnake]

​@@spectrum3127she'd be a niece not a nephew

[@schtuff.8207]

Its also a common POV that when it comes to the climate crisis, our job is largely to hold corporations accountable - yet what about individuals that are essentially a corporation like Taylor Swift? Organized activism when its also focused around treating a central figure like a deity (a cultish activism) is dangerous as its progress in some areas at the expense of others that are perhaps more glaring or important. For example, for Taylor, there was a time she railed against Spotify, fighting for independent musicians & music as a whole - now, its quietly part of her strategy to use Spotify, and other artists are mocked if they complain about Spotify or CEO Daniel Ek, who spend 100 million pounds investing in war technology. She's complicit in Spotify, and hence the Swifties by and large are too, and indirectly in war atrocities.

[@marmeus]

Yep, she can't even afford to talk about this subject just taking into account her constant travels in her private jet

[@Eosinophyllis]

I’ve been saying this! at a certain point in fame you become a corporation- she does nothing without consultation of management.

[@allllll5609]

Taylor carbon impact's is ridiculous compared to corporations... And you forget that she's one of the biggest philantropist on earth (not many people pay their staff 50 million dolalrs)

[@maddybarnham]

she will speak out things if its relation to her and her business.

[@xyincognito]

Yet, literally her contract with Universals required fair compensation from streaming for OTHER artists

[@humanlikecaterpillar]

Sinead was a whole different breed of a human. She was the best.

[@tim290280]

Really appreciate the activism point. There is a lot of scholarship that seeks to defang activism by implying that only peaceful protests worked (one very famous paper in particular made headlines on this), but it always tries to treat activism as a very specific time period or set of activities in isolation rather than the whole continuum and struggle.

[@El_Zorro_Rubio]

I think Taylor's success mainly does not come from outstanding performances as a musician, but rather her perfectly average appearance in many respects. The fact that she isn't standing out is a perfect counterpoint to the Instagram, Tiktok whatsoever 'attention is everything' Zeitgeist.

[@Unhappytimeaper]

I hate to say it but I think Taylor's success does come from being the perfect 'girl next door' archetype. This doesn't discredit Taylor is a good songwriter and singer, by no means does she not have talent but Taylor had everything in her field for becoming a star. She had rich parents who could afford to support her and bring her places to consistently promote her career in ways that many middle and lower class people might not have. She is a thin, white girl who falls into the natural standards of beauty which landed her a lot of benefit for country and no doubt has had a major impact on her career. She has the PR team and balance for creating a market of personality that makes her cool and relatable despite not having a 'normal life' in many ways. Taylor's success does have to do with her talent, sure, but mainly there is a massive impact that she just had everything the music industry would have wanted to market someone.

[@nicolajane7389]

@@Wildwildmintno it’s not. Plenty of women are successful because of the way of they look. Taylor deliberately cultivated a girl next door, relatable aesthetic. You can’t get mad when we acknowledge that. She’s not objectively talented. She’s…..meh. There are much better female singers, writers and musicians.

[@nicolajane7389]

@@Wildwildmint happy to start listing off talentless hot men if you like. Keane Reeves can start off if you like…..

[@LeonardShelby112]

@@nicolajane7389he’s a great actor though. Maybe you should have said someone like Andrew Tate

[@kombuchas4684]

​@@LeonardShelby112 Andrew Tate is NOT hot. Ew. Keanu Reeves is my fav but his weakness has always been his acting.

[@nikikhojandi9485]

Hi. I'm a 23 yr old Iranian fashion designer and one of my designs was worn by Taylor but another brand got credit🥲 it just really hurt because that could've been life changing for me!

[@samozivkanadmenic9492]

That is just sad, do you have instagram or socia media account where I can support you :)

[@Rebecca_2004]

And she never talks about her Iranian fans. Not even once. She acts like her Iranian fans don't exist.

[@ciggytwiggy]

What the hell??

[@CardsNHorns04]

Great video. I think you hit it on the head that while short term, celebs help raise the profile of movement and issues, the “shadow work” that you do in the movement is what will move the needle over time.

[@arghjayem]

01:15 Why would she say anything? She’s had things easy all her life! Yes she’s a successful singer song writer whatever….but how did she get that? She wasn’t exactly poor to start with. Her father is a stockbroker and her mum was a marketing ad executive for a mutal fund. She was rich already. I mean she made her family move down to Nashville because she got into country music- a traditionally working class blue collar music. They bought her music lessons and everything else they could to help her. Swift is a nepo baby really but everyone seems to forget that. She has never and will never struggle with anything so what does she care what’s going on in the world? She often says that she cares about climate change, yet uses her private jet like most people catch taxis!

[@Char00000]

Co-signed. Also isn't she threatening to sue the Twitter account that tracks her private jet?

[@sateliteschinos]

Swifties are always quick to point out how she is supposedly not a nepo baby, but doing just a little bit of research you can easily find out what ties her father had with the music industry that led her to find some of the best opportunities early in her career. They will also pull out the “but she was rejected by labels tons of times!!” card without taking into account that her parents knew about business and they would pull out of a deal every time they saw something that threatened Taylor’s success. And when she was signed into big machine records she couldn’t even be considered an indie artist because her father invested tens of thousands of dollars in the label. She was always privileged from the beginning, and she knows her experience is so alienating and polarizing that she uses strategic vulnerability to keep people rooting for her. Man! Her first manager was Britney Spears’ manager. That is NOT an indie artist become mainstream through “hard work.”

[@xyincognito]

@@sateliteschinos No one has achieved what Taylor Swift has. Her family had the means to support her dreams by moving to Nashville, by backing the label sure. But that doesn't give you a career yet, particularly one that is unprecedented. There are only few female artist in history who has established this kind of dominance. Just look at Jim Carrey's daughter who also wanted to become a singer; you can't hardly argue that Jim Carrey wasn't better connected in the entertainment industry, yet his daughter amounted to nothing but a visit to some American TV casting show.

[@blameitoncapitalism]

(not what a nepo baby is... she was from a upper middle class that's it.tbats a good start but not being a product of influence in her field, like Cyrus, Perry, Gaga and other of her contemporaried that don't get half her flack)

[@BlackTalkNoLimits]

I have been engaged in social justice efforts over many years. It takes organized efforts to sustain long term successful strategies which takes various resources and many different roles. No one is asking Taylor Swift to be the strategist and thought leader when it comes to issues. Many are asking celebrities to use their platforms to bring awareness and use their financial resources to help support issues. Tarana Burke, the founder of the Me Too Movement had led that work for years. However, it took a tweet from a major celebrity to take that movement to the next level. We are asking celebrities to use their platform to help in the ways in which it makes sense while the work by others happens everyday.

[@tutti-frutti369]

Exactly, we are asking them to speak up because just one post or story can make a huge difference, they have INTERNATIONAL fans so the message gets spread AROUND THE WORLD. Sadly I feel like some fans still don’t understand that and defend celebrities because « they’re just humans you shouldn’t expect them to change the world ».

[@cosyreadingtimes8857]

love this video and I particularly love how you talk about the parallel between Sisyphos and activism, I truly feels like that at times. But you're also right in that community often helps with that. Getting organized and doing activism with others, who might become friends over time. Sitting alone at home, all the devastating news seem overwhelming. But when feeling the wave of a movement around you in the pure mass of people on the street, it seems like everything is possible.

[@barislovescats]

im a kurdish queer from middle east and i love her music i love her song writing and i now that she is not my savior. None of the white people living in the West, the billionaires the capitalists , are my saviors. My people are my saviors. Im my savior. Im my activist. I will not put my faith in a white billionaire who knows nothing about me, my land, my people, my struggle. Our struggle. Im a leftist, we are our own freedom fighter. ( ı know i sound harsh but we have to be harsh. and im not talking about our comrades who lives in the west or whom happens to be white)

[@vincentvangogh815]

The thing is Taylor is called a voice of our generation. Which maybe wasn't her choice but she is clearly profiting from it. And having a such platform should required some action. I'm not asking her to actual activist, but it is ridicules that she doesn't share her opinions in case of offending someone

[@barislovescats]

@@vincentvangogh815 ı definitely agree with u but i just stop hoping you know cuz she only talks about things when that thing is some what relate or affect her

[@gaeig]

Only "comrades" in say, the USSR and during the great Revolution in China have been actually "saviours", the way you mean it. I am Indian so I am aa far away from whiteness as it gets but I think it's very important to make the distinction that left-leaning ideas, theories and concepts from the West and beyond are important for every comrade in the world but yeah you're absolutely right in basically saying that only Kurds can save themselves from Syrian tyranny, or only Palestinian can save themselves from Israeli tyranny. And anyways Taylor Swift is an American liberal. She's socially progressive just like most modern leftists but supports all conservative economic policies like low taxes, cutting down on public sector investment, austerity measures and profiting off wars in the Middle East by selling weapons and trading cheap oil

[@barislovescats]

@@gaeig English is my third language and I need to use some translation, so there may be a confusion, but yes, what I mean to say is that if we are talking about an international effort, this effort can only be happen when the all sides see each other as their comrades. taylor cant help me cuz she is not claiming to be my comrade. and im not her comrade by any means. in this world only being a socially progressive individual is not enough. What I'm trying to say is that expecting anything from her will set us up for nothing. I definitely agree that she has a big platform, but not everything should be measured by the size of the platform. ( I can't remember the exact word I want to use, so I say platform.)

[@gaeig]

@@barislovescats Ohhk that's not a problem. I am saying that leftist people around the world will support leftists in Iraq and kurdish people's wish to have a separate independent state as the Syrian govt. is killing them. But leftists from the world won't come to help Kurdish people or Iraqis to protest against rich corrupt people, they won't come to start a revolution with kurdish people against dictatorships. During the Russian Revolution german communists didn't come in large numbers to remove the king(Tsar) of Russia. This will be the case everywhere. But at the same time, like me as an Indian can learn, every person from every corner of the world can learn about what leftists from the west and from the rest of the world think about the common enemy of the left: the property owning class, the greedy businessmen, the relatives of kings, the families of religious leaders and the relatives of corrupt dictators Taylor Swift looks like a leftist to people like you and me where social progressivism is seen as against the government and against the cultural values, but in the West they are not seen like that and people see liberalism as part of the culture. Hence people like Taylor Swift use it to increase popularity, to make money just like in ur country and my country politicians will make money by claiming to be the protector of real Iraqi/Kurdish/indian culture. Both taylor swift and conservative politicians will still take loans from the rich businessman at the end of the day to continue their career even if they know the businessman has made the money in a way liberalism doesn't support Media painst Iraq as a place torn apart by American wars and now fighting against extremist forces. I hope the situation is better in real life and will get even better from what it's like now there❤

[@PratimaShri]

And during Super Bowl all people could talk about is her and her boyfriend while Gaza was being bombed

[@lexm17]

Activism is not a job, it’s a vocation. We shouldn’t rely on celebrities to speak out one issues, no matter how important because at the end of the day are we demanding they do their jobs as citizens or as celebrities?. Their identity is their brand and it can be hard to separate, that’s why many don’t talk politics or social issues. I’m not saying I agree with it, but if we want the world to change for the better we can’t be waiting for the likes of Taylor Swift to do it.

[@wonderIland]

Then she should shut up about politics.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

Idk abt Tortured Poets Department, most of us here are from the Tortured Academics Department. Alice is our favourite classmate.

[@GabrielHellborne]

The dark comedy of it all is that we, the common people, can't individually do much about the massive systemic problems that affect us, while celebrities like Taylor CAN to a much greater extent. However, they won't go against the system that made them famous and rich, even though they're far equipped to survive the backlash and blowback than your average worker. It's not their responsibility, but they have power, so isn't it their responsibility? They want to be left alone to ply their craft (understandable), but they still live on the same planet and have to choose to actively ignore it's problems, so isn't it their place to do something? The absurdity makes me want to cackle hysterically.

[@maddybarnham]

also said she wants to heal people and speak out more but is not doing much of that.

[@hasnaashaalan9083]

Thank you for the video but please just say Gaza, Palestine and Palestinians and not the Middle East. This is the least we could do: mention them and remember them.

[@zesky6654]

Because it's the only part of the Middle East with problems. 😂

[@hann3407]

Ty

[@coolm3th]

I loved this video essay so much. It encapsulates so much of the frustration I feel when I look at the way people go about their activism (and at times, my own). It seems as though no one has their own core issues to focus on - that so much is wrong and it's so difficult to figure out what to really hone in on and how. And because of this, the action to move is lacking because everyone is too dispersed. There's not enough numbers focused on one thing- and if they are focused on the same thing... Many different groups have different ideas to go about it. It's difficult. I really love how this video shows just how incredible the focus on one thing (taylor swift) can a create massive outcome of action (the oversaturation of fan made videos to block out AI). If only we could do this with other things that more closely relate to our way of life or our livelihoods.

[@Unhappytimeaper]

I find a lot of people get confused on why people are upset with Taylor's lack of care for activism in the face of current events. The biggest thing is that when your brand morphs into highlighting your impact for good/activism/politics and overall being that relatable, cool friendly girl everyone likes turning your back to cultural activism is going to be a massive detriment. There is little doubt to me that Taylor's activism and involvement in politics has always been PR branding for a specific audience and that for all the things she speaks for there is so much that she ignores, yet many hardcore fans choose to believe she is a revolutionary rather than an extremely and always rich, white girl who likely has always been disengaged with many parts of the political sphere. If Taylor's PR team didn't constantly try to brand her this way she still would be facing backlash but I doubt it would be to the degree because there is an idea that Taylor is just one of the people who care of those massively effected by anti-LGBT+ law, impacts of capitalism causing the working class to suffer, women's rights being stripped away, and even the POC audience who found connection through her music-- not someone who only cares when there is a check on the other end by parasocial means or companies. When there are hundreds of celebrities and artists who are aware the situations right now are more than little politics but the intense line of human rights being fractured and genuinely at risk with even parts of Taylor's identity she does fall into [women's rights in the USA is genuinely at a place that is terrifying regarding bodily autonomy] so much of the conversation now falls beyond the scope of a career appealing to everyone but rather on a self level. Is money more important? Does the value of human rights only come into play when you are the one benefitting by race, gender, sexuality, or religion? When do things become worth your voice, how far does it have to go for you to care? As other celebrities speak out and come to face these questions those who stay silent like Taylor, Beyonce, and Selena prove that what is to be said for the activism they have stood up for is conditional.

[@prairiebutch]

I used to be a fully bought-in swiftie as a teen. I was interacting with her on Tumblr, knew where she was at any given moment in time, could rattle off every public fact about her life... now I can't stand to hear about her, beyond her music. Her lack of political action is shameful, and when I see people buying in to her consumerism, excusing her carbon emissions (not to mention her cute little flirtation with white supremacist Matty Healy)... it makes me feel sick. She is my favourite musician, an incredibly talented songwriter and performer, but that isn't enough anymore.

[@inbb510]

You should always separate art from the person. I recognise Richard Wagner was an antisemite or Percy Grainger had very questionable views on black people, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate their music and their talents they had as an artist. Art is often produced from a place where people want to escape from the chaotic l, diverse and brutal nature of world. And while I am not too well versed in Taylor Swift's albums, I'm sure she is the same with respect to how she makes art.

[@fireflieswishes]

​@@inbb510art is an extention of the person though and i personally couldn't separate them. by engaging in a terrible person's art you're giving them a platform they shouldn't have imo

[@sagunrai8689]

@@inbb510 It's a cute little notion to separate the art from the artist. I myself enjoy art of those artists who are questionable. But I don't keep myself in this delusion and wholeheartedly admit that I'm being selfish and a hypocrite for doing so.

[@GoncalvesRafaelLima]

Ana Benevides.

[@allllll5609]

Yes, she mourned her privately. Not everything has to be done publicly. It's the stadium's responsibility.

[@GoncalvesRafaelLima]

@@allllll5609 I admire your naiveness

[@macondiano503]

I think the points you were making about activism are very true. I have noticed that, too. A lot of people place a lot of responsibility on individuals, but people are not invincible so it doesn't work long-term. Just yesterday, I heard about the daughter of Eric Gardner who died of a heart attack probably related to such pressures. And for these reasons, too, it's very common that people try to assassinate activists or threaten their family... The problems we have weren't created by one person, but many thousands of individuals so it only makes sense that we need a similar community in order to work against them. Plus, it makes everyone safer, too, when the responsibility is being shared.

[@Realma]

I love how you exhaust the subjects you cover and delineate them in such a poignant manner. I never quite got the Taylor craze, so almost skipped the video, but so glad I watched it after all - I was intrigued by the various points you made about parasocial relationships, AI and activism. And AI seriously needs to be regulated...

[@zk6019]

anyone who calls her a feminist is a joke. she only becomes "political" when she needs to clap back at on of her exes or a male critic.

[@anhelaanhela4996]

A platform is wasted on anyone who has one and doesn't speak up.

[@whereisjustice5112]

People changed. Because of money, TS only perform in Singapore because Singapore Government pay TS special allowance to stay in Singapore.

[@allllll5609]

omg, conspiracy theorists are OUT

[@aziziabdrahman7756]

I’ve heard of this as well, and apparently Thailand and particularly the Philippines (which has the largest Swiftie fan base in SEA) isn’t happy

[@charmaine_sews]

@@allllll5609 it is not a conspiracy theory haha, I am singaporean and our prime minister has very publicly and openly spoken about this.

[@swatidasde4442]

​@@allllll5609 do search first.

[@chelseashurmantine8153]

Thank you for talking about this. Prn deepfakes should be charged as sexual assault. It’s not ok it’s not ok it’s not ok

[@sabrachael]

Absolutely loved this video. I found the point of basically having celebrities do the activist work for us while implying to ourselves we can't do anything about these issues (leading to complacency) very eye-opening... I never thought about it like that before. I don't know, I feel like I'm personally always grappling with the question "Should we rely on celebrities to be activists?". On one hand, some might not really know much about a certain issue and end up unknowingly spreading misinformation, since their careers aren't focused on activism and engaging with different social issues. But then on the other hand, they do have large and impactful platforms that can spread awareness to thousands of people. I enjoy seeing other people's thoughts in the comments... it seems like the general consensus is that Taylor Swift, who has such an immense and dedicated fanbase, should at least use her voice for something rather than remaining silent. I really love her music, songwriting, and performance, but yeah, she's a bit shady as a person. One thing that made me disappointed was reading how her attorneys tried to sue a blogger who wrote an article analyzing her silence on political issues and how her silence, as well as the song "Look What You Made Me Do", could unintentionally validate and encourage white supremacists. Of course, the blogger won the case because in her article, she did NOT ever call Swift a white supremacist and was more-so just providing a critical analysis on the impacts of her actions. It's just so strange that rather than addressing the topic, her attorneys straight up tried to silence and sue the blogger.

[@cosmicgalaxystudio1539]

Good for that blogger.

[@BokorugroRR]

I have an idea for a future video: in Hungary very recently, the president pardoned someone who aided a convicted pedophile (a director of an orphanage). It triggered a huge political protest organized by youtubers and influencers which prompted a 150.000 strong protest, absolutely unheard crowd in a country as small as Hungary. Some think, it’s because it was a truly grassroots movement from which political parties were banned from.

[@redwinepinkhair]

This is such a well-rounded, enlightened perspective. Well done Alice! 👏💙

[@geneclarke2205]

I don't understand why fans demand actors, musicians, singers, etc., to take political stands anytime something happens. Are celebrities actually using their influence because they honestly believe in what they're saying, or are they forced to do this by fans or their managers? Example, Kid Rock and his boycott of Bud Lite beer because of this 'woke" thing. Kid Rock saw an opportunity to enhance his image with his right wing fans and jumped all over this issue. Is this activism or something else?

[@bothi00]

Because those celebrities have enormous platform. This is potential for mobilisation towards benign and low-capacity political actions

[@fireflieswishes]

i understand the grey area with virtue signalling however i think celebrities should be humanised and encouraged to use their platforms for good.

[@vintagereflection9990]

naturally if the celebrity has a HUGE impact, the biggest being Taylor Swift, especially if they love to flaunt that they are someone who stands up for what’s right, people are going to expect a little human decency. Taylor Swift who who had more than 200 million followers got more than 35 thousand people to vote in the election. She has a huge social impact and influence. So, it’s not wrong for people to want her to participate in other important issues of the world.

[@richlisola1]

She doesn’t stand up for herself in relationships-She breaks faith, airs dirty laundry, revises history, and blame shifts the fault onto her exes in nasty caustic songs. As for her lack of actual activism? She doesn’t care-And I’m glad she isn’t an activist, one shouldn’t be required to be an activist just because they happen to be an entertainer with reach. What I find spew worthy is Swift’s selective activism and use of feminism and human rights issues as a cloak for her money hungry narcissism. As for the right side of history? I loathe that phrase. The world is going to Hell in a hand basket. So if you mean that we’re more enlightened now than we were, and in the future we’ll be more enlightened than we are now-Then you’re not paying attention and I shudder to think about what you’re right side is.

[@TrueBeLeafer]

Absurdism to the core asks us to find our own meaning in a world that has no meaning or destiny. So whatever it is you choose to do in your life, to embrace it fully with an open heart. Does protesting seem pointless? To the outsider perhaps, but it will allow you to the very least say that you tried. Find your own meaning.

[@michelvondenhoff9673]

Taylor Swift is a brand.

[@derelixa]

I really like that take on celebrities' role in politics. It's not so much about them, but about what they create as a uniting medium, which then rally people on a deep level. The fact that this has been theorised and studied, and that the fanbase develop their own moral compass is also interesting. Because then it means that, in a situation where the celebrity change their view on something, the fan will still question it ? I should probably read the sources to know more... Also, has we seen music or other fanbase unite for malicious purposes ? I also wonder what deeply differ between these groups from political or religious groups. What's the diffierent ground of motivation between someone that loves k-pop and someone that rallies to a common ideology ? Is is love and not belief that makes it different ? Thanks a lot for the videos, it's lovely to see you make clever connections and always circle back to something inspiring or at least, helpful.

[@AinaAdylah]

alice you are so brave for this😭 and with that i thank u 🤍🤍🤍

[@clairei5171]

The way neither Taylor nor her fans can take any sort of critisim is quite concerning. The way they decide anyone who doesn't agree with them is a "hater" and deserve to be harassed is just so loathsome. She has done many problematic things esp last year, and calling her out for it is critisim. Her fans have some serious cultish mentality.

[@AlmasDeDesierto]

i admire you for expressing some positions that i couldn't set for myself

[@keyboarddancers7751]

I'm looking forward to TS taking a firm stand on women's rights which has proved to be an extremely risky move for many female public figures.

[@murilotrigo8578]

As someone who organizes with a local FNB chapter, the ending of the video is 100% true. The work of keeping an organization going is so essential to sustain the struggle in social movements.

[@Matthew-qw6bi]

I'm not sure about this take. I get that we can expect more from our celebrities with power and capital in all forms, yet we aren't all a nelson Mandela. In our normal lives the amount of people who actually engage in activism is very low, I don't think we should put celebrities on a much higher pedestal than us. Sure they probably have some sort of responsibility but let's not push them to higher heights than we hold ourselves to.

[@carojr8393]

Yeah I agree! Not every artist feels like it... making music that hit so many is already something huge, impactful in itself

[@herseriallife]

I completely agree, especially since there are so much worse celebrities who bring nothing to the table and keep scamming their millions of followers by promoting useless and damaging products, have fleets of jets, sports cars, residences all over the world they barely use… and dare claim they got it all through sweat and hard work 😅🤣

[@charles___]

Thank god im getting my dose of Alice takes for this month

[@fmgoga]

Bonjour Alice! I'll watch the video later, but I'm glad you're talking about Taylor! I'm a fan of her music because it reminds me of some friends and it's nostalgic of my childhood. I also like the lyrics, the storytelling, her connection with fans. But I know how much marketing there is behind her (can't expect anything else). And I got tired of the crazy and obsessed fans haha. And her political leanings... meh, I couldn’t care less. Tho I know how much influence she has. How much she can change everything through her words, although they don’t always match her actions. Soooo excited about this, I love your nuanced and intelligent takes on social topics! Congrats for your book btw 👏🤩

[@paisleyp04]

oh mon dieu.. comme toujours, tu dis seulement la vérité et des opinions et perspectives profondes, merci beaucoup encore une fois alice !!

[@analucardosoa]

the thing you said about how the swiftie fandom operates kind of like successful social movements it reminded me of how active a particular Brazilian fan page (Updates Swift Brazil) on twitter was during her passage in Brazil. The shows here were kind of a nightmare, it happened during a heat wave and a lot of people fainted due to dehydration or got burned (a girl even died in the first show, for crying out loud) and neither the company that was producing the show or Taylor's team. But the administrators of of said page organized a bunch of things like water and food distributions on the show queue and even got a minister to obligate events to distribute free water on shows and festivals. That just goes to prove that when people work towards the same goal we can go so much far. Taylor passage through Brazil left a sour taste in our mouth about her, but definitely showed how great the fandom can be.

[@Ninjacomecebolla]

The way you edited the music in this video is quite interesting and intelligent.

[@daviddobarganes9115]

There are no ethical billionaires

[@lordfreerealestate8302]

👆 What he said.

[@sfmmmo7599]

This is an interesting topic!

[@meghawkins6614]

There are other celebs that are still massively successful while taking stances on issues. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to want celebrities to use their platforms. Olivia Rodrigo is using her tour to raise money for abortion funds and those shows are still sold out!

[@SoniaBonia33]

I just started watching your videos and you would be such a fascinating person to have dinner with.

[@eeeeepina]

Me too!

[@omaymatrabelsi8145]

Celebrity are cult leader. Is scary that the entertainment industry can influence a really large number of people.

[@hypatiakovalevskayasklodow9195]

Anyone remembers that clip where some host asks her to get the Swifties to get down the price of eggs and she says “sure, whatever you need them to do” I couldnt help but think how much she could do if saving the world was truly more important to her than wealth and success. At least Selena Gomez signed the petition against the genoc1de in Gaza. And I don’t see Selena being any less loved or popular for that

[@ShdwftheSuN]

You made me think of Swifties as potential allies for movement making. Never could have imagined I'd have such ideas before your video lol.

[@juanaabadiebottcher5508]

In Argentina they were the first fandom to organise themselves to promote Massa and declare against Milei during the ballotage. The second one was the rollingas community. Of course they didn't succeed but it was interesting to say the least

[@ShdwftheSuN]

@@juanaabadiebottcher5508 Super interesting! Thanks for sharing!

[@streetlightswillcarryushome]

Taylor is a billionare at the end of the day and there is no ethical way of becoming a billionare.

[@marmeus]

You can't expect anything from a person who always puts business first, and the subjects she argues about are generally well-broken doors or harmless for her/her career, it's soft, phony. She's more part of the problem than anything else and just a product of today's industry like the vast majority of people who have power/a voice imo (they often didn't get there by accident in the end..).

[@zohalarbabzada9654]

Let's be real. Celebrities are business people. Making a money out of their talent. Once they're rich enough, the money along with the fame and their influence on people is enough to corrupt anyone. And honestly you know that Taylor Swift puts on a performance. You can tell from her reactions during concerts etc., it's always over the top energy. Not to mention she is very honest in her songs in how she will react to people who do her wrong. She is very much a fan of karma and people getting what they deserve if they hurt her. I only feel bad that she doesn't have the normal life where you can step outside your house without security, an entourage of worrying about being accosted 24/7. Additionally, she continues to write songs about breakups and relationships because her market is young girls experiencing lots of heartbreak or millenials or gen z who grew up on her music and want the nostalgia. And yes, never expect anyone else to do the work for you. We all have to play our part. Majority of the good that happens in this world is a combination of all the good deeds everyday people do in their professions (e.g. nurses, aid workers, doctors, paramedics, firefighters, NGOs), in volunteering, in activism, boycotting etc.

[@ysabelkershaw6850]

On top of her silence over the tragedies in Brazil, her team also hasn't mentioned or acknowledged that in Australia, one 16-year-old died and her 10-year-old sister is in intensive care suffering brain injuries, a broken leg and a damaged pelvis after being involved in a car crash on a road trip to see her perform in Melbourne. Police confirmed that in her last moments, the 16-year-old was queuing Taylor's songs on her iPad. Friends of the family are fundraising money to help support them in this awful time. Absolutely nothing from Taylor the billionaire. While the crash obviously wasn't Taylor's fault, her silence stands in contrast to Ed Sheeran, arguably a mega pop star in his own right, who during his tour of Australia visited fans in our children's hospitals the morning after his concerts. If Ed can do something like that without having these tragedies occur to motivate him, Taylor should at the very least acknowledge what has happened to her fans. All we know is that she has 'been made aware of the crash', whatever that means. Her silence is disgusting, imo.

[@lordfreerealestate8302]

She only spoke out about a fan death when it was one that caused bad PR for her - the one in Brazil where she was criticized for continuing a concert in a heat wave and not allowing outside water. Telling.

[@sonja4990]

i think what bothers me is that because these people have a platform, people want them to use it for political reasons. however, at the same time, these people are incredibly privileged and unaware of what is actually going on for normal people on an every day basis. to me, their political and agenda driven views are nearly null and void because they are so grossly uninformed and unable to actually understand or be affected by many issues that their pundits stand for. with a fanbase like Swift's, you have to know exactly what it is that you're endorsing because those fans will do *anything* she says which is equally as frightening.

[@shatharobeidat]

The fact that you didnt call genocide by its name?! To me that made the entire video hypocritical.

[@Krishna-li4vh]

I think its incredible how well spoken and articulately you presented the topic, kudos to you!

[@pseudonims]

100%. You’ve put words to what I’ve been thinking for months.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

I did take a pause when I saw her in a photo with Liz Truss. A bizarre crossover, if you ask me.

[@Tapwater56766]

Wtf I just subbed and immediately a video drops😭 Great video btw

[@Yacobe]

I completely emphasize with your position on wanting to ban deepfakes, but it's pretty much impossible from what I'm aware technologically speaking. You can already create them with open source software on consumer grade hardware. There is no real possible way to prevent the spread of the technology at this point. It's kind of too far out there.

[@shalryma]

There will always be a technology to make people look like they're doing something they've never done - there has been some for a long time - so it's important to create laws that forbid posting and spreading the faked materials as well and persecute those who do.

[@Yacobe]

@@shalryma I think there should be laws made to prevent the spread of deepfakes, but its only going to get harder and harder to determine if deepfakes are fake or not. And my main point was that trying to clamp down on the further development of this technology is impossible. It's already proliferated throughout the world with the internet as open source software that anyone with the technical know how can build on top of. Even if a bunch of developed nations outlaw the development, there will be countries that allow development. And since they're creating software, it will still be pretty easy for people in countries where the tech becomes made illegal to get their hands on it. I'm pro-regulation, but that is a stop gap solution at best. Even if you make it illegal, it is only going to be harder and harder to determine if a video is real or deepfaked as the technology get more advanced. And at this point, there is no possible (realistic) way to prevent it from getting more advanced.

[@reirei1861]

As someone who used to defend her at all costs.. her silence abt the situation in gaza humbled me and taught me that she's not even that great as a person . And I actually felt relieved when i stopped supporting her.coz there was a lot of other disappointing things she dose beside her unpleasant silence abt gaza.

[@MoMo-rx4zr]

It’s frustrating that people consider taylor to be the end all be all of politics when she waits until it is the least controversial to do so. And her activism is tied to issues that concern her specifically. Celebrity politics is a game of PR; picking the least controversial issues or at least issues when they’re at their least controversial.

[@gildardorodriguez4356]

The videos keep getting deeper, on topics more complicated ..... Love it!

[@bothi00]

Grand initiative de faire promotion pour Medicines sans frontières ❤

[@angwantibo]

Alice serving existentialist wisdom

[@pif5023]

I find myself debating often on whether to be more socially active but for how I see effectiveness in that realm we need a kind of cooperation that I hardly find in my surroundings. The point for me is not to oppose but to act constructively in a new different way in cooperation with the people around you. Opposition is mostly an advert for a cause in my view today I don’t see it winning a lot of people to new ways of cooperating. Talking about living life differently in my immediate social surroundings feels ridiculous because it is asking people to make a change they are not willing to make, in actuality at least. I feel like we live in rails and to go off them has a (not only economic) price out of most people reach.

[@paginaventisei]

Offtopic, but Alice do you think there's a chance that Collapse Feminism will be translated in other languages? Asking bc I pre-ordered your book in September but I never got the package because of shipping issues, so I will be buying it on amazon soon. I would love to get a chance to read it in my native language (Italian) someday

[@bernardoherrera3676]

I think this is the first time I actually disagree with Alice. Swift ABSOLUTELY is a politician. All celebrities are. We just don't hold them legally liable as such. Although, to be honest, we don't hold politicians legally liable as such either.

[@triloization]

This whole topic reminds of some climate activists in my country. They clued themselves to the highway or street to block it (don't remember the details). The had to show up to court for a hearing. Their attorneys excused them, because they were on vacation in Bali. Bali... Most people in my country can not afford a holiday outside of Europe or even the country. And they flew around half the world for vacation, but called themselves clima activists. Needless to say that this stunt made their whole organization look shady. Most people just roll their eyes when they just hear the name of the organization now. Good job....

[@JuuuDantas]

Alice making this whole video denouncing Swift's hypocrisy, even starting it with a ramble about how "it's okay guys I like her music too, you can keep enjoying it, it's okay" but not even touching at the bizarre behaviour Taylor Swift had here in Brazil after a fan DIED DURING A SHOW BECAUSE THEY FORBID THE PUBLIC TO CARRY WATER BOTTLES DURING A MASSIVE HEAT WAVE was really appalling. What is this video even? What the point of making it at all? And the whole part about questioning Taylor Swift for not showing her support for the democratic party? Like, lmao. That's one action of hers that is honest considering her background.

[@karinalilhoe]

I'm glad we are speaking up about this. That was absurd. The difference in treatment with latino fans and the treatment with American fans is clear, I don't know why ppl still can't see it

[@NacrunoCreations]

this video is about the current state of activism and not about a character analysis of taylor swift. notice how the video also didn't talk about her private jet travels or how many grammy's she has. how can you watch this video and have your takeaway be that the whole point of the video was to talk about taylor swift's personal wrongs and controversies? and then get mad because something entirely unrelated to activism wasn't mentioned because ... it's also about taylor swift so somehow it must be in this video?? this generation is COOKED unfortunately.

[@karinalilhoe]

@NacrunoCreations That's more than a personal controversy. It's not like we're talking about her last boyfriend, album, or something like that. And the generation being "cooked" is not a good point. Go find a better one.

[@JuliesTales]

Blame your governement and the company that organised the show, not Taylor. She did her job and more, helping Ana's family financially and singing Bigger than the whole sky for her, also throwing bottles of water and basically screaming at the stadium staff to give water to people, what esle could she do?

[@NacrunoCreations]

@@karinalilhoe I don't need a "point". I'm just pointing out to you that you can't even follies the subject of a simple youtube video.

[@chiara-iy3bd]

thank you Alice for such a rational, well informed and nuanced opinion of taylor. there seems to be too much emphasis on loving or hating her. i’m quite a big fan of her music but I do find her to be complicit and silent on too many important subjects. I also think she weaponises the infantilised victim persona society and her fans have given her and is able to hide behind the love of her parasocial fans it’s unnerving.

[@thepineyapple]

I was just having a conversation about how there are these people that have such fame wealth and power and won’t say anything about actual things that matter. At the end of the day Taylor swift would NEVER put her empire at risk by saying something “real”. I don’t buy into her “I’m just like you” schtick and her fans are sooooo toxic. God forbid you say her latest album was mid at best. She has so much sway and influence it’s not even funny.

[@iamnobodyuknow]

It’s honestly so sad that people have to make excuses and apologize for criticizing Taylor Swift like she’s some kind of untouchable god She’s human like all of us and make mistakes too You shouldn’t be afraid to dislike something about her, that’s normal you know

[@nickklavdianos5136]

Celebrity activism is very interesting to me because usually it becomes a lose-lose situation. If they stay silent, people blame them for not speaking out about things. If they talk, they are told to shut up, that people don't care for their opinions, that they're out of touch and don't have a grip on the reality of people's lives. They're told that they're missinformed, clueless and are in no position to lecture people about anything, because of their status of privilege. So I don't really blame them for being sceptical about being activists.

[@inbb510]

While I see the intentions of this video, I don't really think "fighting capitalism" is a very well defined battle. Especially in a world so interconnected and more industrialised society where agrarian societies are becoming less prevalent, no country strictly operates on purely one economic system. There are so many other factors which influence a society's function other than economics such as relative geography, culture, religion/philosophy and geopolitics. As Alex O'Connor (Cosmic Skeptic) put it, this sloganisation of politics risks doing more harm than actual good whatever good intentions one may have with their organisation and manifeststions.

[@senseibeastcr]

Do you remember the name of the video where he talked about that?

[@cyberprimate]

Je comprends pas l'attention gigantesque pour TS quand des artistes talentueux et ayant une meilleure conscience politique existent. Natalie Mering, Marina Allen, Chris Cohen…

[@inbb510]

Peut-être car ils semble qu'ils y connaissent pas assez pour parler de ces sujets en détail et veulent pas faire des bêtises? Tout le monde veut pas parler de la politique est c'est complètement valide. Ça ne veut dire pas qu'ils aient pas une meilleure conscience politique.

[@Eosinophyllis]

Je pense la même. C’est une chose si elle n’a jamais parlé des politiques, mais elle avait déjà fait beaucoup des déclarations politiques. C’est intéressant qu’elle a fait un chanson pro-LGBT et qu’elle a dit sur nombreux occasions qu’elle nous supporte, mais quand nombreuses lois anti-trans ont été promulgués au États-Unis, pas un mot sort de sa bouche. C’est étrange. (mes condoléances pour les erreurs grammaticales, français est mon deuxième langue et la dialecte français que j’ai entendu le plus quand je grandissais n’a pas la genre grammaticale)

[@wandsandwanderlust]

Quite a motivating video. Thank you so much. I really needed to hear this. ❤️ We keep fighting to make this world a better place! ✊🏼

[@frankquinn6872]

It would be interesting to see how much quicker legislators would move if deep fakes were targeting the financial services sector rather than individuals (predominantly women).

[@GL-zi2rr]

this has already happened a fraudster got $25M from a banker by impersonating a chairman

[@bricemontagne8425]

THERE IS NO JOKE ALLOWED WHEN WE MENTION CELINE AND KARAOKE EN FRANCE ! :D

[@piotrromanski6246]

I like her activism in war against climate

[@skyankou]

great video!! im pretty sure the people who are complaining didnt even watch it entirely...

[@tablelamp801]

I clicked so fast on this video! Thank you Alice!

[@PokhrajRoy.]

9:40 History has been witness to how the Establishment in Hollywood cut short the careers of many amazing female stars.

[@tutti-frutti369]

As a long time fan of Taylor Swift I still love her music but I am disapointed at the way she handled everything going on in the world. She is already rich enough so she doesn’t need to stay « safe » (we know she isn’t going to be canceled or lose all her money and fanbase), she can speak up and make changes. But I also grew to understand that she is a capitalist so I don’t expect much from her anymore.

[@queztocoaxial]

Cue a thousand swifties not engaging with this video at face value