Again, women cheered and the respect for Taylor continued to soar.
While Taylor Swift was performing hit after hit with songs like “Shake It Off” in the early 2000s, the rising tide of Swifties could not be denied. Swifties, largely girls and young women, finally felt their deepest feelings were being heard. They had an ally in Taylor, who enjoyed being feminine and had a voice, a message and a heart that would not be dismissed.
Taylor signed her first music publishing deal when she was 14. And anyone who saw her perform as a teenager would simply have had to notice her musicality, song-writing talent and sheer skill with stringed instruments. But despite her star-worthy gifts, she also was a hard-working girl who kept practicing and improving her craft without losing her sweetness and approachability. Sadly, some people saw these qualities as weak.
For example, who can forget when Kanye West somehow felt it was appropriate to rush the stage and take the mic out of Taylor’s hand as she was accepting the Best Female Video honor during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards? Where were the security guards? Can anyone at these high-profile events run up on stage and be allowed an amplified protest?
Viewers were shocked, but I believe women were angry – women who know what it feels like to work hard, earn accolades and have them challenged, ignored or hijacked by some loudmouth. Taylor looked like a confused mix of gratitude for the award and shock over the boldness of bad behavior stealing her moment. She handled the rude event like the self-disciplined, class-act that she genuinely is – another message that was not lost on viewers, again, primarily the women – which only made us admire and applaud her even more.
Then in 2013, there was the incident with DJ David Mueller, who somehow felt it was appropriate to grope Taylor under her skirt while pictures were being snapped at a meet-and-greet event. Taylor didn’t let him get away with it. She spoke up. She revealed this primate’s uncivilized, disrespectful and grotesque character. As a result, he was banned from Taylor Swift concerts and found guilty of sexual assault when Taylor took him to court and won the symbolic $1 in damages that she sought. He also lost his job at Denver’s KYGO-FM. Good form, KYGO!
Again, women cheered and the respect for Taylor continued to soar. So, when TIME magazine named her Person of the Year for 2023, the clink of strong women everywhere could be heard as they raised their wine glasses in unison and support. TIME editor-in-chief Sam Jacobs was quoted as saying the pop icon was “the rare person who is both the writer and hero of her own story” who had “found a way to transcend borders and be a source of light.” Good form, TIME!
Interestingly in 2023, Barbie also was being celebrated in the glow of global spotlights, selling nearly $1.3 billion in movie tickets and stylishly landing among the top 20 highest-grossing movies ever. Barbie’s profound impact captured my attention when a college president encouraged me to see it. “I cried,” she said.
Both Taylor and Barbie have struck a deep, harmonic chord with people, especially women who report feeling that they are being “seen” for the first time or realizing that they aren’t alone. Taylor and Barbie have held up kindness, ambition, hard work, integrity and “a source of light” as character traits to be fashionable, admirable and smart, despite barriers or bad behavior that show up on their path.
It’s funny, just last April I was told by an “intuitive” that the color I aligned with, pink, was “weak.” A few months later, the world seemed to turn pink, as “Barbie” was setting records at the box office and empowering women of all ages. Somehow this fortune teller didn’t see that coming –and for all those stunned by the rise of Taylor and Barbie, it’s time for a swift adjustment. QCBN
By Bonnie Stevens, QCBN
Bonnie Stevens is a public relations consultant. She can be reached at bonnie.stevens@gmail.com.
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