Thank you, Taylor Swift | La Presse

It is considered good form, when the name Taylor Swift is mentioned, in the media or in conversation, to react by saying, exasperated: “Oh no, not Taylor Swift!”

Many football fans even become aggressive when they see her on screen during the broadcast of Kansas City Chiefs games: “She’s no longer capable! Are you going to stop showing her to us?”

No, they won’t stop. They would be crazy to do so. The average duration of a football action is five seconds. Between the actions, the camera’s eye looks for moments that speak, that add to the storytelling of the game’s history. The quarterback who orders the next play to his teammates, the coaches who are moping on the sidelines, the fans who are reacting to what has just happened. Among them, we choose the most demonstrative ones, guys with a belly, girls who are dancing, children who are screaming. We avoid the silly looks. We also select the spectators who are close to one of the players, father, mother, spouse and, when there are any, the celebrities present in the audience, Snoop Dogg, Jack Nicholson or Matthew McConaughey, because if we’re going to show anyone, we might as well show someone from time to time that people, in their living room, recognize.

So imagine Taylor Swift ticking all three boxes. She’s the most famous celebrity in the world, she’s the wife of Chiefs star wide receiver Travis Kelce, and she’s one of the most vocal fans in the stadium. Three good reasons to catch a glimpse of her pretty face, for a few split seconds at a time, during the game coverage.

If it annoys you, ask yourself questions, do a little introspection. There are much more unbearable images on our screens than that of a cheerful young woman, proud of her boyfriend. It’s really not worth getting worked up about.

Speaking of cats, let’s get to the debate last Tuesday between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, during which Agent Orange revealed that the immigrants stranded in Springfield—not the Simpsons’, but other good American families in Ohio—were kidnapping the neighborhood’s dogs and cats to eat them. The former president’s argument was this: if you don’t want your pet to end up on a barbecue, you should say yes to him. Not so fast! This is all just fake news peddled by a fake man.

As soon as the fight was over, Taylor Swift posted a plea on her social media encouraging her millions of fans to vote for the Democratic candidate, Kamala Harris. Her status was accompanied by a photo of her holding a beautiful pussy in her hands. Not to prove that it had not been eaten, but to affirm that she was a cat lady assumed, mocking the reductive remarks made by the Republican candidate for vice-president, JD Vance, towards Mrs. Harris.

Political observers were quick to mention Taylor Swift’s post, with a little smirk. In their amused eye and tone, one could understand: “What is she getting involved in, that one? But we have no choice but to talk about it.”

What is Taylor Swift getting involved in? She’s minding her own business. When artists don’t get politically involved, we denounce their lack of involvement, when artists get politically involved, we make fun of them. We need to get our heads together and stop thinking we’re the only ones who have one.

Taylor Swift has a definite influence on millions of people. By the way, we should stop ostracizing the word “influence” because of the cream and dumbbell salesmen on Instagram. Simone de Beauvoir, Confucius, Yvon Deschamps, Rosa Parks, the list of personalities who have influenced society for the greater good is long.

This is what Taylor Swift is doing by encouraging her fans to vote for a progressive woman and reject an outdated man. There is no denying the weight of her words. In the hours following her message, there was a 400% increase in new voter registrations. There are thousands of Americans who would not have voted without this call from their idol. When we know that the election is likely to be the closest in history, Taylor Swift’s gesture is of capital importance.

You don’t have to be a Swiftie to recognize Taylor Swift’s value. Those who are annoyed by her immense fame should try to understand her, instead of snubbing her. No, Taylor Swift will never be Simone de Beauvoir, but she adds, through her songs, her contribution to the self-acceptance and self-affirmation of thousands of people. And that’s a lot more than what those who roll their eyes at her do.

Taylor Swift was wise enough to wait to see what Kamala Harris was up to during the debate before helping the fire spread. It shows how much respect she has for her audience. It’s up to us to have the same for her and her fans.

If you think we see her too much, that’s your right, but right now, she’s the one who attracts the most attention, the star for whom the most people travel to applaud her. It’s fine if she doesn’t tell you anything, but don’t despise those for whom she means a lot. Living together is also about that. Taylor Swift won’t change the world, but her support last Tuesday will help, perhaps, to keep it from getting worse. That’s already not bad.

Thank you, Taylor Swift!