Swiftly Realizing the Negativity of Taylor Swift As a Role Model

Taylor Swift is one of the most successful artists in her industry, having sold over 26 million albums by the age of twenty three. She is a young woman who worked her way to the top, achieving power through her own talents. So she must be a perfect female role model, right? Not exactly.

Before I explain my issues with Swift, I want to clarify a few things.

• The reason Taylor Swift is not a positive role model is not because of her dating or sexual history. No one has the right to base personal judgements of women based solely on their relationships with men.
• Once again, my issues with her have nothing to do with her dating history.
• I am not suggesting that Ms. Swift should alter her music. I am simply promoting awareness of the extremely negative and possibly detrimental messages her lyrics send to the young girls who listen to her music.

So, let's look at a few examples...

1. "I'm only up when you're not down. Don't wanna fly if you're still on the ground."-I'm Only Me When I'm With You

In this song, Swift sings a seemingly cute song about her overwhelming love for her boyfriend or friend, it really doesn't matter. The point is, she hitches her entire happiness and self definition onto another person. Which is fine. However, what is not fine, is 13-year-old girls listening to this song and getting the idea that one's self worth and personality should be determined based on a boy or any other human being besides themselves. 

2. "She's not a saint, and she's not what you think She's an actress, whoa

She's better known for the things that she does On the mattress, whoa"-Better Than Revenge

In this song, Swift blames the girl who her boyfriend cheated with and alludes to her "sluttiness." She places no blame on her boyfriend. Girl hate is one of the strongest forces in keeping women down and the slut-shaming message of this song feeds into that negative mentality

3. "I ain't jealous of you Just thought you should know

You were never good enough for him or anything like me So you might as well sit back 'cause I ain't tryin to show maturity X is the shape I drew through your face In permanent marker"-Permanent Marker

Girl hate alert. These lyrics are just one example of the extreme girl hate Taylor Swift exemplifies in her music. The vilification of other women is a common theme in Swift's lyrics. She is better than they are, and the involved male is stupid if he doesn't realize this. Even worse, Swift is commonly referenced as an anti-bullying activist based on her song "Mean" where she condemns "mean girls"who push her and others around. In fact, Taylor Swift is this mean girl, with many of her songs, including the famous "You Belong With me" vilifying her (romantic) rivals: other girls.

4. "I am not the kind of girl

Who should be rudely barging in on a white veil occasion

But you are not the kind of boy 

Who should be marrying the wrong girl

I sneak in see your friends

And her snotty little family all dressed in pastel

And she is yelling at a bridesmaid

Somewhere back inside a room

Wearing a gown shaped like a pastry"-Speak Now

Her snotty little family, her pastry shaped gown. Does anything more need to be said? Girl hate.

5. "If you leave I'll be crawling back for more

if you need love I"ll be standing at your door

I'll be be sick inside if baby you'd be my cure"-My Cure

It might be a stretch to say these lyrics feed into the detrimental culture of abuse in our world today, but is it really? What is being "sick"? Whether a relationship involves physical or mental abuse or if it is unhealthy in a plethora of different ways, the point is that it is unhealthy. It might be argued that this message is common in pop music; however, other pop music is not glorified by young girls and performed by someone who is considered a positive role model.

6. "It's not like I'm giving up who I am for you but for someone like you it's just so easy to do I could be your little beauty queen

Just a little outta reach

Or the girl living next door

I'll be your angel giving up her wings

If that's what you need"-Your Anything

Should a role model for young girls be sending the message that giving up your dreams for a guy is a legitimate and positive course of action? That's up to you to decide. However, it is clear that Swift's lyrics normalize and promote the reliance of young girls on young men and relationships as their only means of achieving happiness.

Taylor Swift's lyrics promote girl hate and reliance on men for self definition, adding to the already hostile social environment young girls are immersed in while deciding who they want to be in the world.

I am not suggesting that Swift should change the way she treats her relationships or personal affairs made public through her songs, I am simply suggesting we heighten our awareness. Once we are aware of the messages her lyrics send us, we can judge whether or not we deem them appropriate.

(This post was written by myself and fellow co-president of the Palo Alto High School Gender Equality Club, Kelly Patterson. She rocks.)