-- Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault, Eating Disorder --

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For the past (almost) two decades, Taylor Swift has been the subject of many feminist, and misogynistic, conversations.  From her “boy-crazy” stereotype, to her experiences with Kanye West, to her sexual assault case, it seems as though Swift’s whole career has revolved around feminist issues.  Here are some of the highs and lows Swift has faced regarding feminism and misogyny throughout her career:

 

Patriarchal Stereotypes:

One of Swift’s biggest issues regarding misogyny are the stereotypes she faces.  Throughout Swift’s career, people have always labeled her as “boy-crazy” for writing songs about her past relationships.  Because of this stereotype, it is common for people to dislike not only her music, but her as a person.  Her Swifties face stereotypes as well due to her music being considered “too basic.”  However, both of these stereotypes can be traced back to the patriarchy.  Because of patriarchal standards, women are expected to be “pure” and “innocent” in a way that Swift’s love life may not always be viewed because of her tendency to talk about her exes.  However, no one bats an eye when men discuss their love lives in their music.  As Swift describes herself in a 2014 interview, “No one says that about Ed Sheeran. No one says it about Bruno Mars. They’re all writing songs about their exes, their current girlfriends, their love-life, and no one raises a red flag there.”  Additionally, the “basic” stereotype of Swift’s music can be attributed to her largely-female fanbase.  Because Swift is loved by many teenage girls, her music is often looked down on by others.  This could be because of the misogynistic viewpoint that anything enjoyed by teenage girls couldn’t possibly be good or worth listening to.

 

Kanye West’s Misogyny:

One of Swift’s most well-known feuds is her long-standing conflict with Kanye West.  Although the feud resulted in her amazing Reputation album, which any Swiftie would believe is definitely a positive, that was not before Swift faced boatloads of sexism from West and her “haters,” as she would say.  From interrupting Swift at the 2009 VMAs because he didn’t feel she deserved her award, to his line "I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex... Why? I made that bitch famous." In his song “Famous” (which she was not made aware of), Kanye West has continuously displayed misogyny directed towards Taylor Swift.

 

Her Sexual Assault Case:

In 2015, Swift sued David Mueller for groping her at a meet and greet for her Red tour in 2013, after he sued her first for defamation.  Swift famously sued Mueller for one dollar, a symbol to signify that she was not looking for money, but for justice and awareness.  Two years later, Mueller’s lawsuit was dismissed and he was found guilty of sexual assault.  In her Miss Americana documentary, Swift described the experience, "You don't feel any sense of victory when you win, because the process is so dehumanizing.  This is with seven witnesses and a photo.  What happens when you get raped and it's your word against his?"  

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Throughout this long process, Swift achieved her goal of spreading awareness of the faults of the justice system in sexual assault cases.  Social media was buzzing with news of her lawsuit and her sexual assault stories, potentially inspiring other victims to speak out about their stories as well.

 

Her Eating Disorder:

In her Miss Americana documentary, Swift opens up about her struggles with her eating disorder, stating, “[At times, I’ve seen] a picture of me where I feel like I looked like my tummy was too big, or…someone said that I looked pregnant … and that’ll just trigger me to just starve a little bit — just stop eating.”  She also discusses not eating during her 1989 tour and feeling faint by the end of concerts, frequently exercising but not eating, and struggling with being any larger than a size double zero. 

This seems to be a common theme in many female celebrities of the 2000s and 2010s because of the cruelty of tabloids and paparazzi towards women, as recently brought to light by the Free Britney movement.  Many female celebrities have been tormented by the public to fit a certain image, usually extremely skinny and seemingly “perfect.”  It is no surprise that Swift or any celebrity would struggle with body image issues after this ridicule.  However, this should not be normalized.  No one should have their body commented on by anyone, especially major tabloids that will be seen worldwide, because just as in Swift’s case, you never know what that could cause them to go through.

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Speaking Out on Politics:

Once again, Swift’s Miss Americana documentary was an outlet for her to open up about her struggles with misogyny, this time in speaking out on social issues and politics.  In the 2016 election, Swift did not speak out against Donald Trump.  Although she wanted to, she was afraid of facing backlash for going against her typical image of being the “nice girl” who doesn’t “force her opinions on everyone.”  However, she changed this in the 2018 midterm elections by speaking out against Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, after deciding that she wanted to be on “the right side of history.”  Since then, Swift has continuously stood up for LGBTQ+ and women’s rights.

Swifties have also resonated with a specific quote from her documentary, where Swift explains, “I want to love glitter and also stand up for the double standards that exist in our society.  I want to wear pink and tell you how I feel about politics. I don't think those things have to cancel each other out."  This quote addresses a common misogynistic belief that feminine cannot equal smart or powerful.  As a result of patriarchal standards, many people believe that a woman cannot be both stereotypically feminine and have a brain, most commonly perpetuated as the “dumb blonde” stereotype.  Swift speaks out against this by explaining that although she is very feminine, she wants to have a voice in social issues and stand up for the rights of others.

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Criticisms:

Despite Swifts many experiences with feminism, she is still criticized by intersectional feminists for being a spitting image of white feminism.  As a rich, white, cishet woman, Swift cannot relate to the experiences of many BIPOC or LGBTQ+ women, therefore making her possibly not the best person to be at the forefront of feminist issues.  She is often criticized for this most for her song The Man, a song that, to many people, screams white feminism.  Although Taylor Swift can be seen as a “feminist icon” by many, it is still important to acknowledge that her feminism isn’t always intersectional.