Some conservatives are promoting a weird conspiracy theory, and I don’t get it. It’s not even the Alex Jones wing of the movement, but some pretty savvy political folks who are spending too much time worrying about the trivial things.
It’s no secret that Taylor Swift is immensely popular among the younger generation, but is the media helping push her and the DINK (dual income, no kids) lifestyle she promotes on Americans?
Jack Posobiec and Evita Duffy say yes.
— Human Events (@HumanEvents) December 7, 2023
“What we’re seeing is actually a very advanced psychological operation,” he says. “She is going to shill for Biden, and she is going to turn her massive, … extremely massive fan base for Biden in this election, because they know they need people like Taylor Swift.”
— Human Events (@HumanEvents) December 7, 2023
The theory is based on an obvious fact: you can’t escape Taylor Swift these days. She is always on TV–even hanging out with Mr. Double Jab Travis Kelce-MaAuto. She graces the cover of Time Magazine. And her music is everywhere.
For some reason, many in Trumpworld have decided to take aim at Swift and declare her sudden ubiquity in the media to the scheming of nefarious actors. I attribute it to the fact that she attracts eyeballs in a valuable demographic.
As something of a Swiftie–well, maybe not, but I liked her album 1989–I can confidently say that Taylor Swift’s ubiquity is nothing new. It is only notable because a new demographic is being exposed to her–the viewers of Kansas City Chiefs football games. This, it turns out, is a demographic less likely than most to pay attention to the comings and goings of Swift, so it may seem odd that she appears to be everywhere.
It isn’t. It is called celebrity. Few conservatives that I know are deeply invested in celebrity culture, but then again, few Millennials are deeply invested in the NFL or read Time Magazine, so it washes out.
.@evitaduffy_1 to @JackPosobiec on Taylor Swift: “This is not a musical mastermind, yet the media is pushing her on us constantly … Taylor Swift is the perfect woman to the left.” pic.twitter.com/IWuZi0STee
— Human Events (@HumanEvents) December 6, 2023
Swift, who stayed out of politics for most of her career, has come out as a liberal, and this seems to be a key point in the conspiracy theory.
Now I have to say that it is indeed very surprising–almost unique, in fact–to find a liberal celebrity all over the media, a careful analysis of Swift’s rise to stardom shows that her popularity and near ubiquity in the public eye predates her pretty mild forays into politics. It turns out that a very careful, deep analysis of her career shows that teenage girls and young women have loved Taylor Swift since she was a young teen.
It took seconds for me to come to that conclusion because I have been alive for the past two decades. And while hardly a pop culture connoisseur, I have stood in line at a grocery store, seen the magazines, and heard the music blaring on the speakers.
Is it possible that Taylor Swift may endorse Joe Biden in 2024? Surely it is possible, even though Swift has been less politically incontinent than most celebrities. Does her influence require major backing from sports and MSM to reach the receptive ears of Millennials?
What do you think? I say probably not.
As I wrote earlier today, I believe that our government and media manipulate what we see and read in order to shape our opinions and keep vital facts from seeing the light of day. Should you choose to do so, you could call this a PsyOp.
Honestly, other than Elon Musk (who definitely wasn’t going to win) who else would you give the award to? Nobody did anything in 2023. This year was a throwaway.
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) December 7, 2023
But the popularity of Taylor Swift? While undoubtedly the result of nearly 20 years of marketing effort, that marketing was done not for political benefit but in order to make beaucoup bucks. Swift herself has become a billionaire with a B, and didn’t do so overnight. It was by dint of years of careful marketing and producing catchy tunes people like.
You don’t need a conspiracy theory to explain her current ubiquity in the media. It has been this way for more than a decade.
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