Taylor Swift Won't Hear You, But Your Daughters Will — We Need To Do Better
The message haters are trying to send to Taylor Swift is actually being projected onto their daughters.
Kathy Hutchins | Shutterstock Taylor Swift is arguably the biggest superstar in the world right now. That level of fame naturally comes with equal amounts of both fans and haters.
However, Swift has been receiving more hate than usual as of late over her relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
Swift has been present at nearly every one of Kelce’s recent games to show her support for her boyfriend — a perfectly normal thing to do, really. Now, with the Chiefs headed to the Super Bowl, the hate is sure to only increase.
Many have been defending Swift, something that author and editor Robert People addressed on TikTok.
“For those of you people out there, especially grown men, expressing all this nasty, ridiculous hate for Taylor Swift just for existing, and supporting her boyfriend in the NFL, keep in mind Taylor Swift’s not going to see or hear any of that,” People said. “But, you know who will? Your daughters.”
While it’s true that Swift may not hear each individual hater’s comments, some of them certainly are reaching her. Just Jared reported that after the Chiefs game against the Baltimore Ravens on January 28, Swift was harassed by Ravens fans who insinuated that she was somehow responsible for the Ravens’ loss.
“I didn’t do anything!” Swift responded.
Swift also addressed the issue when interviewed by Time Magazine after being chosen as their Person of The Year for 2023.
“I’m just there to support Travis. I have no awareness of if I’m being shown too much and [angering] a few dads, Brads and Chads,” she said, referencing the male NFL fans so upset by her presence.
People noted that the hatred for Taylor Swift negatively affects the everyday women your life more than it affects Swift herself.
People got to the root of his message and continued, “With all this juvenile hate you’re showing Taylor Swift for simply being there, you’re encouraging your daughters to shrink themselves, reduce who they are.”
According to People, the message being sent to the daughters out there is detrimental to their self-confidence. It affects the way they perceive themselves and what they view as acceptable behavior in public.
“Because if they do anything more than that, if they just decide to be themselves, they’re going to get a whole lot of hate from not only the world, but from people just like you, their own parents,” he stated. “We need to do better.”
Fellow TikTokers filled People’s comments with support for his message and for Swift.
One common theme? The fact that Swift’s presence at these NFL games is actually bringing people together.
“My husband loves that my 5-year-old son is like, ‘Look, it’s Taylor Swift, she sings my favorite songs!’ while he’s watching the games,” one person said. “Gives them a way to connect and enjoy the game together.”
Another person said, “My dad told me how a guy at work who has all girls (that have never shown an interest in [sports]) all now get pizza and watch the games together, and he’s so excited planning to take them all to a game.”
Ultimately, it seems strange to hold Swift responsible for something she has no control over.
As she told Time Magazine, “There’s a camera, like, a half-mile away, and you don’t know where it is, and you have no idea when the camera is putting you in the broadcast, so I don’t know if I’m being shown 17 times or once.”
Also, why blame Swift for doing something entirely normal? She is often seen watching games from a suite with other partners of players, but they don’t receive any hate for being there to support their husbands and boyfriends. Since they’re not famous, their presence is accepted.
Taylor Swift’s presence at her boyfriend’s football games is completely natural. So is her fans’ desire to be a part of the games now that she is there. It seems like what they are doing for the NFL is actually a boost rather than a hindrance to success.
Why not just let people enjoy what they want? As Swift herself once said, “The worst kind of person is someone who makes someone feel bad, dumb or stupid for being excited about something.”
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer for YourTango who covers entertainment, news and human interest topics.