Screw the Patriarchy
Taylor Swift is arguably the most influential artist of our generation. She has won 11 Grammy’s, 34 American Music Awards, and 11 MTV Video Music Awards–just to name a few. Swift has amassed a massive following of dedicated fans who support her every move, but that doesn’t stop the haters. For years, the media has called Swift annoying, dumb, and dramatic–all steaming from patriarchal stereotypes and jealousy. Men in the music industry constantly produce songs that bash women’s appearance, bodies, and personalities. The standards for women in the industry are unreasonable and play into patriarchal stereotypes. Nevertheless, Swift has come out on top like the mirrorball she is, but that doesn’t mean she hit some major bumps along the way.
It all started in 2009 at the MTV Music Video Awards. Swift received her first VMA for her “You Belong With Me” music video. As the 17-year-old stood on stage accepting her award, Kanye West stormed on stage and pried the microphone from her hands. He proclaimed that Beyonce had a much better music video, while Swift stood on stage in shock. In Swift’s documentary, “Miss Americana,” she dives into how this moment shaped the rest of her life. She expresses how she experienced toxic relationships, a negative self-image, and poor mental health. After this unfortunate event, people overlooked West’s misogynistic rhetoric. The media made Swift out to be the villain because of patriarchal beliefs when she in fact, was the victim. Since men heavily dominate the music industry, their actions often get overlooked.
The amount of slander Swift receives is unfathomable, due to her life constantly being in the public eye. Swift, like the rest of us women, constantly have to prove ourselves. Women have to work twice as hard to get an ounce of respect that men do. In her song “The Man,” she highlights what her life would be like if she were a man:
“What's it like to brag about
Raking in dollars
And getting bitches and models
And it's all good if you're bad
And it's okay if you're mad
If I was out flashing my dollars
I'd be a bitch, not a baller
They paint me out to be bad
So it's okay that I'm mad.”
This verse highlights how men receive praise for flashing their money and romantic conquests, but when women do the same thing, they are seen as boy-crazy. Men are excused for their vile actions, and women, like Swift, will be slandered for something so small. Many other women in the music industry are also subject to hate from the media. Women are constantly body-shamed and judged by people who do not know them. These are all daily struggles women in the public eye must face. When a man receives an ounce of hate in the media, the world is over for them. But, women are the ones who are looked at as weak and sensitive. Screw the patriarchy for creating these standards, and now it is time to abolish misogynistic beliefs and stand up for all women.
Women have been fighting the battle for equality and respect since the beginning of time. Swift is one female I look up to because she stands for what is right and uses her platform to spread support to those struggling with mental health. She advocates for women’s rights and uses her platform to educate young girls on the patriarchial system in our world today. On October 21, 2022, Swift released her 10th studio album, “Midnights.” It became the most streamed album in a single day in Spotify history. Swift continues to empower women through her music despite the hate. Check out a Taylor Swift playlist inspired by female empowerment below.