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“The Taylor Swift Phenomenon”
Presented by Tanya Long
I am not a Swifty. Out of curiosity I listened to one of her songs and couldn't see what the fuss was all about. And fuss there definitely is.
- Times Magazine chose Taylor Swift as Person of the Year in 2023. In its 75-year history, this is the first time an entertainer has been chosen for the honour. It took a two-page spread in the middle of the magazine to cover her achievements.
- Her 2023 concert in Seattle registered as a 2.3 magnitude earthquake on the Richter scale.
- She has sold the streaming rights to her Eras Tour to Disney for $75 million.
- Her recent four-concert appearance in Tokyo was expected to add $228million to the Japanese economy.
- Swift will be playing six concerts in Toronto, three in BC, in November and December. When it looked like she wasn't coming to Canada, an MP filed an official complaint and PM Trudeau issued a personal invitation. An elaborate system has been set up to handle tickets because the last time she came, Ticketmaster’s site crashed.
A recent editorial cartoon in the Toronto Star showed Taylor Swift, in a Wonder Woman costume, football under her arm, running to the goal, Trump sprawled on the field. It's a reference to the Republicans' fear that Swift could influence the upcoming election. She urges everyone to vote, her huge number of followers are young. She endorsed Biden in 2022, supported Democratic congressional candidates in Tennessee, and has been criticized by right wingers for her liberal views. She appears to be a very decent human being. For example, she pays her staff very well. She distributed $55 million in bonuses to her Eras Tour staff; back-up dancers are paid $1200-2500 per show.
A conspiracy has been generated that Taylor Swift is part of a plot to help Biden win the upcoming election. Those who believe this also believe that the 2022 election was stolen.
Taylor Swift is a phenomenon. But that's not the only or even the main reason I chose this topic. The question in my mind is, What kind of society do we live in that an entertainer can reach such heights? How does this happen? Marketing definitely. Listen to Under the Influence: The Marketing of Taylor Swift on CBC Radio. It's a great episode. But is that the whole story?
Also, are there grounds for criticizing Swift?
Please join the conversation.