It's Okay That I'm Mad

Thoughts on When Powerful Women Are Painted Out to Be Bad

I remember the first time I saw her - the opening chords coming from an acoustic guitar, causing me to look up, and then her curly blonde mane appearing on the screen, along with her impossibly young face and worn out cowgirl boots. She was 16, meaning I was 11, born just 5 years after this country music artist who was belting her first single through my TV screen as I got ready for middle school. Watching CMT music videos was part of my routine, but this day felt special. I was seeing someone I could directly relate to. She was a girl like me, singing about things that are all-important during that phase of life. I was a fan of Taylor Swift from that moment forward.

Watching Taylor’s career go from the Tim McGraw music video being aired on CMT - a success in its own right - to her being the top artist in the world, selling out stadium shows around the globe 18 years later, has been nothing short of magical. As she’s written 10 albums in the meantime, won more awards than any other artist, appeared in countless public outings, and shared so much off herself with us through her lyrics and tours, I have been continually impressed by how she has a handled herself and kept her sanity through the chaotic reality of life as a mega-celebrity. Taylor has largely dedicated her life and fame to making music and memories for her fans, avoiding any real scandal (some inconsequential celebrity drama aside). 

As her popularity has grown, she has an increasingly faced criticism for things people feel like she should do or say, or not do or say. That’s fine; I think it’s inevitable for someone in the public eye to face criticism, and I’m alright with holding our role models to a higher standard. What I’m not fine with, however, is how criticism in this day and age is inherently tied to the risk of violence. Taylor Swift’s dreams have all come true, probably beyond what she ever imagined, and she’ll go down in history, and she’ll never have to worry about money or having her needs met, and that’s all wonderful, but I would never, ever want to be her. 

The way I see it, as a powerful woman in a nation of violent rhetoric, a gun problem, and continued patriarchal dominance, her personal safety is threatened every single day. For those who criticize her use of a private jet, can you imagine what it might be like for her to travel commercially? It would be dangerous, if not impossible. For those who critique the frequency (or lack thereof) in which she expresses her political opinions, is it hard to imagine the danger that comes with condemning Donald Trump and enraging those in his fan base who don’t respect women and who own multiple guns that they constantly threaten to use? It is dangerous to be a powerful woman. Taylor Swift, as powerful as she is, has a soft, bleeding human body like the rest of us that is no match for a man with a gun and an agenda to shut her and other powerful women up. I fear for her safety continuously. 

Beyond that, Taylor is currently on a world tour that will host more than ten million guests over the course of its 20-month run. The majority of these guests are women who, like me, grew up with her music. They see themselves in it and have deeply cherished memories associated with it. Attending The Eras Tour is a way to experience the depth of that connection with Taylor herself and tens of thousands of others who feel the same way - as many as 90,000 others per night in places like Wembley Stadium. As transcendent as this experience is, it comes with inherent risk. There are people who hate to see Taylor’s success or the collective joy of her audience and feel so strongly about it that they plan violent acts to destroy it. Her recent shows in Vienna, Austria, were cancelled after plans for a terrorist attack on the venue were uncovered. Yes, you read that right and no, it’s not an exaggeration. A handful of young men planned to invade the concert, what should have been a carefree night of joy, and kill concertgoers and potentially the most popular artist in the world. 

For this reason, it’s not a stretch to say that in some way, our safety and lives are in Taylor’s hands. She has a responsibility to keep her fans as safe as she possibly can. I can’t imagine what all goes into the security logistics for just one of her shows, let alone protecting more than ten million people over the course of the tour. Taylor herself, in an interview with Elle in 2019, said her biggest fear was an attack on herself, her fans, or both. She describes how she’s dealt with stalkers for many years, puts a “tremendous amount of planning, expense, and effort” into tour security, and how she carries army grade bandaging everywhere she goes in case someone decides to shoot her one day while she’s out on a coffee run. 

This photo shows just a fraction of the audience at Lumen Field in Seattle on the night I attended The Eras Tour. Over 70,000 people were in attendance.

Recently, both fans and haters alike were vocal about their disappointment in Taylor being seemingly silent about the upcoming presidential election. I saw countless posts about how she had become out of touch, apathetic, and unethical for not saying anything to publicly endorse Kamala Harris. Immediately following the debate on September 10th, she did just that. A well-written Instagram post penned by the world's most famous Childless Cat Lady unequivocally endorsed the Democratic candidate and her party's values. While I didn't believe it was necessary for her to do this, I was proud of her for doing so. At the same time, I felt a pulse-quickening jolt of fear.

Everything Taylor says has to be strategized, calculated, and scheduled (I can promise you that Instagram post wasn't drafted in the moments after the debate), and I’m okay with that. Her words have power for both good and evil - she could say something with purely good intent and an evil person whom it pisses off could take it out on her or her fans. Even this nuanced, well-written endorsement enraged Trump supporters throughout the country. It's not hard to imagine that one of them could take their anger too far if given the chance. What Taylor Swift is doing for millions of people through her tour, however - bringing them together, cultivating joy, creating a safe space - is exactly what America needs right now. Amongst all the division and pain we experiencing every day, the Eras Tour has been a light in the darkness.

To me, keeping fans and herself safe is more important than her publicly supporting a particular political candidate. And while I’d be curious to know her thoughts on certain other world issues, most notably the violence in Palestine, I know her sharing would be dangerous and would have no effect on the outcome there, regardless of how culturally powerful she is. Even before this year's endorsement and without being vocal on certain specific topics, I believe she's used her platform for a lot of good in our political landscape. She has repeatedly encouraged people to register to vote, and has expressed the importance of local elections, which often get overlooked during the flashiness of a presidential election year. Data from vote.gov showed that an Instagram story posted by Swift after her endorsement brought over 400,000 users to their site, where they could learn more about registering to vote. Posting on social media is not always an effective form of political activism, but it can be if you have over 280,000,000 Instagram followers.

—————

Meanwhile, while Taylor has been on tour, Kamala Harris has been doing the same, visiting locales across the United States in her bid for the presidency. While she has been welcomed to the race by many, including men, white people, and some Republicans, she has also faced endless assaults from those same categories of people solely for her gender, ethnicity, or party affiliation. While our political climate has been so grotesquely deformed to the point where this can feel normal, I believe it's important to remember that it's not supposed to be this way. America allegedly values justice, unity and freedom, and viewed objectively, Kamala is an incredible candidate in that regard.

I can't help but feel like all the tired excuses given as to why Kamala shouldn't be president: "women are hormonal, women can't contend with male world leaders, women can't lead the military" are just flimsy cover-ups by men to continue asserting their dominance in a patriarchal society in which cracks are starting to form. It becomes even more offensive when the male opponent in the race represents such a starkly different set of values, whose rhetoric is so often violent and degrading towards women, who has been convicted of violence against women, and who is so wildly under-qualified for the role compared to Kamala.

From her undergraduate degree in Political Science, to her law degree shortly after, to a career as San Fransisco's District Attorney, and then California's Attorney General, and then as a Senator, and now her current role as the Vice President of the United States, Kamala's résumé speaks for itself. This is a person who has dedicated her professional life to political participation and activism. She has been deeply involved in this world for over three decades, which some critics across the aisle want to convince you is a bad thing. They support a candidate with limited political experience in the name of "draining the swamp". I personally believe an experienced, qualified woman of color is much more capable of this goal than (another) narcissistic, inexperienced white man is.

When I hear people saying they don't think America is ready for a female president, let alone a woman of color, I'm reminded of author Ijeoma Oluo's thoughts on the subject. In her book Mediocre, she reflects on how keeping power in the hands of white men over the course of our country's history has held us back in so many ways. She says: “While whiteness and masculinity are the two most powerful identities in a white, male patriarchy, they are also wholly dependent on the identities they oppress.” Conservatives, as well as other critics of Kamala, will express their concerns of having a woman in office, claiming it's a threat to American values. In the meantime, this outdated rhetoric prevents progress and equality.

The biggest threat of having a woman as president is that men have to deal with it, because in many of their minds, upholding the white patriarchy is the most important "American value" to which they refer. The presidency being held by a woman of color is really only a threat to their egos and arbitrary historical power, not America's political prowess in the world.

It bothers me not one bit that white men feel threatened by a powerful woman of color. If anything, I want Kamala's success to give them the opportunity to reflect on their own lives, and on how they have and haven't contributed to the success of our nation as a united, progressive entity. Kamala has done more in her career and for our country thus far than the vast majority of those angry white men have, and these men continue to waste time by creating reasons to keep her out of office. Upholding white male power for the sake of ego does nothing positive for us.

What does bother me, however, is how women continue to be treated by men in this country. From young girls in your hometown, to your female coworkers, to your friends and family, and to the woman vying for the highest seat of power in the world, no woman is totally safe from the threat of violence by men. It is estimated that 1 in 6 American women have been raped, while over half of the female population is sexually assaulted at some point over their lifetime. One of the leading causes of death for pregnant women in this country is murder, and as many as one in four American women face domestic violence every year. This disregard for our lives and safety travels all the way up the ladder, and I shudder to think how many men have contemplated and fantasized about the terrible things they'd like to do to Kamala Harris. Her visibility and possession of power makes her a target for these violent predators. I wonder how many of these men create plans or even attempt to act on them that we never hear about, getting intercepted by the FBI or Secret Service before they ever get a chance to commit their heinous crimes. I'm sure Kamala is aware of the personal danger that lurks around every corner for her, and yet she continues to forge a path forward anyway.

I'm not an 11-year-old watching music videos while getting ready for school anymore (though Taylor's evolving lyrics still uncannily represent my life, thank you). I'm a woman in America who wants to be treated with the same respect, both professionally and physically, that my male counterparts are. I want to be able to trust the men around me to not enact violence on me as a twisted manifestation of their internalized misogyny. I want to see a woman hold the office of the president, and Kamala is a worthy candidate of that power. She represents me and so many other Americans in an intelligent, brave, and steady manner. I'm honored to vote for her in this election.

Kamala speaks to crowds during her 2024 Presidential campaign.

—————

I don’t think Kamala or Taylor are perfect (nobody is, hello??), nor do I think celebrities or politicians should be spared criticism. Like I said before, I believe these culturally important people should be held to a high standard. I don’t think Taylor or Kamala should be spared just because they are women, either, but as the current most powerful women in our society, I also want to celebrate their successes and contribute to keeping them safe. Their status is evidence of progress in our society that can’t happen quickly enough. 

Again from Ijeoma Oluo: “How often have you heard the argument that we have to slowly implement gender and racial equality in order to not shock society? Who is the society people are talking about? I guarantee women would be able to handle equal pay or a harassment-free workplace with no ramp up. I am certain that people of color would be able to deal with equal political representation and economic opportunity if they were made available today.”

We are witnessing live an incredibly important moment in American history. Each presidential election inherently holds value in our country's story, but this one represents so much more for not only women and people of color, but for us all. It can be a step towards a more just, inclusive future, or it can be proof that we'd prefer to stay stuck in the past, regardless of the ways it will negatively impact us socially and politically.

I don’t expect to make you a Taylor Swift fan if you’re not one already. I don’t expect to make you change your vote to Kamala if that’s not already your plan. I know people will be steadfast in their disdain for these powerful, intelligent, successful women because they’re threatened by what they represent, but it would do them and the rest of our country good to show them the respect they deserve. Respect for their dedication to their goals; for chasing their dreams when it would have been much easier, and safer, not to. Respect for everything they've sacrificed and the risks they continue to take to represent women everywhere.

When women like Kamala Harris and Taylor Swift are painted as bad people in the name of constructive or political criticism, which is often just thinly-veiled sexism, they are more likely to be victims of violence in this country that values the power of men over the safety of women. I will not contribute to that discourse and I will be a proud Swiftie and supporter of Kamala Harris for this season and beyond.