Taylor Swift Gets Trashed On Social Media After Releasing New Video
Taylor Swift has had a rough time over the past few months. She may still be selling a lot of concert tickets and records, but she has become the subject of ridicule, even if many people think it’s unfair. Let’s hope Taylor Swift doesn’t read the reaction to her latest video, “Out of the Woods.”
Billboard tries to summarize the video.
“Shot on location in New Zealand, the adventure-filled video shows the gown-clad singer in a variety of natural settings: being chased by ferocious wolves in the woods, standing atop a snow-capped mountain, submerged in the ocean and eventually (literally) finding herself.”
Billboard describes the video as visually stunning. However, some of the people commenting under the article find the video visually repulsive.
“This video is full of racist undertones and proves that Taylor Swift has no clue. The song sounds like it’s something out of drunk karaoke night. I used to be a fan of Swift, but not so much anymore. She has been exposed of her ignorance,” says Paul Cenerros.
In addition to being racist, some people think that the video exploits wild animals.
“I’m not a Taylor Swift hater, but the exploitation of animals in this video is disgusting. Tigers and wolves should not be used for Taylor Swift to make money off her mediocre song,” says Proud Gay Millennial.
The backlash on Twitter has been swift, even though the video has only been out for a couple hours.
Some fans are saying that it’s difficult to see how the video is racist or being cruel to animals. However, the “Taylor Swift is Racist” campaign has gained full force since late August, when Lauren Duca from the Huffington Post accused Ms. Swift of colonialism in the video for “Wildest Dreams.”
“Instead of the cultural appropriation that has become almost status quo in today’s pop music, Swift has opted for the bolder option of actually just embodying the political exploitation of a region and its people. It’s brave, really.”
Then, the pile-on started. Salon, Mic, and other similar sites joined in. The Guardian tried to insist that “Wildest Dreams” marked the beginning of the end for Swift.
“The cracks in Taylor Swift’s seemingly flawless public persona were bound to appear, and it has felt as though the tide has started to turn against the world’s biggest pop star this summer.”
The Guardian goes on to note that even though Swift is still very popular, this video (and other events) are making people question her sweet girl-next-door image. What’s interesting is that 99 percent of the comments after these critiques are pro-Taylor Swift. Even after the Guardian’s article, many were defending Swift.
There was one person who summed up how ridiculous the backlash against Swift may be.
Taylor Swift might have ended 2015 as the girl with the most Grammy nominations. But she also ended the year as the most hated pop star. Do you think Taylor Swift deserves such hatred? Let us know in the comments section.
[Photo by Matthias Nareyek/Getty Images]
