Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Taylor Swift Can Suck It: "Review" of the MTV Cluster****

I think the world has finally lost it. Suddenly, Kanye West is some kind of demon, and the world is rallying behind the no-talent whiner, Taylor Swift. Can anyone explain this to me?

Yes, Kanye took the mic and pimped Beyonce. Should he have done it? No. Was it rude and unnecessary? Yes. Did it ruin Taylor's life? Evidently, everyone (and Taylor) seems to think so. Taylor: it's a fucking VMA. Those awards are pretty much obsolete, and if you actually thought your acceptance speech was so momentous that one comment could "ruin" it, you need more help than even your off-key warbling would indicate.

But now--despite Kanye having delivered multiple very public apologies--Taylor is running around acting like a spoiled little brat, talking about how destroyed she is by the whole thing. She was actually on ABC's The View today where she fielded questions like "How did you find the courage to perform after that?" and "How are you showing such grace in such a horrible situation?" OMFG. These are questions for someone who has lost a loved one, been shot multiple times, or had rocks thrown at them. I don't believe Ms. Swift quite qualifies. In fact, the way she is playing this for all it's (not) worth--actually pointing out that Kanye hasn't directly contacted her yet, even though all he's been doing is apologizing for the past two days--makes Taylor about the least gracious "celebrity" I can currently think of. At least Kanye's outburst was for someone else; no one is talking about the fact that Kanye actually wasn't boasting about himself, but trying to stand up for another artist he felt more deserving. Again, that doesn't make it right; but it makes it a lot less wrong than Taylor's selfish pandering to the press.

Taylor, please get over yourself. The fact that you looked like an idiot is actually nobody's fault but your own. Kanye gave you the mic back, and you stood there looking like a pouty little four-year old after someone spills grape juice on her party dress. In grown-up life, there are disappointments. It would be fine to leave it at that and move the hell on with, oh, I don't know, maybe a fucking sense of humor about things. IT'S THE FREAKING VMA'S! I believe that shit like this is EXPECTED. Did you were accepting a Nobel Prize? Decorum is not exactly what MTV is known for. You are not a child; grow up.

Of course, I can see how people would label Taylor a "poor little girl." But the fact that she writes mind-numbingly trite lyrics, believes she can sing when she can't, and is a little rail of a thing does not actually make her a child. She is 19, securely in the adult world where she should be able to handle her own disappointments maturely without making puppy-dog faces and expecting sympathy.

Even more infuriating, though, is how the press pounced on this. They are making Taylor Swift out to be more of a victim than, say, ummm, Rhianna? Whom I believe was beaten by her boyfriend? Of course, Rhianna isn't a blonde, waiffy country singer who had her "moment stolen" by the big, bad rapper. Rhianna just got beaten in the face. So, sure, Kanye West is whom we should be demonizing. And we'll just keep letting Chris Brown run around and defend himself. Ugh.

The fact that this is being so overblown, and that the media is now treating Taylor like some kind of delicate little porcelain figure should be highly suspect to us. Where was all this outcry when actual injustices were being done, and why is everyone so quick to hop on the "Bad Kanye" train. If you ask me, Kanye is a person frustrated by the lack of recognition for actual talent in the industry. Put true talent and passion (West) up against vapidity and a strong sense of entitlement (Swift), and you can be sure of what I will pick every time.

Taylor Swift--please suck it.