Taylor Swift and Misogyny

"There will never be another like me-e-e-e!" Taylor Swift informed us on the lead single to her album, Lover. Indeed this certainly seems to be a true statement. More than most other artists, Swift has deftly changed images and music genres without much controversy.

That's not to say the songstress has avoided it altogether. It's just the controversy that surrounds her doesn't seem to be of her own making. While playing the victim ticks people off, a closer look at what happened in these situations shows the deeper issues at play.

Kanye West

Kanye West does not like Taylor Swift. The feeling seems to be mutual from her end. 10 years ago at the Video Music Awards, he interrupted her acceptance speech to let everyone know he thought Beyonce had the best video. There was a slight controversy, but mostly the moment morphed into a meme and no one batted an eye about what he did.

Fast forward some years, and the feud seemed to have cooled off a bit. Then he released his song "Famous" which contained the lyric, "I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex. / Why? I made that bitch famous." It's a horrible lyric, and full of misogyny. The original line was even worse though. Originally, West said Swift OWED him sex because he made her famous, forgetting she had already carved out a career for herself.

Kim Kardashian showed a Snapchat clip of Swift and West talking about the lyric after Swift protested and said it was a disgusting lyric. People across the internet sent #CancelTaylorSwift to the top of the trending charts. One thing that was not discussed when this story hit was that a disproportionate amount of men were the ones using the hashtag. Bros before truth or decency right? There was never any controversy surrounding the lyrics like there should have been.

David Mueller

David Mueller was a radio DJ in Denver. He interviewed Swift one day, and as he passed by her on his way out of the studio, he grabbed her butt. Swift promptly reported the incident to her management team and to the radio station. Mueller was fired and sued by Swift for $1. He lost the case.

When the #MeToo movement hit, there was a certain segment of men who cried foul. If these women were really assaulted, they should have reported it right on the spot. These men failed to take into consideration many things like dealing with the trauma and worries about losing a job. Many also lost their minds when Swift did just what they said.

"She should take the compliment!" "It's not like other guys are hitting on her, what's her problem?" "Taylor Swift is the reason men can't be men anymore." Those were all comments that were made about Swift reporting the incident and seeking legal avenues to resolve the issue. As she noted, there was no need for money, all she wanted to do was make a point. Which she did, whether she realized what point she was making or not.

There are some men who will never believe or care if a woman is sexually assaulted.

Scooter Braun

When Apple wasn't going to pay artists royalties during the free period for Apple Music, Taylor Swift took a stand. She removed her music from the service and insisted they pay as required. It took the tech giant less than a week to agree to Swift's terms. Within months, her entire catalogue was back on the streamer and among the most popular.

As arguably the biggest star and best selling artist on the Big Machine Records, she should have been aware of an impending sale. Especially a sale to someone who had insulted, taunted, and bullied her for years. This did not happen, and Scooter Braun ended up essentially owning Swift's musical history.

As the story ripped through the entertainment industry, stars took sides. Many female stars like Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, and Kelly Clarkson took Swift's side. Braun had the likes of Justin Bieber and Kanye West on his side. Many men were shouting that she needed to get over Braun owning her music and said she willingly walked away from it. This seems to be a point of contention, as some people in Braun's party say he has reached out to her but she has rebuffed talking to him. It is also said she didn't sign a contract that would have allowed her to own her masters.

What those people fail to mention is that it would have tied Swift up in a contract, where she again would not own the masters to her new music and would have been forced to sign a similar deal down the road. "Bitch needs to be happy they didn't destroy her masters," one man said and then launched into a tirade that not only showed his toxic masculinity, but also his inability to comprehend anything. He contended she signed the contract with Scooter Braun and then left him in a lurch. This was not the case; she signed with another gentleman who decided to sell the company after working with Swift for many years. There has been no professional relationship between Swift and Braun, and there likely never will be, even if many of the men who comment on the articles on this story seem to think she should just give into the man.

Donald Trump

Before this becomes a controversial section, Donald Trump has done nothing to Swift personally. At least as far as the public knows. Instead, his candidacy uncovered a seething hatred for any celebrity who did not endorse him.

"... Should shut up and stick to singing (or acting or modeling etc.)" was a common phrase among Trump supporters in the 2016 election. Swift did this and still was surrounded by controversy. In a move that was supposed to be apolitical, Swift refused to endorse anyone for the presidency and said she preferred not to talk about it. This led many Democrats to be angry with her for not using her influence to help Hillary Clinton win, while Trump supporters were angry that she did not share their exalted view of their candidate. Both sides blamed her for Trump winning the electoral college and losing the popular vote. Who knew she had so much power?

And for fun and to take the taste of misogyny away, here is the video for Swift's newest single, "Lover."