Taylor Swift is a Feminist's Nightmare

There's always been something about Taylor Swift that I just can't warm to, but for months I just haven't been able to put my finger on what it is. And then an article on Jezebel summed it up: Taylor Swift is a feminist's nightmare.

At first it doesn't seem that way when we look at Taylor's wholesome smile and global success, but actually, when we take a closer look at Swift's lyrics, image and all-round message, she does far more damage to female empowerment than the bad girls that everyone loves to hate, such as Rihanna. 

But how?

1. Most of Taylor's storylines tell of the good girl virgin stealing the guy from the terrible whore.

Yeah, so Taylor got teased in high school. She was never the prom queen or the cheerleader, but always the dorky girl on the sidelines who got ignored by boys and picked on by girls. This apparent 'trauma' that almost everybody goes through at some point during adolescence has rendered Miss Swift so bitter that almost all of her songs go something like this 'la la la, I'm special because I'm a nerd, popular girls are sluts and mean and don't deserve happiness, la la la, I should get the guy because I'm different.'

Apparently stuff like this is inspirational because Taylor gives a voice to other girls who aren't popular or well-liked in high school, which is all very well, but what about the pretty, popular girls? Isn't Taylor ostracising them in the same way that she herself felt ostracised?

Not only does Taylor seem to imply that the popular girls make terrible girlfriends and are undeserving of male attention, but she also shows no signs of loyalty to the 'sisterhood,' instead basing her entire existence on bagging the boy at the expense of whoever she pleases. In one of her shows she slaps a backing dancer for trying to steal the affection from an object of mutual interest, and songs such as 'Better than Revenge' that publicly insults the actress who 'stole' Joe Jonas from her ('an actress, but is better known for things she does on the mattress') do absolutely nothing for the image of sisterhood solidarity that she is trying to impress upon fans. 

Aside from the fact that this is ridiculously petty, this constant 'slut-shaming' in Taylor's videos, lyrics and performances, is a direct slap in the face to all the women who have tried to rid society of this stigma that having sex somehow makes you a whore.

2. 'Woe is me,' Taylor the victim. 

A huge fan of playing the victim, Taylor makes most of her money off the fact that apparently she was a dork in high school. Now, ignoring the fact that she was home-schooled from the age of fifteen, Taylor's luscious blonde locks, endless legs and typically 'pretty' face don't exactly agree with the dorky, awkward picture that she paints of herself. My guess is that a true dork, somebody that gets bullied for their ginger hair, braces and glasses, would not be given half of the opportunities that Taylor Swift, the skinny, white, all-American poster girl has been given. 

And 'dork,' really? This is akin to the trendy girls of today wearing shirts and hats with the word 'GEEK' emblazoned across them. No, you're not a geek, or a nerd, and I'm sorry Taylor, but neither are you. Dorks don't have an endless stream of boyfriends, smiles that melt the hearts of nations and wholesome, catchy pop music. It is hard to imagine Lady Gaga as prom queen but does she ever weep about how much of an awkward freak she is?

To be frank, I've had enough of Taylor writing songs about mean radio critics and how horrible Kanye West is. Get over it girl! Nobody is picking on you because they think that you are a dork! They are 'picking on you' because they are paid to critique music, or, in Kanye's case, because he was drunk and indignant. Perhaps if Taylor really has had such a terrible time being bullied for being a dork, she should stop 'slut-shaming' and alienating anybody who is different from herself.

3. Taylor Swift is a grown woman

Another thing that bothers me is the fact that Taylor is often hailed as some sort of child prodigy because she won a Grammy at age 20, but is she really? She certainly seems very childlike, light years behind the likes of Adele and Lady Gaga, but when Beyonce was 20, she was singing about being an Independent Woman and a Survivor, while Swift was still harping on about high school, horse riding and teenage crushes. 

It is true that Swift was successful at a young age, but this is hardly surprising, given her background. As a girl whose rich banker parents were able to financially support her dreams, Taylor has had a pretty easy ride. Iggy Azalea, Australian rapper who is the same age as Swift, was born to a painter and a cleaner, and ran away to the United States when she was just 15 armed with nothing but some money that she had saved while working as a cleaner and her dreams of making it big. That is an inspirational teen. Not somebody who uses Daddy's money and her sickly smile. 

Now, as a fan of Paris Hilton, I'm not saying that it is wrong to be born into money, but what I do think is wrong is the way that Paris gets slated for her background (and, contrary to popular belief, Paris Hilton does work for a living), while Swift is seen as this innocent wonder-child. 

4. Girls are actually worth more than their hymens, would you believe?

Ugh, GOD, I am so sick of this 'good people are sexually pure and innocent' bullshit that women like Taylor Swift endorse. I almost feel like I have stepped back in time a couple of hundred years or so, when women were expected to remain virgins until marriage, not show any flesh and not speak unless spoken to. Taylor Swift sends out a message to all her young fans, and that message is 'Girls! All girls who have sex are whores and all boys want is sex and so you should never have sex (because you will get pregnant, and die).' 

I don't understand why other female artists bother trying to fight the stigma concerning female sexuality when artists like Taylor are singing 'Abigail gave everything she had to a boy who changed his mind and we both cried.' That's right. All Abigail had was her virginity. And she shouldn't have given it away because sex is bad and always ends in tears. 

Correct me if I'm wrong but I truly believe that female sexuality doesn't necessarily go hand in hand with a lack of self-respect and/or dignity. Female sexuality can, in itself, be empowering. Rather than locking our legs together with a padlock for fear that our lives will be over if we display any signs of normal human behaviour, why can't we instead listen to the likes of Christina Aguilera, who says 'If you look back in history, it's a common double standard of society, the guy gets all the glory, the more he can score, while the girl can do the same and yet you call her a whore.' Artists like this are finally challenging age old hypocrisies such as this, while Taylor Swift, in all her blonde-haired, blue-eyed innocence, does nothing but reinforce archaic attitudes towards women. 

Why are Rihanna and Iggy Azalea branded bad people because they use their sexuality as a weapon and sing about just what it is that they want in the bedroom, when rappers can wax lyrical about bitches, hoes and candy shops and be idolised by millions of teenage boys. Is a dominant, sexual, independent woman not a good person? Should she be put in her place? Should she stop thinking about sex and go ride a pony down a beach somewhere? According to Taylor, yes she should. 

5. The Rules According to Taylor...

Okay so once you've binned all your Beyonce albums and decided that Nicki Minaj should leave the rapping to the men and bake cupcakes instead, settle down and have a read of Taylor Swift's Guide To Life. You'll need it if you want to avoid going to hell. 

• Don't get drunk. In the words of Taylor, it 'isn't cute.' I don't care if you enjoy being drunk! I don't care if you want to enjoy your teenage years at parties and nightclubs! It isn't cute. Boys won't like it. Stay inside and make sandwiches. 
• When you break up with somebody, don't forget it and move on! Getting over break-ups is for losers. Spend all your time laughing at your exes, trashing their houses, writing songs about them and hating on their new girlfriends. Seriously.
• Tell everyone how you got bullied as you constantly mock and pick on other people. Hypocrisy is fun!
• Forget sisterhood, sister! If your boyfriend cheats on you, it isn't his fault. Your little Snooky Wooky was let astray by that evil witch who you and all your friends must now hate forever, until the end of time, amen. 
• Always be mean to girls who get laid more than you. They're sluts.
• OTHER WOMEN ARE RIVALS. THEY ARE NOT FRIENDS. Getting the guy is the most important thing. Stealing him from the prom queen is even better.
• Never, ever acknowledge that you know you're pretty damn privileged and hot. You may look like Hitler's fucking wet dream, have worn Dior nappies as an infant and pee liquid gold but you must ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE A SMALL TOWN GIRL AND A DORK AND NOT BLESSED.