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Tag: Swifties

  • 50 Taylor Swift Halloween-Inspired Friendship Bracelet Ideas

    Zombie Taylor Swift, crawling out of a midnight-blue grave with skin so wrinkled not even Olay’s 47-step retinol pipeline could touch it, pausing only to grab a dusty ‘22’ hat (the one we all pretended she handed us at The Eras Tour, as if we were “chosen”). Maybe she even completes the look with the cursed Junior Jewels shirt — because nothing says undead nostalgia like high school spirit merch from the afterlife.

    Your costume? Handled. Your accessory? Still pending. The real crisis isn’t: “What am I wearing?” It’s: “Which friendship bracelet will summon the most delightfully haunted jumpscare energy?” Which colours? Which lyrics? Which era of emotional damage is getting the Halloween treatment? There are literally more options than the number of times we’ve yelled “Bloody Mary!” into the bathroom mirror, summoning a cameo — so we narrowed it down to 50 frightfully perfect Swiftie bracelet ideas to level up your last-minute spooky slay.

    Debut 🤠: Sweet Tea & Séances

    • “Planning my revenge,” but she’s doing it with a couture, blood-soaked dagger — serving slasher final-girl-prequel chic with a country soundtrack in the background.
    • “I’ll be 87, you’ll be 89,” which may currently be Taylor + Travis canon, but on your wrist, it’s also the eternal love story of two very wholesome ghost charms holding skeletal hands in the afterlife.
    • ‘Should’ve said no,’ except now it’s less heartbreak and more warning label before the third-act body count — complete with a final-girl charm and red beads like legally cute fake blood.
    • ‘Cold As You,’ but now it’s not a metaphor — it’s the literal chill creeping up your arm when you look down at your frost-blue, haunted-bracelet and realise it chose you.

    Fearless ✨: The Curse of the Golden Dress

    • “She wears high heels, I wear sneakers” might be a bracelet-length nightmare, but the vibe is undeniable: full The Vampire Diaries doppelgänger lore — Katherine Pierce stomping through town in seductive black stilettos while Elena Gilbert is still stuck on the cheer squad, wondering why her reflection is doing something she’s not.
    • ‘Breathe’ basically writes its own horror adaptation — a spite-fuelled murder chase where every inhale is just confirmation you haven’t died yet.
    • ‘Love Story,’ except the proposal isn’t romantic — it’s a fae-binding contract where “just say yes” is actually “just surrender your soul and never see daylight again.”
    • “This ain’t a fairytale,” but in The Little Mermaid sense, where Ursula didn’t just steal Ariel’s voice — she replaced her entirely, wearing her body like a trophy.

    Speak Now 💜 Or Forever Be Possessed

    • “Don’t say yes, run away now,” except it’s not a wedding objection anymore — it’s the last panicked warning screamed by the final girl right before she watches her best friend get dragged off by the creepy, not-quite-human thing hiding in the shadows.
    • “Don’t you think I was too young?” now comes with a tiny diary charm — the kind that looks sweet until you realise every secret inside it is written in invisible ink… and only shows up when you bleed on the page.
    • ‘Better Than Revenge’ except you’re not keying anyone’s car — you’ve gone full witch-vengeance arc with a bubbling cauldron, a curse you really shouldn’t Google, and beadwork powered by blood garnet (AKA the ultimate “I hex you in style” crystal).
    • ‘Haunted’ …need we even elaborate? This is the ouija-board bracelet: tiny planchette charm, letters circled in beads like a spiral trap, and a vibe that says you’re not wearing the bracelet — it’s wearing you. Forever tethered, forever watched.

    Red 🧣: ’22’ Victims Later

    • ‘Red,’ obviously the official Halloween colour palette, so naturally she gets her own bracelet altar. This is where you pull out your deepest crimson beads, glittering charms, and tiny stitched hearts — not because it’s cute, but because the colour has officially ascended to final boss energy.
    • “I’ll follow you home,” spoken by 22-era Taylor, who definitely sounded romantic at the time, but, in hindsight, is giving pure stalker apparition in the hallway. This bracelet is full-on letterbox charm energy — magazine cut-out notes, “I know where you live” chic, camped in the hydrangeas like it’s performance art.
    • ‘Holy Ground,’ except it’s not holy — it’s a devil’s tail cracking through the pavement while the choir screams in the distance. This one is a duo bracelet: angel charm for you, devil charm for the feral bestie. Together, you’re the unhinged biblical crossover nobody prayed for.
    • “In dreams, I meet you in warm conversation,” aka we are fully astral-dating our crushes because they are ghosting us in the human realm. (You’re not delusional, you’re just multi-plane romantic — huge difference.)

    1989 🗽: The Synth Stalker Tapes

    • ‘Blank Space’ gives us Taylor’s ultimate bewitching femme fatale — a playful reclamation of the media’s “serial heartbreak sorceress” caricature. So why not lean all the way in? Lipstick-print charms, velvet-red beads, and the energy of someone who doesn’t date men so much as glamor-spells them into accidental worship.
    • ‘Out of the Woods’ needs no translation — the wolves in the music video already spilled the genre. We are honestly never really “out.” Wolf charms, moon tokens, and breadcrumb-trail beads make it the perfect supernatural location tracker for when the forest decides to come looking again.
    • “Band-aids don’t fix bullet holes,” so forget CPR — this is a battlefield confession bracelet. It pairs best with “I lived to tell it” survivor energy and charms sharp enough to metaphorically (or questionably) draw blood.
    • “Say you’ll remember me” from ‘Wildest Dreams’ is less a romantic plea and more a phantom SOS, the kind of haunt that doesn’t rattle walls but slips into your subconscious every night just to make sure its memory stays fed. Cue tiny ghost charms, translucent beads, and that soft “I linger in your REM cycle” aesthetic.

    reputation 🐍: Burned At The Stake (And Came Back Louder)

    • “They’re burning all the witches even if you aren’t one” is peak Halloween-era Tay — and not the soft cottage-witch variety, the “throw water on me and see what happens” variety. Think: witch hat charms, black cats representing your eighth borrowed life, and tarot cards for good measure because you’re not hiding — you’re headlining the execution.
    • “Magician, illusionist” from ‘So It Goes…’ is basically the soft-launch trailer for ‘Mastermind’ years before Midnights existed — the precursor spell. This bracelet is white-bunny-charm coded: tricks up your sleeve, reality lightly bent, grin that says “I knew the trick before you saw the cards.”
    • ‘Look What You Made Me Do’ is the spooky season anthem — Taylor literally claws herself out of a grave like a glamorous revenant, and then immediately switches into the same chaotic energy as Regina George stomping down a hallway on Halloween night. Peak undead slayage.
    • And because the music video goes full dystopian-horror with that underground robot squad bunker, there’s bonus bracelet potential: get your girl gang together, dip into the hot-pink-and-snake aesthetic, and brand yourselves as matching reconstructed glitch-dolls from the same experimental lab batch.
    • And how could we ever forget Karyn — the most iconic inflatable snake in pop history, slithering her way through every Reputation Tour concert like she owned the stadium (because she did). She’s got us taking crash courses at Hogwarts just to brush up on our Parseltongue. So grab your best snake charm, twist your letter beads into a serpentine pattern, or even TikTok yourself crafting a snake out of beads — you know that tutorial already exists somewhere between WitchTok and SwiftTok.

    Lover 🦋: The Honeymoon Is A Blood Moon

    • “It’s all me, in my head,” or is it? The ultimate existential callout for anyone who’s ever wondered if they’re psychic or just accidentally tuning into another dimension.
    • ‘Cruel Summer’ — have you ever noticed how every teen horror flick happens in July? I Know What You Did Last Summer says hi. Pair it with tiny sun charms, ominous sea urchins, and beads in shades of “sunkissed-but-sinister” orange, because this isn’t about seasonal fun — it’s about heatstroke, heartbreak, and the moment before the scream.
    • ‘The Archer’ is what everyone’s going to guess when Swifties start playing Halloween Cluedo. Forget the butler — it was the glittering archer in the corner, loading a bow dipped in rose gold poison.
    • ‘Death By A Thousand Cuts’ — but instead of emotional trauma, it’s actual trauma. Like, there’s a chalk outline and your bracelet’s got knife charms. Romantic in the most catastrophically codependent way possible.

    folklore 🪵: Don’t Follow The ‘cardigan’

    • “She had a marvelous time ruining everything,” except now it’s sung through the POV of a seven-hundred-year-old poltergeist who treats legacy-haunting like Pinterest moodboarding. Think timeless but cursed — vintage charms, tarnished elegance, Victorian gloved-finger energy.
    • “I think I’ve seen this film before, and I didn’t like the ending,” isn’t you hate-watching a dusty VHS — it’s the spirit who’s already watched their own murder on repeat across lifetimes. Eternal spoilers, zero closure.
    • “I’m still on that trapeze,” is basically the teaser trailer for The Life of a Showgirl. An endless loop of curtain call → applause → reincarnation → same act again. A Groundhog Day circus performer whose spectacle is the curse. Cue tiny circus tents, acrobats, jesters’ hats — pastel vaudeville with teeth.
    • “I think your house is haunted / your dad is always mad” explains itself — you’ve had a monster under your bed since you were ‘Seven,’ and spoiler: it’s not Mike Wazowski, it is the trauma-fae that clocked your aura early and said, “yeah, I’ll haunt this one.”

    evermore 🍂: Ghosts Of The ‘ivy’ Grove

    • ‘willow’ finally embraced its destiny the minute fans held up those glowing yellow balloons at The Eras Tour — that wasn’t staging, that was literally a coven forming in real time. So yes, lantern charms, moon beads, and “meet me in the woods” witchcraft energy. Not a performance — a ritual.
    • “My mind turns your life into folklore” is code for “you are no longer a person, you are a mythic forest creature in my canon now.” Congratulations, you’ve been spiritually NPC’d into legend status.
    • ‘no body, no crime’ is the charm set for when the sirens are wailing and the shovel is still warm in your hands while your partner-in-homicidal-girlhood is rehearsing her alibi in panic. Cue spiderweb charms, black widow bows, and pastel coffin beads with tiny engraved crosses — the cuter the crime, the cleaner the cover-up.
    • “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were still around” is a sweet tribute to Marjorie from Taylor until you realize that’s the exact line that sets off an EMF meter. This is Winchester Brothers territory now — floral cardigan, mediumship one second, ghost-hunting salt circles the next.

    Midnights 🌌: The Mirror Witch

    • “Meet me at midnight” isn’t flirting — it’s a summoning timestamp. The Swiftie equivalent of spelling “midnight” on a ouija board and waiting for the planchette to twitch the moment the release party portal opens.
    • “I’m the monster on the hill,” says the self-aware creature who knows she’s getting an entire tribute bracelet — cue adorable-but-feral monster charms, stitched fangs, and that “lovable cryptid but make it sparkly” aura.
    • ‘Snow on the Beach’ already sounds like a coastal haunting, but “weird but fucking beautiful” is basically the thesis statement for fae-coded starcrossing. This is a soft witchcraft glamour duet with sea-salt side effects and charms.
    • “I don’t start shit, but I can tell you how it ends” is not a clapback — that’s oracle energy. A tarot-reader final boss moment for the girlies who don’t hex… they just foresee the consequence you’re about to walk into.

    The Tortured Poets 🪶 And Other Forbidden Summonings

    • ‘Down Bad’ is less heartbreak and more crop-field séance, waiting for the mothership’s spotlight to pull you into the flying-saucer afterparty — not to “visit,” but to stay. Permanent abduction chic.
    • The Tortured Poets Department is a typewriter haunting — the keys rattle on their own, the ribbon bleeds like old memory ink, and the bracelet looks like dusty parchment brought back from the dead: typewriter charms, cracked quills, ghostly letters, clear quartz for amplification, obsidian for psychic lock-and-key.
    • ‘My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys’ is the haunted nursery remix where the dolls are the ones dreaming their forever, and the teddy bears are the cowards sprinting toward the exit. The second devotion feels real. The dolls keep rocking in the corner like porcelain prophets of romance, waiting for the reunion they were promised — sugar-pink and bruise-purple beads, safety pin charms, and the soft threat of “you can run, but I’ll just reassemble you later.” Final-girl energy, but make it dollhouse possession (even Pretty Little Liars: ‘Welcome to the Dollhouse’ didn’t go this hard).
    • ‘Guilty as Sin?’ is motel-Bible confession-core — you’re clinging to the rosary charm while pretending that definitely isn’t a dead body in the other shadowy corner. Catholicism, but make it crime scene noir.

    The Life of a Showgirl ❤️‍🔥: The Show Must Never End

    • The Life of a Showgirl seems all rhinestones and red carpets until there’s that one fan in the front row who died three tours ago but is still tethered to the venue like it’s their unfinished business residency. So yes — bouquet charms, blood-splatter beads, and little red flowers stitched into the bracelet like funeral petals.
    • ‘Opalite’ is the crystal-coded showstopper — the infinity gauntlet of pretty. Soft, iridescent, man-made, and still absurdly enchanting, it’s the bead equivalent of stage lighting on skin. If anything is going to boost your aura stat sheet by +3, it’s this glimmering moon-glass shimmer.
    • “Something wicked this way comes” isn’t just a Broadway promo for Wicked: For Good — it’s the energy of stomping backstage in black leather boots, knowing you are the danger. That’s not a costume. That’s a soft threat disguised as choreography.
    • Instead of a revenge “hit list,” it’s a full-blown ‘Wi$h Li$t,’ the Halloween bucket list for dangerous women: curses you could cast, villains you might outdress, and charms that say “I don’t kill people — I manifest their downfall.”
    • ‘The Fate of Ophelia’ — but not the tragic drowning ingénue. She’s gone full mermaid-core revenant, making her comeback in Act II, coughing up stage water like a glamorous, slightly bloated fish who refuses to stay dead. Think swimming-ring callbacks to the music video, mini pool-float charms, and a few crashing-wave beads — ocean haunt couture, but make it Broadway.

    So, which spooky-fied friendship bracelet are you wearing — y’know, so the investigators can ID you when you inevitably become the most iconic final girl since “Easter-Egging the Zodiac Killer” became a Swiftie sport? Show off your cursed, cute creations on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook — we fully expect jump-scare level bragging rights. Bonus points if your bracelet can actually summon something.

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TAYLOR SWIFT:
    FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

    Rachel Finucane

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  • Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce in attendance for Game 1 of ALCS

    Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce in attendance for Game 1 of ALCS

    Thanks, welcome.

    Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce in attendance for Game 1 of Yankees-Guardians series

    Turns out, Taylor and Travis like to watch a little baseball, too.Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and his girlfriend, Taylor Swift, are attending Game 1 of the American League Championship Series.Video above: Taylor Swift ‘shimmers’ in her signature red lip in arrival at Arrowhead StadiumThe New York Yankees, who defeated the Kansas City Royals in the American League Division Series, are hosting the Cleveland Guardians to begin the best-of-seven series. The famous couple sat together in a suite down the right-field line, in the second row above postseason bunting and a flag commemorating the Yankees’ 1932 World Series championship.Kelce, a Westlake, Ohio, native who went to high school in Cleveland Heights, sported a dark baseball cap with the words Midnight Rodeo on it. Swift also wore a hat on a 50-degree night in the Bronx.Kelce, who turned 35 on Oct. 5, grew up rooting for Kenny Lofton and Cleveland in the 1990s. Kelce threw a wild ceremonial first pitch before the Guardians’ season opener last year.Swift was also in attendance at last Monday night’s Chiefs game against the New Orleans Saints.It was the second major sporting event for Swift and Kelce in New York City over the past five-plus weeks. The couple also sat in a box to watch the men’s final at the U.S. Open tennis tournament on Sept. 8 in Queens.Kelce and the Chiefs, the two-time defending Super Bowl champions, had a bye this weekend after opening the season 5-0. Their next game is Sunday at San Francisco, a rematch of last season’s Super Bowl.

    Turns out, Taylor and Travis like to watch a little baseball, too.

    Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and his girlfriend, Taylor Swift, are attending Game 1 of the American League Championship Series.

    Video above: Taylor Swift ‘shimmers’ in her signature red lip in arrival at Arrowhead Stadium

    The New York Yankees, who defeated the Kansas City Royals in the American League Division Series, are hosting the Cleveland Guardians to begin the best-of-seven series.

    The famous couple sat together in a suite down the right-field line, in the second row above postseason bunting and a flag commemorating the Yankees’ 1932 World Series championship.

    Kelce, a Westlake, Ohio, native who went to high school in Cleveland Heights, sported a dark baseball cap with the words Midnight Rodeo on it. Swift also wore a hat on a 50-degree night in the Bronx.

    Kelce, who turned 35 on Oct. 5, grew up rooting for Kenny Lofton and Cleveland in the 1990s. Kelce threw a wild ceremonial first pitch before the Guardians’ season opener last year.

    Swift was also in attendance at last Monday night’s Chiefs game against the New Orleans Saints.

    It was the second major sporting event for Swift and Kelce in New York City over the past five-plus weeks. The couple also sat in a box to watch the men’s final at the U.S. Open tennis tournament on Sept. 8 in Queens.

    Kelce and the Chiefs, the two-time defending Super Bowl champions, had a bye this weekend after opening the season 5-0. Their next game is Sunday at San Francisco, a rematch of last season’s Super Bowl.

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  • Taylor Swift’s Vienna Concerts Canceled In Response To Terrorist Plot

    Taylor Swift’s Vienna Concerts Canceled In Response To Terrorist Plot

    Organizers have canceled three Taylor Swift concerts in Austria after authorities foiled a terror attack planned for the Vienna leg of her blockbuster Eras tour, the extraordinary decision coming at significant cost to Vienna’s businesses, devastating fans, and renewing focus on the vulnerability of huge concerts as targets for terror networks. What do you think?

    “Hopefully, she’ll reschedule when terrorism ends.”

    Mark Spradley, Systems Analyst

    Taylor Swift Under Fire For Leaving Idling Plane Double-Parked Outside Store

    “Good thing Swifties are famously easygoing.”

    Lucy Kubik, Gluten Remover

    “That’s it. I hate terrorism.”

    Will Dye, Assistant Key Grip

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  • All The Fun Taylor Swift References On Jordana Bryant’s ‘Taylor 4 President’

    All The Fun Taylor Swift References On Jordana Bryant’s ‘Taylor 4 President’

    Our favorite stars, they’re just like us! You already know we at The Honey POP are huge Taylor Swift fans, and Jordana Bryant recently released the playful ‘Taylor 4 President’ to celebrate Taylor’s legacy and impact. The pop-country anthem will have you listening for Easter eggs and dancing around your room while you get hyped to vote in this November’s election. It’s yet another example of Jordana’s ability to write witty lyrics that will set up camp in your mind and heart!

    As an 18-year-old getting ready to vote for the first time, I’m hopeful this election year to find a candidate who speaks to me – someone that I can get excited about supporting. I think what makes Taylor Swift a really powerful songwriter and entertainer is how she connects with her fans and how relatable her music is. It’d be wonderful to have someone running for president with that similar universal relatability and ability to connect all kinds of people. By releasing this song, I want to bring some lightheartedness to the genuine changes myself and my peers hope to see this November. If nothing else, I hope it’s a reminder for voters, especially first-time voters like myself, to vote for what they want their future to look like.

    Jordana Bryant

    Listen to ‘Taylor 4 President’ below, then keep reading for our breakdown of the lyrical references Jordana slipped in to honor Taylor’s work! See how many you can figure out on your own before we compare notes 👀

    “This Is The Time For A Matriarchy…”

    Has there been a more iconic moment in Swiftiedom than finally hearing what lyric made ‘All Too Well (Ten Minute Version)’ explicit? There are very few moments that could top it! “F*ck the patriarchy” has gone on to become one of Taylor’s most rallying lyrics, with the crowds at the Eras Tour screaming it at the top of their lungs. And we still haven’t had a female president, so this tie-in works perfectly.

    “You Said It Yourself That You’d Be The Man…”

    Taylor did, in fact, say that she’d be the man! Her 2019 single ‘The Man’ reflects on the double standards that women and men face in the entertainment business and life in general. She notes that men are allowed to “brag about raking in dollars and getting b*tches and models” while women in the spotlight are often shamed for their business moves and dating lives. But she refuses to let that get her down, insisting, “if I was a man, then I’d be the man.” 

    “We Could Really Use Your Mastermind…”

    In her music, visuals, and beyond, Taylor is a total creative powerhouse and always has such innovative ideas. This line specifically references her 2022 track ‘Mastermind,’ which plays with the idea that she plans absolutely everything out. Her powerful mind hasn’t let us down over the years!

    “This Summer Would Be Far From A Cruel One…”

    So we’ve all had ‘Cruel Summer’ on a constant repeat since the summer of 2019, right?! If not, get on that! The song has made history and become one of Taylor’s most well-known tracks, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 four years after its release thanks to the hype of the Eras Tour. 

    “My Mother Would Breathe Easy If You Won…”

    Yay, some recognition for the deep cuts on Taylor’s 2008 album, Fearless! ‘Breathe’ is a melancholy song about parting ways with a friend through a difficult time, and we love how Jordana spun the title here. Here, it’s almost like hoping not to part ways with the idea of a better future while you worry about the outcome of an election.

    “It’s Time For The Era Where You’re In Control Of All Of The Polls…”

    Taylor running for president would totally usher in a new era, and this line plays on the success of the Eras Tour to make that point! Eras is a career-spanning victory lap for Taylor to celebrate her legacy and music with millions of fans worldwide, both physically at the shows with social content, and through fan livestreams of the concerts. 

    “You’d Be The Best Thing In The West Wing / With Her Own Kind Of Army…”

    The second verse of ‘Taylor 4 President’ includes two references to the lyrics of Taylor’s song ‘You’re Losing Me,’ which was a Vault addition to Midnights. The lyrics in question are “I’m the best thing at this party” and “fighting in only your army.” Jordana flipped the latter to reference the military power the president has, while also celebrating Swifties and their passionate support for Taylor!

    “Queen Of 13…”

    Finally, we can’t have a tribute to Taylor without referencing her lucky number, 13! She used to paint it on the back of her hand before every concert, often won her earliest awards while sitting in the 13th row of seats, and now has a bedazzled 13 on her silver Fearless guitar on the Eras Tour. 

    What do you think of Jordana Bryant’s ‘Taylor 4 President?’ Which of these lyrical references is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below or hit us up on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! 

    Check out more sweet music recs! 

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT JORDANA BRYANT:
    FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE

    Madison Murray

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  • This Week In Entertainment February 10, 2024

    This Week In Entertainment February 10, 2024


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  • Ripping the Headlines Today – Paul Lander, Humor Times

    Ripping the Headlines Today – Paul Lander, Humor Times

    Making fun of the headlines today, so you don’t have to

    The news, even that about Taylor Swift fans (aka “Swifties”), doesn’t need to be complicated or confusing; that’s what any new release from Microsoft is for. And, as in the case with anything from Microsoft, to keep the news from worrying our pretty little heads over, remember something new and equally indecipherable will come out soon: 

    Really all you need to do is follow one simple rule: barely pay attention and jump to conclusions. So, here are some headlines today and my first thoughts:

    Swifties

    Ted Nugent sends a harsh message about Taylor Swift’s music — and Swifties clap back

    … So, it’s the Swifties vs. the not so swift …

    Something stinks: Why #TrumpSmells is trending on X

    Can’t believe no judge has pounded the gavel and proclaimed “Odor in the court, odor in the court,” when Trump enters.

    Tesla owner says he had to cancel Christmas plans because car would not charge in freezing weather

    On the upside his Model 3 didn’t back over his kids.

    The ‘why’ behind the effort to recruit Romney for president in 2024

    Joe Biden shrugs it off and says “kids, today…”

    Mariah Carey and Bryan Tanaka split after 7 years together, day after Christmas

    Her new Holiday classic ‘All I Want for Christmas is You (To Get Lost).’

    Ozempic overdose? Poison control experts explain why thousands OD’d this year

    And looked great while doing so.

    Kim Guilfoyle to Alina Habba: “If you could please get my fiancée and his brother off, I’d really appreciate it’

    Oh, there’s a good chance she’s getting them off, all right.

    Spirit Airlines put a 6-year-old on the wrong flight and flew him 160 miles away from his family

    On the bright side, their luggage arrived okay.

    Lindsey Graham clucks at New York officials over Chick-Fil-A bill

    You’d think he’d be more a Dairy Queen guy.

    Jessa Duggar welcomes baby No. 5 with husband Ben Seewald

    This woman doesn’t have a uterus, she has a Gymboree …

    Biggest Christmas shopping season ever

    Beware, if stuff was missing under your tree, you might have been visited by ‘Santos’ Claus.

    Happy 75th birthday to Samuel L. Jackson

    F#$k yeah, motherf#$er.

    Teacher lived with over 300 cats, chickens and ducks in mobile home, Florida sheriff says

    Cats and chickens and ducks, oh my.

    You are the father!’ Maury Povich declares to Denver Zoo orangutan

    … So, that lets 45. and Gary Busey off the hook for Eric Trump …

    Paul LanderPaul Lander
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    Paul Lander

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  • I thought we’d reached peak Taylor Swift — I was wrong – National | Globalnews.ca

    I thought we’d reached peak Taylor Swift — I was wrong – National | Globalnews.ca

    In this space back in August, I wondered how much Taylor Swift mania the world could take.

    People were talking about selling kidneys in exchange for tickets to the Eras tour. The New York Times was projecting that this one road trip would end up contributing nearly US$5 billion to the American economy. She’s become so big that accepting an invitation to play the NFL halftime show would be a step down for her. Billy Joel marvelled, “The only thing I can compare it to is the phenomenon of Beatlemania (in the 60s).”

    The consensus seemed to be that Tay-Tay had reached the pinnacle of stardom and would soon level off at a nice cruising altitude for the rest of her career. There was no way that Taylormania could get any bigger, could it? I thought so. But I was wrong. Very, very wrong. Swift is a marketing and self-promotion miracle.

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    Let’s begin with her alleged relationship with Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs. For the moment, Tayvis (Tayce?) are among the world’s great power couples, up there with Barack and Michelle, George and Amal, and Jay-Z and Beyonce. Gossip pages are breathlessly reporting on the tiniest things (“Fans spot clue that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce had secret makeout session on date night!”).

    Not only are the paps following their every move, and not only is Swift the topic of an infinite number of daytime and late-night TV talk shows, but even NFL pre-game and halftime segments have taken to offering Swift reports.

    If the Chiefs are playing, someone in the booth is assigned to the Tay Cam to capture her reactions in the luxury box. And naturally, she’s right down front with her famous friends (like Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman) so the camera can capture everything. And she never, ever disappoints by cheering, dancing, and high-fiving for everyone to see.

    Swift has the league wrapped around her finger and the NFL loves it. Sales of Kelce jerseys are up 400 per cent. If she’s at a Chiefs game, viewership among teen girls spikes. A Sunday night game between Kansas City and the New York Jets attracted around 27 million viewers, the second-highest highest number since the Super Bowl. Of that number, at least two million were teen girls, which is 53 per cent higher than normal. Perfect, especially when you consider that her Eras concert film opened just a few days later, helping it to an opening weekend global gross of US$123.5 million. (She might actually have left money on the table because of the way she bypassed Hollywood and worked directly with AMC Theatres. But that’s another topic entirely.)

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    Talk about leveraging the NFL for your own purposes, huh? Remember when fans booed an ad for her concert film? No? It happened not even a month ago. Now the league can’t get enough of her.

    Meanwhile, Kelce is also benefiting from this relationship. Brands and PR companies have seized this opportunity with the gusto of an angry pitbull. That’s him in the Experian pre-roll ads that show up before YouTube videos. Why do I know that he’s a fan of Versace silk shirts? Because that nugget of information has shown up unbidden in my Instagram feed. His New Heights podcast has taken off. Kelce’s social media numbers are through the roof. Even handlebar moustaches — Kelce sports one — threaten to become a big deal this Movember.

    But back to Swift. As I wrote in that previous piece, she’s in the imperial phase of her career, a period when everything seems to be going right for her. The question is now “How long can this last?”

    Overexposure is a real risk. It eventually happens to everyone. There’s a real skill in determining when you’ve pushed things as far as you can with the public. And you need an insane amount of discipline to know when it’s time to go away for a while. U2 knew this at the end of the Lovetown tour in 1990 with Bono telling the audience during the last show, “It’s no big deal, it’s just – we have to go away and … and dream it all up again.”

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    Others were not so self-aware. Britney Spears coverage saturated pop culture before it turned on her. Green Day released far too much music in too short a time and became a little too commonplace. Miley Cyrus was in our face for a couple of years before the public moved on. Where’s Justin Bieber these days? Kanye and Kim got to be too much, especially after the divorce and Ye’s very visible mental descent. And name a boy band that didn’t overstay their welcome.

    Swift must understand this. But how will her future play out? The Eras tour will continue for another year. She released an album in 2019, two in both 2020 and 2021, and still has three more (Taylor’s Version) re-recordings to go. Part of being a fan is enjoying the anticipation of what’s coming next. But if you’re subjected to a firehose of presence and content, at what point do you decide that enough is enough? And if everyone is a fan, being a Swiftie is no longer exclusive and fun. At the same time, people who have been working hard to avoid her may become more vocal about how much they don’t like her.

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    Meanwhile, her fanbase is getting older every day. Most of them will continue to stick with her, but how many of those teen girls will age out of their Swiftie obsessions? If you’ve been at one of the Eras movie screenings, have you noticed how many in the audience are under 13? And what happens if — when — the Travis Kelce relationship goes south?

    Then again, Swift is smart. She might be able to continue this ride through other means. For example, what if she turns political and becomes a serious anti-Trump force in the 2024 election? Such a move for a Switzerland-like performer would be extremely risky and would definitely cost her fans. But might that direction be the next phase of her career and ascent to an even higher level of godlike status? Don’t count it out.

    The key for Swift’s continued ubiquity is timing. She needs to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em, know when to walk away, and know when to run. The question is, does she?

    Then again, I and a lot of people underestimate the heights to which Taylormania could reach. It’s not over yet. Not by a long shot.

    —

    Alan Cross is a broadcaster with Q107 and 102.1 the Edge and a commentator for Global News.

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    Subscribe to Alan’s Ongoing History of New Music Podcast now on Apple Podcast or Google Play

    &copy 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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  • Taylor Swift concert cost breakdown: Fans say price of Toronto trip is worth it | Globalnews.ca

    Taylor Swift concert cost breakdown: Fans say price of Toronto trip is worth it | Globalnews.ca

    Canadian fans who managed to score tickets for one of Taylor Swift’s highly anticipated six shows in Toronto have already spent a good chunk of money.

    Those who live outside the Toronto area are now also budgeting for the cost of travel and accommodation in November 2024.

    The Canadian Press spoke to several Swifties about how much they’re expecting to spend.

    WINNING THE GOLDEN TICKET

    Ashley Stewart, 24, saw Taylor Swift during her Fearless tour when it made a stop in her home province of Prince Edward Island back in 2010. This time around, she knew the pop star wouldn’t be stopping anywhere east of Toronto.

    “Being from the Atlantic provinces, we fully knew that we would have to travel somewhere if we wanted to see her. So, we were expecting that if we wanted to go to the Eras Tour, we would have to pay to travel,” the longtime Swifty said.

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    Stewart said getting the presale code for Swift tickets felt like a scene straight out of a movie.

    “I feel like we’re in ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,’ and I just opened my golden ticket,” she told her grandmother when she opened the email with the code from Ticketmaster.

    On Friday morning, Stewart secured two tickets, costing her and her best friend just over $150 each.

    Since flights and hotels can’t be booked so far in advance, Stewart is using available November 2023 prices to estimate that a round-trip flight from Charlottetown will cost around $500 per person, before taxes.

    “The flight will definitely be the most expensive part,” she said, adding that she’s still not sure about hotel prices.

    “If it had been this year, I definitely would not have been able to do it, but saving for 14 months is making it better.”

    Estimated total cost, including tickets and transportation: $650 per person.


    Click to play video: 'Taylor Swift announces ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ at final U.S. concert to fans’ elation'


    Taylor Swift announces ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ at final U.S. concert to fans’ elation


    SAVING A YEAR IN ADVANCE

    Augine Mendita, a 28-year-old longtime fan from Edmonton, was hoping Swift would come to her city’s large football stadium. With a capacity of 56,400, Commonwealth Stadium is the the largest open-air stadium in Canada.

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    But Mendita wasn’t surprised Toronto was chosen — now it will be her first time visiting.

    One of her friends received a Ticketmaster presale code and together they opted for the cheaper tickets. In tears of joy, they secured the maximum four tickets at $169 each.

    “Flying within Canada is not cheap. It’s probably like cheaper to go to America even, than flying to Toronto.”

    Mendita couldn’t find accommodations so far in advance, but estimates flights and hotels or Airbnb rentals will cost each person around $500.

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    She said it’s a good thing accommodations can at least be shared by four people.

    “I think it’s for sure worth it and also I like that we can save a year in advance,” she said.

    The next step for Mendita is to figure out which of her eight friends will be taking the four tickets.

    Estimated total cost, including tickets, accommodations and transportation: $795 per person.


    Click to play video: 'Toronto fans anxiously wait for news of Taylor Swift tickets'


    Toronto fans anxiously wait for news of Taylor Swift tickets


    ‘ONCE IN A LIFETIME’

    Melissa Gunn cried four times during the process of getting Swift concert tickets for her and her 10-year-old daughter.

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    “I’m overwhelmed and there’s just sheer excitement for both me and Violet because she’s such a good kid. And she really deserves this,” the 44-year-old from Nova Scotia said.

    Gunn will be tucking away “fun money” from every paycheque between now and November 2024.

    “As soon as I can, I’m going to set some Google Alerts so I can track these flight prices, and then likely talk to some of my family and friends to see if I can stay (with them) for at least a portion of the trip,” she said.

    Hoping to surprise her daughter with a hotel in the vicinity of the concert venue, Gunn estimates the trip will cost the pair $5,000 including tickets, hotels and food.

    “If this trip was solely for me, I probably would question the price of all this. But because it’s like a once-in-a-lifetime big thing for my daughter in her preteen years, it doesn’t matter,” she said.

    Estimated total cost, including tickets, accommodations and transportation: $2,500 per person.

    &copy 2023 The Canadian Press

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  • How much Taylor Swift mania can we take? Just wait — there’s still a long way to go – National | Globalnews.ca

    How much Taylor Swift mania can we take? Just wait — there’s still a long way to go – National | Globalnews.ca

    Every generation or so, a major artist enters what’s called their imperial phase, a period of their career where they can’t seem to do anything wrong. Everything aligns perfectly and it seems that the universe now revolves around that act. Right now that artist is Taylor Swift.

    This kind of mania is not entirely new. We saw similar imperial phases with The Rolling Stones (1972, 1980, 1989), Led Zeppelin (1971-75), Elton John (1971-1975), Michael Jackson (1983-1992), Madonna (1986-1992), U2 (1987-1992 and also perhaps during the 360 Tour of 2009-11), and both Backstreet Boys and NSYNC (1996-2001). Billy Joel remarked, “The only thing I can compare it to is the phenomenon of Beatlemania [in the 60s].”

    The reasons for Swift’s turn at the very top of pop culture are complex. She’s a top-flight songwriter and performer. As the defacto CEO of her empire, she’s been brilliant, carefully crafting and protecting her image, overseeing all the marketing, planning the Eras Tour, and making some savvy business decisions when it comes to issuing new music, charitable initiatives, and dropping just the right amount of benevolence at exactly the right time. Taylor has set all kinds of chart records with her albums (more Number One albums in the Billboard Top 200 than any other woman, someone who’s had four albums in the Top 10 at the same time, etc.) It’s estimated that the nightly box office on this tour is as much as US$14 million.

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    According to the New York Times, the overall economic benefits to North America will be about US$4.6 billion: tickets, merch, airfare, hotel, parking, restaurants, drinks, even nail salons for fans who want to look sharp for the show. That’s about the same economic impact as the Olympic Games had on Beijing in 2008.

    It all makes for great media coverage that encompasses everything from woman power to the spin-off economic benefits being generated by this tour (hotels for Toronto are pretty much already sold out for her visit in November 2024). Here’s a quote from Dan Eastwood of online research company QuestionPro: “If Taylor Swift were an economy, she’d be bigger than 50 countries; if she was a corporation, her Net Promoter Score would make her the fourth most admired brand, and her loyalty numbers mimic those of subjects to a royal crown.”

    So yeah, she’s big. And popular. And powerful. But let’s break this down a bit.

    The current Tay-Tay mania can be partly attributed to the lack of a centre in popular culture. The internet has fractured everything, meaning that there’s very little we all know about and agree upon — at least compared to the old days. In the absence of any true competition, an event like Taylor Swift creates a gravity well on the order of a supermassive black hole, sucking everything in and demanding more and more attention. It’s like the Barbie movie: a global cultural juggernaut but less pink.

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    And because everyone seems to be talking about Taylor, fear of missing out becomes a real thing. Even casual fans- — and even non-fans — are caught up in the confusing excitement. “What’s going on here? What am I missing? Everyone else is getting involved, so shouldn’t I?” No one wants to be left out, hence the ever-growing interest and coverage. It’s like a hurricane caught over some freakishly hot Atlantic water. It just keeps getting bigger and bigger, obliterating everything in its path.

    Which brings me to this: Have you noticed how there’s been very little negative coverage of the Eras Tour? Yes, there have been stories about convoluted Ticketmaster ticket-purchasing procedures, servers melting down, fans who were sold “obstructed view/listen only” seats, hotels and parking lots charging usurious prices (it cost US$120 to park at a surface lot for the shows in Seattle), and minor logistical hiccups, but have you seen anyone anywhere in the media criticize Tay-Tay? Why not?

    Easy. No one wants to incur the wrath of Swifties, Taylor’s formidable and intensely loyal and often combative fanbase. Only the BTS Army and Beyoncé’s BeyHive come close in strength and numbers. And woe be to those who mess with Taylor because that brings millions of Swifties to the battlefield. Even the New York Times took note of this.

    If you’re publicly identified as an Enemy of Taylor — or even someone who just doesn’t pay Swift the proper respect — prepare for a social media attack of nuclear proportions up to and including doxing and death threats. One writer critical of the Eras Tour was sent anti-gay slurs and a campaign was launched to have that person fired from their job as a reporter. And has Taylor said anything about this stan behaviour? No. Yet there’s been little note made of that in the media. With no one saying anything bad — even if it may be deserved — it’s nothing but sunshine and chocolates and dancing unicorns.

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    Swift has also been able to both dodge criticism and go on the offensive when she’s felt wronged — very successfully, too. That includes everything from the issues surrounding the master tapes of her original albums to writing songs about bad real-life boyfriends. There are at least 31 of those. Nothing is ever her fault it seems. Her fans will back her up on that, too.

    Look, the Eras Tour is definitely special, the likes of which we won’t see for a long, long time. It delivers great value for fans: three hours, over 40 songs, and a ton of high-end production.

    By the time the 146 shows wrap up late next year — five continents, all stadium gigs, by the way; no mere arenas for Taylor — the total gross is projected to be beyond US$1.4 billion, eclipsing Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour. That brought in US$939 million during its 328-show run that extended from the fall of 2018 to this past summer. The average box office gross was a mere US$2.85 million. When the lights finally go out after the sixth Rogers Centre show in Toronto in November 2024, the Eras Tour will likely have been seen by more than nine million people. That’ll handily beat Ed Sheeran’s Divide Tour, which played in front of 8.7 million people. But it took two years and 255 shows to accomplish that.

    Barring any illness, scandal, extinction-level asteroid strike, or mass coronal ejection that will wipe out the world’s electrical infrastructure, Taylor mania is going to be with us for at least another year. And if you’re in Toronto and you’re not going to any of the shows, I’d make plans to get out between Nov. 14 and Nov. 23, 2024. It’s going to be impossible.

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    Meanwhile, everyone will continue to want a piece of Tay-Tay. To commemorate the end of the U.S. leg of the tour, Starbucks created a 122-track playlist called “Starbucks Lovers” (note the reference to some misheard lyrics in the song Blank Space) that’s running in stores across the U.S.

    If that’s not enough, there are Swift-inspired coffee drinks that will probably push back the return of pumpkin spice latte by a few weeks. That won’t sit well with some people. They’d just better not complain because, you know, Swifties.

    &copy 2023 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

    Alan Cross

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  • Trudeau tweets at Taylor Swift over Eras tour snub: ‘Cruel summer’ – National | Globalnews.ca

    Trudeau tweets at Taylor Swift over Eras tour snub: ‘Cruel summer’ – National | Globalnews.ca

    Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has joined a growing chorus of Canadians who want Taylor Swift to bring her Eras tour to Canada.

    On Wednesday, the U.S. superstar added 14 shows in the United Kingdom and Europe next summer, announcing the new dates on her Twitter account.

    “Really can’t contain my excitement because… we’re adding 14 new shows to The Eras Tour,” Swift tweeted.

    Trudeau replied to her announcement with a message referencing a few of Swift’s songs, including Cruel Summer.

    “It’s me, hi. I know places in Canada would love to have you. So, don’t make it another cruel summer. We hope to see you soon.”

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    As of Thursday morning, Swift had not publicly replied to the Canadian leader.

    Why isn’t Taylor coming to Canada?

    The Eras tour, which began in the United States in March, will see Swift perform across the globe.

    So far, she is slated to take the stage in Mexico, Europe, Asia and Australia over the next year.

    No Canadian dates have been announced for her international leg and it’s not clear if more will be added.

    Trudeau’s Twitter request is not likely going to sway Swift, said Eric Alper, a music industry expert in Toronto, adding he suspects bypassing Canada was an “economic decision” by the multiple Grammy winner.

    “It’s nice to see when politicians end up in the pop culture realm, but it’s not going to do anything,” Alper said in an interview with Global News.

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    Canada’s huge landmass and its relatively smaller population makes it a “really tough country to tour”, he said.

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    Click to play video: 'Taylor Swift ticket chaos leads to US Justice department probe of Ticketmaster, Live Nation'


    Taylor Swift ticket chaos leads to US Justice department probe of Ticketmaster, Live Nation


    Compared to the U.S. and the U.K., Canada also does not have many large venues that can hold over 50,000 people, Alper said.

    “When you’re working in a country at 35 per cent less on the dollar, it doesn’t make sense just now to tour when Taylor Swift is just simply laser focused on playing to the most people that she possibly can in the shortest period of time, and also has her sights set on potentially music’s first billion-dollar tour.”

    Swift’s snub of Canada has made its way to the House of Commons, with Conservative MP Matt Jeneroux saying last month he would file an “official” grievance “on behalf of all Swifties” in the country.

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    “It has come to my attention that despite much anticipation, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour has neglected to include any Canadian dates or locations as she released her international dates, which includes stops throughout Asia and Europe,” Jeneroux wrote in a letter dated and signed on Wednesday, June 21.

    Neither Swift nor her management has addressed the decision to skip Canada. Swift last performed in Canada in 2018.

    The Eras tour is set to end at London’s Wembley Stadium on Aug. 17, 2024.

    — with files from The Canadian Press

    &copy 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

    Saba Aziz

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  • Edmonton MP to file ‘grievance’ about Taylor Swift tour’s lack of Canadian shows | Globalnews.ca

    Edmonton MP to file ‘grievance’ about Taylor Swift tour’s lack of Canadian shows | Globalnews.ca

    Edmonton MP Matt Jeneroux hopes Taylor Swift’s lack of Canadian stops on her Eras Tour is not about Bad Blood.

    In several posts on his social media accounts, the Conservative politician indicated he would follow Australia’s lead and file what he’s calling an “official grievance” with Parliament to encourage Taylor Swift to add some Canadian dates to The Eras Tour — if she has a Blank Space in her calendar, that is.

    “I filed an official letter of grievance,” Jeneroux said on Thursday. “I don’t actually know if that’s really a thing, but we got a message from one of my friends who said the Australian parliament is filing an official letter of grievance to have Taylor Swift reconsider to come to Adalaide.

    “I went and said: ‘Is this something we can do in Canada?’ and nobody seemed to know. So I thought let’s go and file an official letter of grievance and kind of see what happens.”

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    The letter reads:

    “It has come to my attention that despite much anticipation, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour has neglected to include any Canadian dates or locations as she released her international dates, which includes stops throughout Asia and Europe,” Jeneroux wrote in a letter dated and signed on Wednesday, June 21.

    “Similar to what’s being considered in Australia, I would like to file an official grievance within Parliament on behalf of all Swifties in Canada for her and her team to reconsider,” the letter continued.


    Click to play video: 'Taylor Swift ticket chaos leads to US Justice department probe of Ticketmaster, Live Nation'


    Taylor Swift ticket chaos leads to US Justice department probe of Ticketmaster, Live Nation


    “Not only is this leaving Canadian fans without the opportunity to see her tour, but it is also leaving Canada out of the economic opportunities her shows generate. It is estimated that these shows could generate $4.6 billion for local economies. Fans just don’t simply attend concerts, they spend money at local businesses including hotels, restaurants and shops.

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    “This motion is non-partisan in nature and requires swift action to address what I can only assume is a serious oversight,” the letter concludes.

    So far, Swift’s international tour dates don’t include any Canadian stops, but it’s not clear if more will be added.

    “Considering the fact that I’m not totally clear on what a letter of grievance really is, it’s pretty lighthearted in the way we’ve approached it,” Jeneroux said.

    “But I think often in politics, it’s meeting people, what they’re thinking about, what’s important to them, and I know a lot of people in our community and in my home too, this is top of mind.

    “My daughters have never paid more attention to my career than yesterday when I wrote the letter,” he added with a smile.

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    Concordia University economist Moshe Lander doubts Jeneroux’s economic impact estimates. Mega tours do have economic impacts on the cities they visit, but not to the extent Jeneroux forecasted, he said, unless it was for the entire tour.

    “I don’t think that that’s something he really costed out when he wanted to show his fake outrage,” Lander said.

    “I think that he’s maybe trying to justify why he’s taking that stance.

    “With a Taylor Swift concert, the economic benefit would be in the tourist dollars that it brings in. Her devoted followers will follow her around from one venue to another so you could find that of 20,000 people going to the concert, a portion of them would be coming from outside Edmonton.

    “When they’re coming into Edmonton, they’re filling up local hotels, local bars, they’re buying local merchandise — that does have an economic impact, but it’s not long-lasting. It’s essentially for the 48 hours before and after the concert and then it’s all over,” Lander explained.

    Jeneroux clarified the number he cited was a prediction of how much money would be generated in the U.S. economy by the tour.

    Lander said another factor to consider is the venues available.

    “She’s working 60,000-70,000 seat outdoor venues,” he said. “Canada doesn’t really have those type of outdoor venues and, if they do have it, there’s a limited amount of time where it’s a fun experience for the act and for the fans because the summer is so short here.”

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    Economically, choosing Edmonton as a stop on a tour might not make sense, he added. It requires flying or driving and moving a lot of equipment and crew across a border and Alberta is fairly isolated in terms of being close to other stops.

    “That’s a huge cost that has to be borne by the concert act, so I can certainly understand why Taylor Swift is saying: ‘Why go to Edmonton and fill out 18,000 seats when I could just do an extra night in San Francisco and get the same 18,000 seats without any of the transportation costs?’

    “She only has so many days, so if Edmonton is sitting there saying: ‘Hey what about us?’ OK, so who are you replacing?

    “You’ve got to be kidding me if you think… her managers are making that calculation, saying: ‘I think Edmonton is a good move. Why don’t you sacrifice SoCal for a night?’ It’s top to bottom economic nonsense, but it makes for good copy,” Lander said with a grin.


    Matt Jeneroux Instagram.

    Courtesy: Instagram/ Matt Jeneroux

     

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    The reaction to the letter has been bigger than Jeneroux imagined in his Wildest Dreams.

    “There’s been over 50 media requests across the country, internationally, that we’ve had… A whole bunch of people have reached out and said: ‘Boy, we’d like to help on your next campaign.’

    “Ultimately, this is something that resonates with people,” he said.

    And he just can’t Shake It Off.

    “People all across the country have reached out and want to talk about this letter of grievance,” Jeneroux said.

    “Our goal is to ensure that — there’s a segment of our population that is really passionate about this — that they’re heard.

    “There’s important work happening in Parliament but from the lighthearted side of things, it’s pretty fun to watch,” he added.

    “There’s a lot of anticipation for the concert dates that were released. I know, at least in our home with my daughters, we were very eager to see where she’d be playing and when there’s no Canadian dates, obviously some disappointment.

    “There’s still a lot of venues across Canada that would for sure welcome Taylor Swift and her crew with open arms.”

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    Emily Mertz

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  • The Expectation That Being a Fan of Something Creates An Automatic Bond With Another Person Or That There’s a “Right” Way to Be a Fan

    The Expectation That Being a Fan of Something Creates An Automatic Bond With Another Person Or That There’s a “Right” Way to Be a Fan

    There’s a series of scenes in the opening credits to Daria that present her in an array of different scenarios being stoic amid a sea of overly enthusiastic twits. That’s often how one can feel when they’re not someone who expresses “fandom” in the “correct” way among other “true” fans of a particular “star” (that word being so open to interpretation nowadays). For example, when a Daria type shows up to, say, a concert to enjoy music on their own terms while expected to act like some kind of uncaged monkey by others who view them as “not acting right,” the divide becomes clear. That is, the divide between a fanatic for the sake of honoring blind fanaticism and someone who can be a fan with a bit more objectivity.

    Having “objectivity,” of course, automatically brands the Daria breeds as “haters” for merely critiquing something with an analytical eye. Treating art (if that’s what celebrities actually want their work to be seen as) with the according level of criticism that should come with taking it in. But no, all of the sudden, calling things out in such a way not only gets one marked with the “hater” brand, but also invokes celebrities to goad, “If you don’t like me and still watch everything I do, bitch you’re a fan.” Never taking into account that someone can be a fan, while still not insisting that everything the celebrity does is spun gold. But that doesn’t “compute” for celebrities themselves or their fans. The ones deemed “true” for lapping up all their shit and assuring the creator that it tastes like coq au vin (to borrow a phrase from Succession’s Lukas Matsson) no matter what. In this era, more than ever, that’s what’s expected of a bona fide fan. Something that harkens back to the kind of ancient and Middle Ages “devotion” displayed by acolytes of various churches and their “founding fathers.”

    Fanaticism, needless to say, has existed in religious form for centuries, ultimately evolving into what we have now: celebrity fanaticism. The same tenets of religious zeal still apply, with the worshipper having no tolerance for contrary views to their reverent opinion of the (false) idol in question (there’s a reason religion has been the source of most wars, after all). A “satire” on that point was recently explored in the Janine Nabers and Donald Glover-created series, Swarm. A “sendup” of the Beyhive’s worshipful attitude toward their god, Beyoncé. Who gets rebranded as “Ni’Jah” (Nirine S. Brown). Among the diehard legion of fans that call themselves The Swarm (you get it—because bees/The Beyhive) is Andrea “Dre” Greene (Dominique Fishback). A fan so committed, she’ll kill anyone who says an unkind word about Ni’Jah, even if it’s just in the comments section—where humanity’s true nature can be found. Although intended to be a “parody” of the level of “vehemence” that fans have in the current landscape (especially those of “Queen” Bey), it’s really not that far-fetched to imagine a fan going to this sort of length to defend the “honor” of their beloved idol.

    The tracing back to this current fanatical tendency to “redoubl(e) your effort when you have forgotten your aim” (as philosopher George Santayana once put it) is inextricably linked with the dawn of the internet’s power. Where once someone like Pauline Kael could exist without being sent death threats or getting doxed, there is patently no place for someone with “highly opinionated and sharply focused” reviews within the context of this easily affronted century.

    Starting practically at the beginning of the new millennium, the evolution of fandom into something wherein fans were expected to make celebrities their gods incapable of doing any wrong, creatively or personally, was made apparent on a show like MTV’s FANatic. The premise being to have the purported “biggest fans” (as judged by their video submissions) meet their idol and interview them. Although the show only aired from 1998 to 2000, there were sixty-three episodes—all of which showcased the bizarre, often random fixation on a particular person (or group of people…e.g., the cast of Dawson’s Creek).  

    One of the show’s crowning episodes occurred in season five, with the appearance of Madonna/Rupert Everett. A lopsided duo, to be sure, but, at the time, they were promoting 2000’s The Next Best Thing together in any way they could. And, oddly enough, the Rupert fan, Ellen, came across as far more enthusiastic and knowledgeable about Everett’s career. But that’s the thing: there shouldn’t be any rule that someone has to act or be a certain way with regard to their fandom. Even if the Madonna fan, Miriam, was foolish enough to waste one of her questions for the pop star on asking her what she had for breakfast that morning (nothing, because a bitch can’t practice yoga on a full stomach). Or if she treated the whole thing more like job interview with language such as, “Thank you so much for this opportunity.” But with Miriam and Ellen’s politeness and articulateness (connoted by such first names as theirs), what stands out most about FANatic now is that to put people in such positions in the present would result in far less dignified behavior. For most have become so accustomed to the extreme parasocial relationships that have developed as a result of “social” media that it would be impossible to imagine most fans’ ability to treat a celebrity like a “regular” human being while in their midst.

    At one point during the show, Madonna remarks, “There’s a difference between true fans that respect your privacy and give you space and people that, you know, follow you everywhere.” Of course, both types of fans can fall in the center of that Venn diagram—many of which have aided in Madonna amassing her level of wealth (especially because of the fans that follow her everywhere when she tours, shelling out high amounts for the front row every time). But perhaps, at that moment, Madonna was still thinking of one of her most obsessive stalkers, Robert Dewey Hoskins, a man with a Dre in Swarm kind of appreciation for the pop star who scaled the wall of her Hollywood Hills home more than a few times throughout 1995 and 1996. It was clear he was of the erotomaniac/borderline-pathological sect of celebrity worship (like the Dre character).

    Eventually, Madonna was forced to face him in a courtroom, where she identified him as “the man who came to her estate and threatened to slice her throat ‘from ear to ear’ if she did not become his wife.” And yet, there are some who would see that level of “fervor” as genuine fandom. Which perhaps just goes to show that because there are so many shades and degrees of “commitment” and “ardor” within a fandom, “liking the same person” isn’t always grounds for forging a bond with other fans (indeed, it can actually be a way to alienate oneself from them). Particularly since some fans view themselves as “more deserving” than others and some fans are really just “haters” (ergo, comments from certain fans that say things like, “Honestly, this fanbase is so toxic it’s making me not even want to be a part of it anymore”—but of course they will continue to be). Fittingly, Madonna herself pointed out this type of phenomenon within the framework of being a celebrity, stating of meeting other famous people in Truth or Dare, “I’ve always found it a little weird that celebrities assume a friendship with you just because [voice changes to sarcastic mode] you’re a celebrity too!”

    The varying tones and timbres of fandom over the past several decades even prompted an official scholastic field for it to be established in the early 90s: fan studies. Not merely studies of various fandoms’ behavior and sense of religious ecstasy over their version of “Jesus,” but also “fanworks,” which are usually centered around art, fiction and “remix culture” in general. This form of “fan labor” (unpaid, more often than not) presents a so-called “higher” tier of fandom that proves a particular breed of fan’s “superiority” over others. In this and many other regards, it’s no wonder those of the Daria ilk, who show up to events or online spaces with an utterly blasé, “what the fuck are you so excited about?” attitude, would “prefer not to” engage or participate at all, lest they be tarred and feathered for not “properly” conveying their appreciation.

    Genna Rivieccio

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