A columnist has caused a stir for an op-ed she wrote describing Taylor Swift as “the sound of whiteness” who gives her fans a free pass to “not feel guilty or ashamed about white privilege.”
In the extraordinary article written for the Saturday Paper at the weekend, Zambian-born Australian journalist Santilla Chingaipe criticized the Taylor Swift mania in the country after the pop star embarked on a seven-date tour of Sydney and Melbourne .
Chingaipe said the country’s fervor for Swift – including children exchanging friendship bracelets – was not surprising, given that her music seemingly “confirms the whiteness” of a country that “fails to confront its own anxieties about race, class and gender”.
He also criticized Swift for not singing about political issues such as the “climate emergency,” “racial injustice,” and “raging conflicts,” in what was presumably a reference to the war between Israel and Hamas.
With almost 600,000 Australians having seen, or planning to see, Swift live in concert on this tour, Ms Chingaipe’s comment sparked anger on social media, with one commenter scolding her saying “it’s okay to enjoy things” .
“This is strangely bitter, not critical,” said another, while a third added: “You have no idea how composition works, why people do it, how they do it and how terrible it can be to force political/social issues by force”. writing if it is not in the muse.’
A columnist is facing growing backlash over an op-ed she wrote in which she described Taylor Swift as “the sound of whiteness.” Above, Swift performs at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
In the extraordinary column, Zambian-born Australian journalist Santilla Chingaipe criticized the Taylormania that has gripped the nation.
In the controversial article, Chingaipe wrote: “In Swift’s world, you don’t have to feel guilty or ashamed about white privilege — you accept it.”
‘In fact, Swift allows you to buy this world and many are willing to go into debt to experience it. She is the sound of whiteness.
‘He makes music that confirms whiteness for an audience large enough to feel reassured by their whiteness.
‘This may not be their intention, but it is certainly part of their appeal, especially in Australia.
“During his first show in Melbourne, he told the audience that ‘songwriting was something that really got me through my life.’
‘This may be true, but why then, after more than three decades on this planet, doesn’t she write about things the rest of us 30-year-old women are dealing with: the climate emergency, repeated failure of our political leaders, the racial injustice, the furious conflicts?
Swift has a history of encouraging Americans to vote during elections and endorsed Democratic candidate Joe Biden ahead of the 2020 presidential election.
She also spoke about her decision to break her silence on politics during her 2020 Miss Americana documentary, after she was falsely portrayed as a silent conservative.
Ms. Chingaipe expressed her distaste for the streets littered with ‘cowboy boots and sequins’ and the friendship bracelets that children make and exchange with each other.
The comment has led the public to question whether a male celebrity would receive the same scrutiny.
His decision to speak out at the time was vehemently opposed by members of his team, who were concerned for his personal safety given the long history of problems he has had with stalkers during his 18 years in the spotlight.
Ms Chingaipe and her column editors have also been questioned about their priorities in the wake of the controversial article.
“You’ll hold a literal pop star accountable to real politicians,” noted one reader.
“As a subscriber, this is a terrible story that should not have made it to the newspaper.”
Another person noted that Swift had donated $100,000 to food banks in every city she visited during her world tour, and had generated huge profits along the way.
The star has yet to comment on the 2024 presidential election, which will likely be a rematch between Trump and Biden, but Swift has been the subject of a false conspiracy theory that she would endorse Biden in the Superbowl after the Kansas City wins Travis Kelce’s Chiefs.
Swift has won four Grammy Awards for Album of the Year, has the most awarded country music album of all time, and is recognized worldwide for her contributions to pop music.
Regardless, Chingaipe has based her entire op-ed on the premise that Swift “exists in an apolitical world that refuses to engage with the social and political issues around her.”
“If she does, the focus will be squarely on the men who wronged her, whether romantically or professionally,” he said.
‘A self-proclaimed feminist, Swift made her mark by digging into her inner life as a slim, pretty blonde-haired teenager who played guitar and could sing. Despite having moved from her teens to her 30s, Swift’s art remains stuck in this permanent state of aspirational childhood, helped by the fact that she has no children, and it is this seemingly innocent and wholesome world that many are drawn to. .
Swift has won four Grammy Awards for Album of the Year, has the most awarded country music album of all time, and is recognized worldwide for her contributions to pop music.
She also released two indie folk albums later in her career and is known for moving between ‘era’s’ to change her sound as she grows.
Daily Mail Australia sought comment from Ms Chingaipe and the Saturday Paper about the reaction.