Taylor Swift & The Distorted Mirror
Luvvy Ajai Jones wrote the penultimate post about Taylor Swift’s weaponizing white femininity, and the reaction was…well swift.
Jones said she lost 4,000 followers within 24 hours of her post.
“While I, as a white woman, didn’t unfollow you, it hurt a little,” one of Jones’ followers said. “Taylor’s words and songs have meant so much to me personally. They have healed deep parts of me and brought me joy.”
Jones compassionately challenged the commenter by asking why she chose to take comments about Swift personally. Anyone who follows Jones knows she is no-holds-barred when it comes to addressing racism in the United States. Sometimes, the readers’ comments are funnier than the original post.
However, Jones’ comedic truth-telling came to a screeching halt for some fans when she “dared” to turn her gaze on Swift. The 4,000 unfollows, and the reader’s comments underscore Jones’ contention that white fragility is still thriving. Everyone wants to sip the tea until it scalds them.
As Jones replied to the commenter, you have to ask yourself why a celebrity has become a stand-in for your life experience.
I’ll take it further and ask, “What mirror are you looking at and why?”
Despite complaining about “the patriarchy,” white women get to have opinions about all kinds of things and expect society to affirm those opinions.
For example, they get to denigrate BIPOC women like Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, and Lizzo for expressing their sexuality as part of their shows, and we’re supposed to take it and shut up.
White women get to gnash their teeth and rage about the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Yet many of the same women refused to take meaningful actions (i.e., voting) to ensure the U.S. Supreme Court never overturned it in the first place. Also, voting for Hillary Clinton in 2016 doesn’t count. I mean…look at the orange alternative. No sacrifice was made on that score.
Also, also remember the damn pussy hats?
As I said to a British male friend who supported the pussy hat movement, “I don’t know how much experience you’ve had, but not all pussies are pink.”
And that’s the point, however crudely I expressed it.
Taylor Swift doesn’t represent all girlhood. Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie don’t represent every woman who has ever been passed over for a promotion or award. (FYI — They still received Oscar nominations this year. Check tomorrow’s Substack post for more information.)
A critique of the “Disney Princess treatment” of Taylor Swift, as Jones wrote, isn’t an “attack” on all white women. However, it is important to challenge the perceived value of white femininity and the willingness of some women to cling to it at any cost — even their own humanity.
But the patriarchy. Right?
PSA -- "Water in My Bones" is not a democracy. We can respectfully disagree without being disagreeable. I will delete and block readers who cross the line. No one has time for that. I'm okay with losing subscribers and likes.
Your words had me shaking with joy and validation. There is a difference between the recent knee-jerk misogyny of some critics of Swift, and the very valid, well-backed and important criticism of the "idealised whiteness" that Swift embodies and champions. And those goddamn pussy hats. I made the same comment to a white man back then and he genuinely looked at me like I was insane. Also, not all women have pussies. Not all people with pussies are women. It was just the most perfect expression of myopic cis white feminism. Anyhow, thanks for these words.