celeb news Vox: How Britney Spears explains Taylor Swift

[skysailing]

Link: https://www.vox.com/culture/24063552/taylor-swift-britney-spears-control-fame-reputation

 

Takeaway:

• Taylor Swift is at the center of various conspiracy theories and controversies, facing accusations from deep-fake porn to being a deep state psyop.
• Swift won Album of the Year at the Grammys four times, announcing her next album during the ceremony, highlighting her current prominence in the music industry.
• Her Eras tour is breaking records globally, and a filmed concert became the highest-grossing concert film ever.
• Taylor Swift's relationship with Travis Kelce is highly publicized, dominating pop culture discussions.
• AI-generated porn featuring Swift has circulated online, indicating the negative side of her fame.
• Some conservatives theorize Swift's popularity is a government strategy to influence political endorsements.
• Taylor Swift is known for her control over her image and career, contrasting with the industry's stereotype of female pop stars.
• Swift's control is seen as threatening by some, leading to the creation of wild theories about her.
• Britney Spears represents the opposite situation, having been perceived as out of control, which led to public scrutiny and personal struggles.
• Spears' and Swift's careers offer a study in the extremes of control and lack thereof, reflecting societal views on female agency in the entertainment industry.
• Taylor Swift has actively learned from the downfalls of other pop stars, including Britney Spears, to maintain control over her career.
• Swift's early image was carefully crafted to avoid the pitfalls that affected Spears, focusing on being seen as a good role model.
• Despite Swift's control, she faced backlash, accused of ****-shaming and being a bad feminist, highlighting the impossible standards set for female celebrities.
• The narrative around Swift evolved over time, with accusations of media manipulation and dishonesty becoming prevalent.
• The backlash Swift faced in 2016 led to her withdrawing from public view, a move reflecting her desire to regain control over her image.
• Swift's return to the top of the music industry underscores the ongoing challenge women face in being accepted as autonomous and powerful figures.
• The article suggests that societal paranoia demands that Swift's autonomy be undermined, either by portraying her as a government tool or discrediting her achievements.
• The contrast between Spears' and Swift's handling of fame illustrates the changing expectations and challenges for female pop stars over the years.
• The ongoing punishment Swift faces, despite her success, reflects broader societal discomfort with powerful women.
• The narrative around Swift and Spears emphasizes the lesson that there is no right way to be a woman in the public eye, highlighting the enduring struggle for acceptance and autonomy.

 

Questions:

• How does the contrasting public perception of control in the careers of Taylor Swift and Britney Spears reflect societal attitudes towards female autonomy in the entertainment industry?
• In what ways does the backlash Taylor Swift faces for being "too in control" mirror or differ from the scrutiny Britney Spears faced for being perceived as "out of control"?
• What role does the media play in shaping and perpetuating the narratives around female pop stars' control over their careers and personal lives?
• How do incidents of AI-generated content, like the deep-fake porn of Taylor Swift, impact public discourse around consent and the digital exploitation of celebrities?
• Considering the accusations of Taylor Swift being a deep state psyop, what does this conspiracy theory reveal about the intersection of politics and celebrity culture?
• How has Taylor Swift's strategy of learning from the downfalls of other pop stars, including Britney Spears, influenced her approach to fame and control over her image?
• In what ways does the public's fascination with Taylor Swift's personal life and relationships, such as her romance with Travis Kelce, contribute to the narrative of her being "too in control"?
• Reflecting on the evolution of Taylor Swift's public persona from a "good girl" to being accused of media manipulation, how do societal expectations of female purity and authenticity play into these perceptions?
• How does the public reaction to Britney Spears' struggles and subsequent conservatorship highlight the double standards applied to male and female celebrities facing personal crises?
• Considering the conclusion that there is "no right way to be a woman" in the public eye, what changes need to occur in society's treatment of female celebrities to allow for a more nuanced understanding of autonomy and vulnerability?

[fa77ot]

[Klein]

3 minutes ago, fa77ot said:

Your loss because it's actually a very compelling parallel drawn between the career of Britney and Taylor showing that no matter what a woman does or not, it'll never be the right thing for the public and media. 

[Rep2000]

Now this is thought-provoking writing that worth clicking on!

[LOTF]

Stopped reading at

Quote

The ongoing punishment Swift faces

Like please 

[holyground13]

57 minutes ago, skysailing said:

In what ways does the backlash Taylor Swift faces for being "too in control" mirror or differ from the scrutiny Britney Spears faced for being perceived as "out of control"?

I haven't read the article yet but I read this summary and I find it really interesting and it could be an idea to add other female musicians to the mix to analyze this concept even more.

 

(Too?) in control:

Madonna, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé

 

Out of control?:

Janet (following Superbowl backlash)

[40000000000000]

3 minutes ago, LOTF said:

Stopped reading at

Like please 

this + "her 2016 backlash!!"

 

she released a song at the end of 2016 and it shot up to #1. i'm giving an example from december 2016 so nobody can say "that was before the backash started" what backlash? this narrative i just keep seeing but cannot make anything out of. one day she got up and chose to be a victim and suddenly everybody went with it.

[Klein]

5 minutes ago, 40000000000000 said:

this + "her 2016 backlash!!"

 

she released a song at the end of 2016 and it shot up to #1. i'm giving an example from december 2016 so nobody can say "that was before the backash started" what backlash? this narrative i just keep seeing but cannot make anything out of. one day she got up and chose to be a victim and suddenly everybody went with it.

Ugh? While I agree that the backlash didn't really affect her career, acting like she wasn't the #1 enemy after snake gate is just plain wrong and revisionist history. 

 

Also it's Taylor Swift, of course her songs are going to shoot up to #1. 

[burninredhot]

12 minutes ago, 40000000000000 said:

this + "her 2016 backlash!!"

 

she released a song at the end of 2016 and it shot up to #1. i'm giving an example from december 2016 so nobody can say "that was before the backash started" what backlash? this narrative i just keep seeing but cannot make anything out of. one day she got up and chose to be a victim and suddenly everybody went with it.

So according to you the backlash/hate she faces can't be real unless her career is completely ruined by it? 

[kataraqueen]

53 minutes ago, Klein said:

Your loss because it's actually a very compelling parallel drawn between the career of Britney and Taylor showing that no matter what a woman does or not, it'll never be the right thing for the public and media. 

I say this all the time irl about Taylor and swifties: at the end of the day I am so glad Taylor came up in an era where her dedicated fanbase has a platform to show their support and defend her from relentless misogyny and baseless hatred 

[MattieB]

2 hours ago, Klein said:

Your loss because it's actually a very compelling parallel drawn between the career of Britney and Taylor showing that no matter what a woman does or not, it'll never be the right thing for the public and media. 

yeah except britney isnt a cold, conniving and calculating white woman

 

also britney experienced a level of fame no other female popstar have been able to measure up to

[Klein]

13 minutes ago, MattieB said:

yeah except britney isnt a cold, conniving and calculating white woman

 

also britney experienced a level of fame no other female popstar have been able to measure up to

Completely proving the article is right, and/or, "Tell me you haven't read anything without telling me you haven't read anything". 

 

Anyway, based on your post history you don't seem like the type of person that is interested in intelligent conversations so have a good day. 

[40000000000000]

5 hours ago, Klein said:

Ugh? While I agree that the backlash didn't really affect her career, acting like she wasn't the #1 enemy after snake gate is just plain wrong and revisionist history. 

 

Also it's Taylor Swift, of course her songs are going to shoot up to #1. 

her songs shooting up to #1 and twitter working overtime to delete tweets with snake emojis show you that she definitely wasn't "enemy #1". be for real. there was controversy involving her name. that doesn't mean there were people trying to make her fall. if anything, her celebrity increased after the kanye controversy (not backlash).

[YourHonesty]

OP were you around for Britney's peak? It was nothing like any backlash Taylor has experienced - one has Twitter trolls and fringe conspiracy theorists, the other had wives of governors freely saying they wanted to shoot her with no fear of repercussions.

 

I think Taylor's narrative around control is definitely a reaction to how Britney was treated, but I think they're both products of different times, different attitudes toward women, and different vehicles for constructing narratives in the first place. The two def share an interesting dichotomy but I'd focus it more on the topic of relatability than this concept that they both faced comparable backlash due to their perceived level of control.

[Shelter]

6 hours ago, 40000000000000 said:

this + "her 2016 backlash!!"

 

she released a song at the end of 2016 and it shot up to #1. i'm giving an example from december 2016 so nobody can say "that was before the backash started" what backlash? this narrative i just keep seeing but cannot make anything out of. one day she got up and chose to be a victim and suddenly everybody went with it.

I agree. 

[bliaz]

Britney, sweetie 

[Jooj]

Nothing is gonna convince me Taylor Swift, a 4x AOTY winner billionaire, is a victim of anything.

 

Any parallel set between her and Britney is dishonest by nature 

[Soda Pop Queen]

lol I think it's so sad that Britney can't even retire in peace without someone using her name. I came in here thinking that she went on some IG rant about Taylor or something and it's some article trying to draw parallels between their perceived levels of "control" when they aren't even peers and didn't even peak in the same era of celebrity.