-by Ken Furie
"If you haven’t already, now is a great time to do your research on the issues at hand and the stances these candidates take on the topics that matter to you the most... I’ve done my research, and I’ve made my choice. Your research is all yours to do, and the choice is yours to make."
-Taylor Swift, in her Sept. 11 Instagram statement
"F*ck you, Taylor Swift!"
-Megyn Kelly, as (regrettably) heard in a f*cking YouTube clip
"I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!"
-Donald Trump (yes, in all caps, on his "Truth[!] Social" wackfest)
Taylor S. is taking heat, as I'm sure she knew she would, from the demented, delusional, and predatory world that is MAGA-Mania Hell, with its unwavering devotion to perversion and violence. I expect she gets, as the MAGA-maniacs don't, the likely redoubling effect this demonic, spitting-on-fact response will have with people— and not just her fans— whose brains haven't been pickled by the dementia.
At the outset I should say that Taylor S. doesn't have any role in my life. Or at least she didn't before now. Sure, I knew who she is and, more or less, what she does for a living, but that was about it. Naturallly I was aware of how large a role she plays in the lives of such a huge fan base. And I thought, and think, that's great for all concerned.
Of course the size and deep loyalty of that fan base is one reason I was happy to hear about her September 11 post-debate Instagram announcement. But that only begins to explain the enormous admiration the announcement inspired in me.
First, there was— as a number of commentators indeed noted— the timing.
Before speaking pubicly, Taylor S. waited till after the debate, 'til she could hear the two candidates make their cases in a public forum. This is wholly in keeping with the spirit of inquiring discovery she describes in the statement: "As a voter, I make sure to watch and read everything I can about [the candidates'] proposed policies and plans for this country."
More than anything, though, there's the statement itself, which I have a feeling a lot of people haven't actually read in full— all four lucid, deeply felt, gorgeously composed paragraphs, all the way through the now-famous signoff:
With love and hope,
Taylor Swift Childless Cat Lady
The statement isn't that long, and for me it's a treat to read. It really is beautifully written, without a wasted word. (Of course, the writer of the statement has spent a lifetime thinking about putting words together.) I'm tempted to say the statement is "an honor" to read. For me it abounds with no-trace-of-BS respect for her readers, giving me the feeling of being entrusted with deeply considered personal concerns.
What has struck me from first reading is that Taylor S. never says she's "endorsing" VP Harris. Although the statement is always referred to as an "endorsement" of Kamala H., and it certainly has that effect, I love that it never says that. What it says is that the writer, being "made aware" that a bogus AI representation "of ‘me’ falsely endorsing Donald Trump’s presidential run" posted to the Trump website, had concluded that "I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter," and "the simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth."
I don't know about you, but a stunt like the fake Trump endorsement would have made me hit the ceiling, not just with rage but with frustration, knowing how hard it is to counter even the most obvious, blatant lies posted on the Internet.
I wonder, by the way how "F*ck You" Megyn Kelly, who's so appalled by the idea of celebrities getting involved in politics, responded when she heard about or saw the pro-Trump fraud. It must surely have been: "How dare that bitch (shudder) singer endorse Trump?" Right? Celebrities sticking their noses in politics? We can't have that, can we? Well, maybe not. Even if "F*uck You" Megan wasn't personally involved in the fraud, she knows enough that she would surely have recognized instantly that a fraud is what it was. I imagine her response would have been something like: "Of course it's fake but I F*CKING LUV IT!!!"
I have a sneaking feeling that Taylor S.'s first response to the fraud was possibly even stronger than mine: stupendously pissed, as indeed she had every right to be. Yet what she tells us in the September 11 statement is that the fraud first heightened her existing concerns about AI, and then brought her to the "conclusion"...
that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter. The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth.
Of course "F*uck You" Megyn wouldn't know about this, because she can't be bothered to read what Taylor S. actually wrote. She seems to get her "information" from the MAGA-maniac voices screeching inside her head. A straightforward invocation of "the truth" would likely have driven into full-body convulsions.
Because one thing that unites the MAGA-maniacs, from their Oh-So-Fearful Leader on down, is the conviction that they're engaged in a war-to-the-death— and we take prisoners!— against even the tiniest public display of truth, morality, or human decency, things they seem to view the way vampires view light: as agents of their extermination.
I don't mean to short-change the message that Taylor S. shared about her personal decision regarding the election, which of course is the point:
I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election. I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them. I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos. I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of running mate @timwalz, who has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body for decades.
"F*ck You" Megan and the other MAGA-maniac media hacks don't have to deal with this because they can dismiss it as the how-dare-she? rantings of a "celebrity." As opposed to, say, "F*ck You" Megan," whom Wikipedia describes as "an American commentator and media personality," which is apparently fancyspeak for "screechingly hysterical ignoramus and serial liar."
I also don't want to neglect the important note Taylor S. added after telling us, "I’ve done my research, and I’ve made my choice. Your research is all yours to do, and the choice is yours to make."
I also want to say, especially to first time voters: Remember that in order to vote, you have to be registered! I also find it’s much easier to vote early. I’ll link where to register and find early voting dates and info in my story.
We've seen eye-popping numbers telling us the startling impact this note has already had. We've also seen the MAGA-Maniac-In-Chief declaring that he hates Taylor Swift. In my mind, she's stepped up and rendered an eloquent service to the hope for a return to a more decent America. Thanks, Taylor!
Ken Furie, EXCELLENT post! Write more.