A Rant...

 Don't say I didn't warn you!

If you couldn't tell by my blog title and the quote under my profile picture, I am a pretty big fan of Taylor Swift. Yes, that is right...I am 23 years old and I love Taylor Swift. And I am not afraid to admit it! Her songs just get me, and I feel like if I ever met her, we would totally hit it off and be super best friends. Forever.

You might remember that this past March my husband got me tickets and I had the opportunity to see her perform live in Detroit, and it was absolutely amazing!! For a quick trip down memory lane, let's go back to these two blog posts:

Love, Love, Love

Weekend Update

 

Today on the Today Show, Taylor Swift did an outdoor concert to promote her new album, Speak Now, which is out in stores today. (Yay!!)

'These songs are made up of words I didn't say when the moment was right in front of me. These songs are open letters. Each is written with a specific person in mind, telling them what I meant to tell them in person. To the beautiful boy whose heart I broke in December. To my first love who I never thought would be my first heartbreak. To my band. To a mean man I used to be afraid of. To someone who made my world very dark for a while. To a girl who stole something of mine. To someone I forgive for what he said in front of the whole world.'  

 Read more about Taylor in her own words here.

I thought it was a pretty good performance. Not her best, but what do you expect from someone who is on tour, promoting an album, and cramming as many extra events (such as the Today Show) as she can into her already jam-packed schedule? She's probably tired, vocally and physically. Plus she was outdoors, and outdoor performances always sound different (and not as good) as indoor, where all the equipment is meant to be used.

Anyways. I am a 'fan' of the Today Show on Facebook, and went to their page to look at the photos from Taylor's performance and see what people said about her. Well, they were downright mean!!

A few examples (and I just copied and pasted these, so you can see how unintelligent these people truly are with their spelling and grammar errors!!): 

"She sounds awful on the awards shows..her voice is much better after they have tweekd it at the studiio for her cd but even then it sounds like she is out of breath and very nasal sounding."

"Her "singing" leaves a lot to be desired! This is the second time I have seen her sing live.....pitcy, flat and no real technique! I KNOW SHE IS YOUNG BUT SHE WOULDN'T MAKE IT THROUGH AMERICAN iDOL SOUNDING LIKE THAT!"

" She wouldn't be so bad IF SHE HAD SOME TALENT!!!!!!!!! She has a HORRIBLE voice.........." 

"She sings so badly live that she would lose a kareoke contest with her own songs!"

And there were a few nice ones:

 "Stephanie Abts If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all..." Oh, look...that was me!! Haha :)

And my personal favorite...."Gee, sorry she's not a nut case like Katy Perry or "Lady" GAG GAG"

  

There were a lot more rude comments (and some nice ones), but you get the idea. Basically I think people are confused by her. Confused that she's not on drugs, or into underage drinking, or flashing her lady parts in public. She's never been arrested or sent to rehab, and she's never been married (and subsequently divorced soon after). So how can a wholesome girl like Taylor be popular?

I am not saying she is perfect...I just think that maybe people shouldn't be so hard on someone who is doing such a good job at not only writing some pretty fantastic songs, but also being a good influence and example for young girls to look up to. Sure, she writes songs about boys who have done her wrong, but she doesn't swear, she doesn't threaten them, she really doesn't even bad mouth them...she simply sings about how she feels. And she is always fully clothed. Bonus.

Especially when you compare her to the other 'role models' girls have to look up to today, it is pretty hard to accept the fact that people prefer these girls over someone like Taylor.  It's no wonder so many girls grow up with such a poor self image. They basically show you that you need to be super skinny, super sexy, and sing provocative lyrics that really aren't appropriate for public radio. (Google any of the song titles in italics if you need more convincing...but I think the photos speak for themselves. Don't even get me started on their porn - I mean - music vidoes.)

Exhibit A: 

 Britney Spears

Hit Me Baby One More Time, Get Naked (I Got A Plan)

Exhibit B:

 Christina Aguilera
Lady Marmalade, What A Girl Wants, Genie in a Bottle

Exhibit C:

 Katy Perry
I Kissed a Girl, UR So Gay, If You Can Afford Me, Waking Up In Vegas

(Who was also too sexy for Sesame Street: read about it here.)

Exhibit D:

 Lady Gaga...who is in a league all her own when it comes to her 'style'.
Paparazzi, Poker Face, LoveGame

Exhibit E:

 And even the previously seemingly innocent Miley Cyrus...

The Climb

 ...has become not so innocent.

Obsessed, Talk is Cheap

And don't even get me started on the incident that happened at the 2009 Video Music Awards. If you forgot, or if you happened to never hear about it, watch it here.  I was appalled. But like a true lady, she bit her tongue and didn't snap back. The next day, on The View, she displayed even more class as she talked about that moment. Watch her interview here. I'm pretty sure if that happened to any of the girls pictured above, the outcome would not have been the same, in either situation.

 

So meet Taylor...A girl who loves sparkles and sundresses and the number 13. A girl whose best friend is her Mom, and who would rather be baking in her kitchen on a Friday night than out partying. A girl who started writing songs when she was 11 and is more down to earth than most 'celebrities', who at the end of the day, still can't beleive that this is all happening to her.

 ...and who's most revealing look is this black dress she wore to the Grammy Awards. 
Some of her songs include: Fearless, Tim McGraw, You Belong With Me, Mine, and The Best Day.

Watch this and tell me how you can't fall in love with her....

End Rant.