Thanks, Michael.
This: "The thing I'm criticizing is this reaction to her music, right now, that seems to be a referendum on her intent or motives. WE DON'T KNOW HER INTENT OR MOTIVES. But historically, we can see a pattern that SUGGESTS a consistent artistic identity, and suddenly, people are forgetting about all that and acting like she's always been something else."
certainly was what I initially read the article as, and, in many ways, wanted it to be. It's good to have that clarification.
I guess I would just add that the shift here to the second half of the piece can feel like it forgets the context of Swift only being in this predicament cause she's a woman.
Good piece, though! Would read again. A+
Wait, maybe let me clarify:
It seems like, by the end, you're calling out Taylor as some calculating, disingenuous figure, but that seems to be doing the thing you're criticizing at the beginning. Relying on understanding the work only in relation to Taylor's persona, imagined or not.
I really like where this post starts, and its points seem well articulated. But it seems to me like by the end - the 22 reading seems more speculative than analytical - the article performs its own parlor trick of being like "I wanna stress to you here how truly goddamn aware she is."
22's self-reflexiveness doesn't seem disingenuous to me - irony and self-awareness are the hallmarks of born-in-1989 early adulthood. Speculating that she is "all too aware" seems to reify the idea of Taylor being held to some standard her (male?) peers would not be.
I want to remain open on this, Mr. Nelson. Help me out - what am I missing?
I appreciate that Stereogum can recirculate what is a pretty spot-on analysis.
But I saw that retweet from Chris DeVille that kind of seemed to do what Cosentino is critiquing - taking advantage of some earnest female fan who misspelled a word - in a wink wink laugh that implied certain kinds of fandom (esp. teen girls) are less legitimate than others (white dudes). There's a more articulate critique in there, but I just don't know if you can have it both ways.
whoa whoa whoa. I can see ending it if the guy liked Logan, but early Dean wasn't so bad! Remember when he came to Rory's dance and was like, "Because I'd kill you, Tristan!"
Early Dean > Late Dean
Late Jess > Everyone
When I kept hearing people I didn't otherwise think were into comics announcing how they had gone to see it - "of course!" - I was taken aback. I was never a fan of the superhero groups (aside from X-Men, but I mean like Justice League, etc.), but esp. not the Avengers. Iron Man? Bob Downey Jr.? Not sure I get it either.
am i missing out on something? every week on community i think jeff is such a jerk - an old school LOGAN style jerk, KELLY - and the show still seems to act like he's charming. he stood up to make a speech like 8 times this episode, and each time i was like, sit down jeff. YOU are the worst.
I certainly agree with where you start, Jeb.
But I think one of the thing that resonates here is that this may not just be a selfish kind of comment. In fact, someone "like" Hugh Grant probably has plenty of resources that s/he isn't really raising their kid the same way as most parents, anyway.
By which I mean, remember that post long ago about Gwyneth's "a day in my busy life," full of BS like "All my kids were fed, dressed, and ready to go out the door to school in 30 minutes? That's ridiculous - that's not possible without some aid, and it's in the least disrespectful and at the most absolutely lying to ignore the invisible labor of the nannies, etc., who are really raising these people's kids.
But I also think someone using their kid (or a fictitious dress-up of their kid) as entertainment fodder for the public - even if that pays the bills - is sketchy as well.
haha i am desperately trying to finish a diss chapter so that i can justify reading the books i listed above. my reward for finishing reading lots of books and writing? more reading?
hoping to read kathryn erskine's mockingbird, curtis sittenfeld's prep, maybe the stieg books, hugo cabret? hoping to watch an episode of pete and pete? any other recommendations?
i haven't logged in in months, but i wanted to say i appreciated this comment. tbh, i'm kind of surprised that the v for vgum community is generally skeptical of OWS, and skeptical of people criticizing capitalism.
also, alec baldwin's predictable love of capitalism...? (b/c, like steve jobs, we all have a fair shot at makin it big! what?)
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