The Taylor Swift Movement

 

Women have been relentless in their fight for gender equality since the Seneca Falls 

 

Convention led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton in 1848. Another thing that has been just as relentless 

 

is the negative connotation associated with the word “feminism”. According to French feminist 

 

writer Hélène Cixous, women must create their own language in order to redirect the patriarchal 

 

power structure and become more confident with who they are. Whether she means a literal new 

 

language or a metaphorical language is up for discussion, but there are certain feminists in 

 

today’s society that are bringing using their language to educate people all over the world about 

 

gender inequality.

 

Over the past few years the media has slowly started focusing its attention on the 

 

importance of the recent feminist movement. In August 2014, Taylor Swift said that she has been 

 

a feminist her entire life without exactly knowing what the term feminist actually meant. She 

 

states, “As a teenager, I didn’t understand that saying you’re a feminist is just saying that you 

 

hope women and men will have equal rights and equal opportunities. What it seemed to me, the 

 

way it was phrased in culture, society, was that you hate men. And now, I think a lot of girls 

 

have had a feminist awakening because they understand what the word means.” 

 

It goes without saying that T Swift is one of the most appreciated pop singers of our time 

 

and her voice is literally changing the opinions of millions of people around the globe. 

 

Remember when Katy Perry tried to do the same thing? No? Exactly. She tried, but Taylor 

 

somehow has so much more of an impact. Even Time Magazine has acknowledged her 

 

importance as they put her on the cover of their November 2014 issue. What’s so intriguing 

 

about this cover is that Taylor is portrayed in such a traditionally “masculine” viewpoint. Her 

 

headshot is extremely close with her eyes peering at the audience. This is a power stance. The 

 

cover basically says, “This is Taylor Swift and she is going to sing and dance this world right 

 

into place.” 

 

By this point, many of you might be thinking, “Really? She always sings about her 

 

breakups and she’s always jumping from guy to guy, etc. blah blah,” but the answer is yes! If 

 

you haven’t listened to her newest album 1989 then I highly suggest you stop reading this article 

 

and immediately browse YouTube. Although she does sing about her relationships, her newest 

 

album specifically is about embracing her sexuality and her femininity. 

 

She truly is a role model and one of the few female celebrities that have been successful 

 

in stating her feminist ideals. So let’s celebrate by giving her a round of applause! 

 

So how does this relate to students at Baldwin? This campus is known for its devotion to 

 

making women more confident in being who they are. They don’t call us Boldly Baldwin women 

 

for nothing. Does that make us all feminists? I suppose not. But a common pattern that can be 

 

observed in even the youngest Baldwin student is her passion for justice and equality. So stay 

 

strong and listen to Taylor Swift!