Trigger Warning: Brief Mention of Sexual Assault & Eating Disorders
I’m probably one of the biggest Swifties at Penn State, if not the biggest. Taylor Swift has a very large and special place in my heart and has been a part of my life since I was eight years old. If you don’t believe me, then know I bought all 4 deluxe editions of “Lover” — even though they’re practically the same thing — just so I could have all of the copies of her journal entries, somehow convinced my parents to let me fly to Texas from New Jersey to see her only concert of 2016 for my sweet 16, and even named my puppy Taylor.
Swift just came out with a new documentary about her life called “Miss Americana.” Even if you’re not a fan of Taylor Swift, I would still strongly urge you to give “Miss Americana” a try. Taking Swift out of the equation, this documentary is a beautiful hour and 25 minute reminder that you can be a woman who loves glitter and shopping while also simultaneously feeling empowered to speak out for what you believe is right.
This didn’t click for me as a major message of the documentary until near the end when Swift said, “I want to love glitter and also stand up for the double standards that exist in our society. I want to wear pink and tell you how I feel about politics, and I don’t think that those things have to cancel each other out.”
This is something a lot of us forget sometimes, myself included.
Throughout the documentary, Taylor talks about how throughout her career, she felt an immense amount of pressure to please everyone, do the right thing, and just be good. One of the most heartbreaking moments in the documentary exemplifying this was the moment Swift finds out “Reputation” has not been nominated at the 2018 Grammys.
Taylor’s demeanor shifts from excitement and anticipation to heartbreak as she says, “This is fine. I just need to make a better record.”
This somewhat self-inflicted pressure built during her career, which shifted into Taylor working harder on her music. I really appreciated this instance of self-reflection, because at times, I think I can act very similarly — working to the point of exhaustion after recovering from times of failure. I really relate to this feeling of turning to your work ethic to get you through things. Success can be defined in so many different ways, and it was somewhat refreshing to see someone I admire so much go through those same feelings of self-conflict when you don’t meet your own definition of success.
The massive amounts of pressure Swift felt really put things into perspective when I realized I am the same age that Swift was when that VMA incident occurred. I’m also the same age as she was the first time I ever saw her in concert. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to have those kinds of highs and lows at just 19 years old. Right now, I can barely handle college, let alone an international arena tour and being ridiculed by a 32 year old man on national television with millions watching. What I started to realize while watching this section of the documentary is that the “old Taylor” wasn’t weak at all, but rather she was so tired from being so strong all the time and trying to make everyone happy.
Something I also feel like we can’t gloss over when discussing “Miss Americana” is Swift’s discussion of her sexual assault case and eating disorder. Without going into too much detail, only because this isn’t something I feel like I can speak a lot on, I would just like to say that I am so proud of her openness and willingness to share her story. Up until now, she has spoken very limitedly about her sexual assault case and never on her eating disorder, and I would just like to commend her bravery and vulnerability on this.
Throughout “Miss Americana,” it’s clear that Swift is on a journey to find her voice and feel empowered to use it. We are all on our own timelines in life, and for her it took life experience for her to learn that it is ok to speak out on controversial issues like politics. I was so moved and inspired during the scene in the documentary when Taylor advocated for her ability to speak out politically with her dad and producers.
Hearing her say, “Please forgive me for doing this because I’m doing it” in regards to speaking out about politics was so powerful and awe-inspiring.
This documentary shares so many impactful and important messages of growth. It was so revitalizing to hear a celebrity admit that they have struggled and then grown from those experiences. I have even more respect and understanding for Swift than I did before. She is a real life Elle Woods, and I am so inspired by her.
Some key things we should all take from this documentary are that it is OK to be on your own journey with empowerment. You define your own measure of success, and you can be both girl’s girl and take down the patriarchy all at the same time. If you haven’t seen Swift’s “Miss Americana” yet, grab some iced coffee, blast some of her iconic songs, and get to it.