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UC Berkeley | Culture > Entertainment

WHY IS THE WORLD TAYLOR SWIFT VS FOOTBALL?

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Leilah Elsumeri Student Contributor, University of California - Berkeley
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UC Berkeley chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

From listening to her music, creating a Taylor Swift club in high school, and seeing her in concert I’ve truly realized how amazing she is. She has inspired me, and many other girls, to not be afraid to use your voice and to never give up on your dreams. 

As a Swiftie, watching Taylor Swift enter a relationship with Travis Kelce was such an exciting moment. We welcomed him with open arms and were excited to hear her newest rendition of “Karma” where she now sings, “Karma is the guy on the chiefs / coming straight home to me.” I’ve always been a semi-football fan as in if it’s on the TV I’ll watch, but I couldn’t tell you random facts about Patrick Mahomes. 

But now everything has changed, Taylor gets shown throughout the games and we get to see her big smile as she cheers her boyfriend on. Little girls that would’ve never been interested in the game are now spending their Sundays sitting on the couch next to their fathers. Taylor Swift and football, two things the world loves, are being combined, and everyone is enjoying it — until they aren’t.

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Photo by Leilah Elsumeri

Last year was filled with Taylor Swift: whether it was the Eras Tour, her concert movie, or her new album—2024 was definitely a year in the books for Swifties. Now we also get to watch her on the big screens on Sundays. Yes, some men are upset with the fact that she’s on our screens, but it hadn’t gotten to the point where she’s being booed in a stadium full of people–until the Superbowl. 

When Taylor attended the Super Bowl and it came time to show the world she was in attendance, the crowd booed. Her face was filled with confusion, and rightfully so. Immediately, I thought of Taylor’s song “Mean. The song  speaks about how people can criticize her all they want but she’ll still be successful. Specifically, there’s a line where she says, “And I can see you years from now in a bar / talking over a football game / with that same big loud opinion but nobody’s listening.” I interpreted it as people have always had rude opinions about her, but they’re sitting in a bar talking about her and no one’s listening. I think this is a powerful song because of how directly it reflects the way Taylor is treated at these football games.

Taylor Swift has always been an amazing example of a powerful woman men are simply afraid of. She’s won 14 Grammys, sold out multiple tours, advocates for women and LGBTQ+ rights, and writes her own albums. These are only a few of the many things she’s done as a singer-songwriter. 

To be completely honest, even if we are in the year 2025, men simply can’t come to terms with the fact that a woman can be successful without a man’s help. I fear this is why so many men don’t like her. Don’t even get me started on the whole Kanye West going on stage to declare that Beyonce deserved the award. Yes, Beyonce is an amazing artist but where was the respect for the other artists? Simply, it’s just non-existent. 

I don’t understand why the world is suddenly Taylor Swift vs. Football. You can’t like both or else someone is going to have an issue with you. Taylor Swift fans welcomed Travis Kelce with open arms but when it came to Taylor Swift x Football havoc ensued. It just doesn’t make sense to me why we’re in this state where we get hated on for enjoying both Taylor and Football. Adding on to this, if we do enjoy the sport people think there’s a motive. When a man asks you if you like football and you respond yes, they automatically assume it’s because you’re attracted to a man on the team. Like sorry, I genuinely like the sport…why is that such an issue? 

Photo by Leilah Elsumeri

For all the men out there that don’t have a genuine reason on why they don’t like Taylor Swift other than their claim that her “music is ass” grow up and find a better excuse. Just like in her song, “The Man,” where she sings, “And I’m so sick of them coming at me again / ‘Cause if I was a man / Then I’d be the man.” You can come for her all you want but that isn’t gonna stop her from being a pop culture essential that your daughters, cousins, sisters, and parents adore.

Leilah Elsumeri

UC Berkeley '28

Leilah is currently a Freshman at University of California, Berkeley double majoring in Political Science and Media Studies. She is currently a staff writer for HC's Berkeley chapter. She enjoys the ability to write freely on pop culture and lifestyle. After graduating, Leilah hopes to use her media skills to become a media manager for a NHL team. When Leilah is not writing, she loves to watch movies, listen to music, read romance books, and spend time with her family!