I Know Why Taylor Swift is on TIME’s Person of the Year Cover But WHY is She on the Cover?
The much-anticipated honor of TIME’s Person of the Year just got announced, and they chose “Silence Breakers.” Inspired by this year’s #MeToo hashtag, which took the internet by storm, this makes perfect sense. “Me Too” is more than a hashtag, though. Before Alyssa Milano tweeted that, it was a campaign that was addressing sexual assault for the last 10 years ago, created by activist Tarana Burke.
So, TIME did lovely profiles of people they consider “silence breakers” and they released the cover of the magazine. There are 5 women on it, 1 of whom is Taylor Swift.
I immediately got annoyed, because why is Taylor on this cover? I asked that question, and many were quick to tell me that she sued a DJ who groped her, and she won. I know. I KNOW about that case and I am really glad she won but I ask again WHY IS TAYLOR ON THIS COVER?
I am not questioning the validity of Taylor’s experience or her story. I am not doing what Lena Dunham did to Aurora Perrineau. What I have a problem with is what Taylor is being positioned as the face of a movement by being placed on this cover, because she won a lawsuit. She lost nothing when others have lost everything when they break silence, but don’t get visibility. Just look at Ke$ha, whose abuser was her record label boss. She took him to court and lost everything, including her career. She broke silence when there was zero room for it and got shamed into hiding. He even put a gag order on her. Why is she not on the cover?
Why is Tarana Burke not on this cover, when she’s been doing this work for 10 years? Yes, she is on the inside and gets to tell her story but she deserves to be on this cover, because if there is a face for the movement, hers is it.
What about, say, Terry Crews, who is a man who decided to break silence and that shit was major. In this culture of toxic masculinity, men speaking up about their victimhood is revolutionary.
But no, Taylor gets to be centered on this cover, like she always is. Don’t tell me she is here for any reason besides the fact that she’s Taylor, and all the Peak Caucasity that comes with that. They want to sell magazines and she is a recognizable face. Yet and still, this gives me all the pause. Taylor is constantly being rubbed on the head for people doing her wrong, and has built her career on it. I wish TIME Magazine would have given someone else the time to be empathized with so visibly. I wish others’ stories could be told with this space.
In voicing my side-eye of Taylor being on the cover, many white women have messaged me to tell me how “disappointed” they are about my stance. Apparently, I should not “shoot arrows internally” and critique Taylor. Internally?? What community do me and Taylor share, besides womanhood? These arrows are external AF. Taylor has never stood for anything I represent, or anyone who looks like me. Don’t “we are all sisters and we should all be happy for Taylor” us right now. It’s only used when it’s convenient for you. I ask that all the “disappointed” white women stop before sending me another message and wonder if they are this loud when a visible Black woman is being critiqued. Did they speak up for Aurora when Lena said she was lying about being raped? Do they speak up for Beyoncé every time one of them writes a “is she a feminist when she wears onesies all the time?” thinkpiece? Do they put on pink pussy hats to march with Black women often? Many only have voice and time to defend those who look just like them and *I* don’t have time for that. Don’t send me another message unless you’ve also put on your cape to CAPSCAPSCAPS for Lupita Nyong’o or Gabrielle Union or or or.
I give love to the silence breakers, and for those who try to break silence and have their mouths covered. THEY are the ones we need to hear from the most. Those who are most marginalized, and try as she may. Taylor Swift, in her whiteness, youngness, thinness, blondeness, richness, is not amongst those.
Here’s to us passing the mic more often so the song isn’t always so bland and rhythmless.
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153 Comments
Omg I love you so much for your courage and ability to call out what’s skewed and wrong in the culture! Thank you Luvvie!
The ignorance of the majority posting and the hypocrisy of this article is where victim shaming come hand in hand. Taylor not only stood up for herself but for future young and gullible artist. We teach are children to speak up against those who harm them and then want to say that because of their economic or social status makes their experience less traumatic? I for one appreciate and believe that because Taylor Swift was in a position to protect future artist from enduring the same traumatic experience and did not let her power stand in the way of defending others. She could have easily said nothing and did nothing. Then you haters would be writing an article about how she did nothing and this DJ was able assault someone else.
Stop the hate!
Where are you when people are hating Black women?
“Stop the hate!” Why don’t you go first.
Why is it just about white and black women? There are other races/colors. What about our asian, middle eastern and hispanic women? I am so tired of hearing ppl complain about the same ish. If you’re going to stand up for something, stand up for equality across the board. There is a lot of negativity already. All these ppl have been slaves or put down at one point or another. No one is unique.
Omg this wasn’t about race a nd look a t the cover again there are black women on it all she was say was that Taylor swift did belong in the group quit blaming race for everything!! You are the problem not stop the hate lady!! Look in the mirror you are the only one who brought up race!! All women deserve to be heard!!
She actually couldn’t have easily said or done nothing, because she got sued. She was the defendant in the case, not the plaintiff, so other than quietly telling the radio station where he was employed, she really didn’t do anything until he forced her hand.
The audacity you have to look at the color of skin instead of looking at this at the best possible way WOMEN UNITING. You obviously are you ignorant to look past at an artist and see they are a human being who went through Hell. Yes she is privileged but she’s using her voice to be proactive. Not to mention her music or ranking. It’s people who are so stuck in their own little world to realize that it’s such an amazing thing for Sexual harassment to finally be outed. I know you’re speaking your mind and I applaud you but think about the positive before the negative next time. The article is about speaking out and not being afraid. Maybe some women or men who have been through it didn’t want to be in the cover. It’s revolution not discrimination.
Thank you for speaking truth!
I’m white and I completely agree with this well written and truthful article. There are many more women who have done more for this movement than Taylor. I am assuming she saw it as a way to take a stand as well as a publicity opportunity. The offer just should not have been given to her in the first place. I wish I had the money and the connections to sue every man that had violated me. While I applaud what Taylor did, it goes to show that being a rich, white, and attractive victim can take what would be a simple police report that officers don’t care about, to something that can land you on the cover of time magazine. It isn’t about what happened to her here, it’s about who she is, and that’s a problem. There are likely hundreds of black, or even average white women who have endured worse, with no justice, but who will never be the face of this movement because of who they are not.
EXACTLY! You hit the nail right on the head. This isn’t about victim shaming Taylor Swift. This is about the fact that a pretty, rich, successful, young, white woman can land the cover of Time simply because she is pretty, rich, successful, young, and white. She’s not a pioneer of the women’s movement. There were plenty of women more deserving of the cover. This was a cheap ploy by Time to sell magazines and make money.
I agree that there were much better choices for the cover. But just a side note that Taylor covered Ke$ha’s legal fees. $250,000 worth.
And?
Yas! Taylor does nothing and gets credit for everything. It is infuriating. She took a spot that should have gone to someone else.
I think you missed the last paragraph of the article.
She didn’t do that until after people criticized her for not speaking out on it. And it worked bc people keep bringing it up.
Hey Luvvie! I really enjoyed this perspective you gave and I agree with the points you made, and I agree with the whole article. But I have this weird feeling in my gut agreeing with you because even though you’re not trying to take away for Taylor Swift’s assault, are you not saying that her assault is not good enough?
I’d really like to have a conversation with you about this, and I hope you don’t think I’m saying you’re wrong or that you’re saying something wrong. I would just like help trying to figure out why there’s this weird feeling in my gut.
Thank you for putting your perspective out there and making people think!!
First, we have to remember that being on a magazine cover is still a huge deal, coveted by all. It’s a real signal that you’re “somebody”. So we have to acknowledge that Tailor received this benefit over someone else.
I don’t think that the message is about what happened to her, but how it’s impacted her life and what she’s done to be a part of the larger movement. It’s more about the sacrifice so many women made, in order to make it easier for others. And yes, being assaulted will always have its own impact, but that’s about it when it comes to Taylor, who is pretty much impossible to relate to. It’s like when I was living with a millionaire, making $40k in SF. She went crazy so I packed up and left and no I didn’t pay rent, I had to find a new place to live. And the girl with no job, just independently wealthy, said I left her life in shambles. Trust me, I didn’t. Umm, sorry I hurt your feelings, but you’re a monster and get an $8k monthly allowance. Taylor is that girl. It’s awful she was assaulted, but in juxtaposition, she hasn’t really fought enough or contributed to the movement like others have. In fact, I have only heard her voice in relation to get own case. That case closed and it’s just been single after single released. So it’s really confusing that she was deemed cover worthy, over so many others who are a voice for all women and not just themselves.
Hey Kachita!! This cleared the argument up for me and helped me better understand this!! Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!
She’s not measuring assault at all, it’s about who’s been pushing forward the voices of all women and not just their own. Taylor has garnered visibility for herself while not rallying much for others. If Time wants to frame important people in the movement – it should be those that consistently rally for all women. It should be those that lack power and influence but made sacrifices and need the visibility.
Taylor has been notably silent on many issues that effect women – especially POC and LGBTQ women. And she has SO much power – a lot more than others featured. It’s incredibly sad to me that while she’s an awesome advocate for her own voice – she’s absent for others. It’s fair to question why she’s given prominent positioning here in spite of contribution.
Nah, white woman here. I’m with you.
I thought the same thing when I first saw the cover. I am also very white-ish in appearance. If anything, I don’t want to be thrown in the basket with a bunch of other women who happen to be white?! White women aren’t always thin and blonde and into Taylor Swift, right?
For those who are disappointed in this blog or those tweets, please direct yourselves to Tomi Lahren’s twitter account and ask her why she has so much to say about her “sister” Beyonce. When you’re done there, feel free to spread your disappointment across Anne Counter, Kellyanne Conway, Lena Dunham and every single female supporter of Roy Moore. Go get your sisters, please and thank you.
Yes…go get your sisters! Thank you!!
And every “sister” who voted for Cheetolini
THIS!!!
All of this
Amen!
C’mon now! Tell the truth!
THIS.RIGHT.HERE!!!
All of this!! Agreed.
THANK YOU!!!
This is EXACTLY how I felt and would have put to words if the photo of Taylor had not sent me straight to my medicine cabinet (rolling bar car). I fancy myself a wordsmith and my friends agree but they only read my sober words. After my self medicating I was too ”relax” to write something as well put as you have done.
Taylor was wronged, she won and she lost NOTHING. Again she was wronged and she won but she lost NOTHING. Taylor has the unbearable load of people that make a great deal of money from and on Taylor being……Taylor she was never going to not win.
There is so little to her that in order to watch or listen to her I must eat spicy food. TAYLOR’S on! Grab the Tapatio!!!
Heavens to Mergatroid! All of this.
This is perfect, thank you so much.
Middle-aged white broad here, co-signing everything you said. Thank you for this!
Because Swift sued for one dollar. One damn dollar. She spent thousands on legal fees just to make a point. If she had lost, she would have looked like an idiot.
Yes – there are absolutely other recording artists who were more at risk for speaking up, but Swift shut down the people saying that women make up these stories just to get settlement payments.
And thus you prove the points raised by this commentary. It really went right over your head, or not. Regardless, you have provide proof positive of the great work done by Swift’s PR firm.
Her existence is proof positive of the great PR. Minimally talented, promoted from hell to heaven. Darling of the alt-right as their princess, if not their queen. And when a blogger wrote about it, Taylor’s team sought to shut down the blogger, but not the white supremacists who made the statement.
Don’t get it twisted. No one has the right to any part of a woman’s body without her permission; but let’s not compare the effect this has on someone who has the resources and support to put someone on blast to the courage required to step up and sound off when you have no resources and no backing and lose damn near everything including your mind. One is a tough, resilient woman who refuses to remain a victim. The other is Taylor Swift.
Um, no. She COUNTERsued for one dollar. Meaning she would have spent that money on legal fees anyway because she was already a defendant in the initial defamation action.
white woman here. I wondered the same damn thing.
I’m a bit confused by the title, which I assume is your thesis. If you know why, why are you asking Why?
I’m not a Swift fan, but the answer is in your content. She was groped, she fought for justice for herself. He lied and attempted to slander her. But she won in a civil court. That’s not just a victory for her, but an example of the wronged winning for other girls, boys, women and men.
She won “for” no one but herself. How is a rich, famous white woman winning her countersuit a big “win” for all of those who don’t have MONEY? Money to hire a PR firm. Money to hire a legal team. Money to hire experts to testify. Even Ke$ha needed MONEY to help her. Swift level money.
Not a single WoC will get a better outcome because of Swift. Not a single man will get a boost because of Swift. Not one poor person will win against those with more money because of Swift.
Get real!
Kesha GOT Swift level money. From Taylor Swift.
Court cases rely heavily on the precedent set by earlier cases of a similar nature, Swift’s win will make it easier for anyone else to win.
Not at the trial level. It only sets a precedent if an appellate court hears it and renders a published opinion about the law to be applied in a similar action. The jury’s verdict in Swift’s countersuit doesn’t do jack for any other sexual harassment litigant in that state or any other.
Why isn’t your queen Kim K or Bey giving $$$ to WoC? Taylor is doing what entertainers have done in the past. She isn’t political and sometimes I like be be entertained without the B.S. I am a very poor disabled Hispanic & White woman who is SO tired of it all. Just b/c I am poor doesn’t mean I am uneducated. Double Ph.D. Psychology & criminal forensics. Everyone has an individual outlook this is mine.
Kim K is no one’s queen. Let’s just get that out there. And Bey gives plenty of money to plenty of causes, including those that benefit women of color. No, Taylor is not “political,” thus proving the point of the article. If you aren’t willing to be “political” and stand for all women, even when it’s uncomfortable, then you should not be the face of a movement. You can be acknowledged for standing up for yourself, but you are not the face of the movement and should not be on a magazine cover representing that movement. Go back to being a-political and entertaining your fans.
I read the article, I understand why she was included and I also ask why? Of course, I had to read the article to see that she was included, since I couldn’t pick Swift out of a lineup, so there’s that.
Thanks for writing what is often on my mind.
I appreciate that Swift sued for the point of the matter. That’s worthy of mention, for sure. I recognize that she’s on the cover because she’s popular and will bring in readers. But I would rather have seen Tarana Burke, surrounded by a halo of women who fought and lost, because they deserve honor for trying. I’m not mad at Time, but it could easily have been better.
Yes – this! The problem with Swift isn’t Swift so much as the fact that ANYONE was chosen over Burke. They should have either had Burke surrounded by a collage of other women, or a graphic representation of numerous women, with no single one being identifiable. #MeToo isn’t about a particular woman, it’s about what happens to pretty much every woman.
Articles like this are the reason women don’t come forward. If you don’t like someone fine you don’t have to. But to belittle someone else’s experience and try manipulate what’s been going on and blatantly ignoring the charity donations to survivors of sexual assault to the homeless etc is just embarrassing.
Your not woke when writing an article like this your manipulating the truth and the truth is you have a serious problem with taylor swift and it’s not healthy. To downplay what happened and try to turn into your agenda is shameful. You should be very proud your message isn’t support women who come forward it’s support the ones you do like and make fun of the one you don’t like.
Inclusion means everyone. So suck it up.
Ps there are articles on Lena Dunham on indie wire, the daily beast etc incase you were wondering and hundreds of YouTube videos
Take care xx
Zero fucks given for your stake, salty tears. You ARE the poster chick for mayo feminism.
Where are you when people are hating Black women?
“Be inclusive!” Why don’t you go first?
You’re a “Reba” aren’t you?
Your comment reeks of Becky.
https://www.theroot.com/the-five-types-of-becky-1798543210
For reference purposes.
This article isn’t why people don’t come forwards. Victim blaming and feeling as if no justice will be served is why people that have been assaulted don’t come forward. Had she wrote about a different woman half of yall wouldn’t even be in here.
This was my first thought too – why is she there and Tarana is not? Tarana is the lead warrior who has been on this for a decade, she absolutely should have been on the cover! Taylor is one of, if not THE, most protected white women in the world and yes her case was important and necessary to include, but put her on the inside and Tarana on the cover.
Oh Luvvie, why are you making this complicated ? At this point it seems like you’re letting your personal feelings cloud your judgement. TIME was honoring the silence breakers NOT those who did the most significant things for this movement. They were honoring those who paved the way for conversation and something greater which in this case is the movement itself. If you would prefer them to honor those who have done the most significant things for the movement, take it up with TIME. That would be a good idea, but the silence breakers and pioneers of the movement are both integral parts of the story.
And stop shifting the conversation from what this is really about to Taylor Swift.
“At this point it seems like you’re letting your personal feelings cloud your judgement.” WELCOME TO MY BLOG. Also: duh.
Wait so that’s something to be proud of ? I’m very lost. Also, it ain’t cute, you’re too grown to be this pressed over a woman who hasn’t given you a single thought in all her lifetime.
I don’t get the passionate feelings directed towards her ? There are plenty of celebrities who choose not to speak out on things.. That is a decision that people have the right to make especially when you’re someone who gets backlash for everything you do. And if she prefers to show solidarity through actions rather than words, what’s it to you ? Y’all too obsessed and continually aid in re-establishing the platform that she has. If you want to see her gone, stop talking about her.
“it ain’t cute, you’re too grown to be this pressed over a woman who hasn’t given you a single thought in all her lifetime.”
aren’t…you….doing this….right now?
Don’t n play dumb. I’m not pressed over Taylor. I’m presse neause Luvvie is taking the spotlight away from all the wonderful men and women featured and the issue as a whole by putting the spotlight on Taylor. Swear if it was anyone else she wouldn’t hav said nothing. It’s hypocritical and ironic.
Pressed is pressed. You are the last chicklet to talk about “cute” cuz your ass ain’t acting grown.
Not saying you’re pressed over Taylor. You’re pressed over Luvvie lol. It’s the same thing – having an opinion about someone’s actions. No one, not even Taylor is above reproach.
Taylor deserves the critique – she has not been vocal in the movement when she yields immense power. I assume Time Magazine is serving it’s own interests in putting her on the front cover because she’s been notably absent – enough for people to even write articles about it (not just Luvvie, let Google be your guide). Also, guess what she did when someone wrote a legitimate critique of her absence in this political climate? She tried to silence them by threatening to sue. Yet she’s one of the “silence breakers” – interesting.
While everyone totally respects her courage in counter suing the DJ who assaulted her — you gotta ask… damn, why isn’t the creator of the #metoo movement, who’s been rallying against assault for 10 years not there? What about even Terry Crews? People who are ***consistently*** rallying for others and are truly breaking molds here, trying to change the culture at large and educate. Taylor has a ton of visibility already – aren’t there people who risked their livelihood and careers standing up against abusers?
You cannot ignore the power dynamics here. Ignoring them ceases how effective and sweeping the conversation could be. If Hollywood, the music industry and these big names have a sexual assault problem – let’s wonder how bad it is for people in other industries with no visibility. This is why you critique the power play in featuring Taylor over others. It speaks back at Time magazine and it’s audience. It challenges the audience to realize publications shouldn’t need to trout celebrity and a white face for people to care about persistent issues. It demonstrates how we resent how this issue needed celeb, white faces in the first place to garner attention. The problem is everywhere and our culture needs to change.
Ah but there my friend is the difference, I could care less about Luvvie, I’m pressed over her words not the person behind the words. I on the other hand have a legitimate reason to be presse because while you’re whining about Taylor swift being on the cover, the spotlight of those you claim to be concerned about is being deferred to Taylor.
Taylor has never claimed title of activist if I’m not wrong ? People have the right to decide whether or not they want to speak up, it’s not easy and it is very demanding, as well as a full time job. There are tons of celebrities who choose to do the same but as usual y’all insist on putting Taylor in the spotlight. Beyonce is not vocal and that is ok. It seems they both choose to keep that part of their life private and help through way of doing.
Silence breakers in reference to sexual harassment, which she did.
The reason terry crews was not in the cover was because his testimony came much later in the movement. They were all put in order of appearance, taylor swift happened to be one of the FIRST cases to gain coverage this year.
Im not ignoring the power dynamics, I actually took the time to read the stories and understand. From what i garnered, time has done an outstanding job of giving visibility to those in the minority. Taylor swift happened to be one of the first people who DID aid in breaking the silence this YEAR. Can’t deny that her social standing isn’t great, TIME knew there would be backlash, let’s not pretend that she’s as beloved as before. But there’s this little thing called OBJECTIVITY.
And one last point, let’s not pretend that having someone who is almost the epitome of privilege standing on the cover as someone who was sexually assaulted, isn’t good ? It’s important that people know even if you are rich and successful and white, and everything “right” it can still happen to you, in public too.
Again I say this, if it was anybody else, you would not have a problem. Let’s say Beyoncé was on the cover arguably a god in society, you wouldn’t say shit. Stop hiding under the pretense of wokeness and open your eyes enough to see things for what they are.
Sincerely, a BLACK woman.
You’ve got a lot wrong – Taylor Swift was not the first. Ke$ha v. Dr. Luke was happening before *if* you want to make it about highly visible cases with white women. If not, there’s other examples…even in the Time’s article that disprove your “FIRST” claim.
You’re still ignoring the power dynamics. Still. Tarana Burke. Tarana Burke. Tarana Burke.
If it was Beyoncé – well people love to cast her out, so really bad hypothetical there. There are people who are legit angry and believe she “overshadowed” Kaepernick when giving him the Ali SI award, lol. It’s not Taylor, anybody can get it. It’s about overall messaging, you have to be more critical, even the cropped out body on the cover means something. We’re just not accepting the trickle down method here. Time magazine using an extremely privileged person to give an issue more validity – not needed. It may help their sales but there’s a lot of collective head scratching from people who know better.
Sorry Luvvie got you pressed with her words, Black woman. Continue caping for “someone who hasn’t given you a thought in her life” if you want. I will continue saluting those that have selflessly been lifting the voices of others.
I keep trying to out this in the simplest words that I can: Kesha’s case was not relevant this year because people love to pretend to care about a tragedy for all of 3 days and forget about it. In fact, only now has her name been increasingly talked about. At a very convenient time, might I add. I’m not going to accuse you of anything because I don’t know you, wether or not you’ve been silent this year or have maybe spoken up, it’s def not right for you to drag her name into things, using her story to get you what you want (which isn’t to get her on there, it’s to remove another victim.)
If you bothered to read and digest, most of these points that you keep regurgitating I’ve already rebutted.
I did not say Taylor swift was the first, I said she was one of the first this year who’s story gained enough courage that it inspired many to take on cases of their own and inspired conversation about the topic. That is what a silence breaker is.
I’m not making it about highly visible cases with white women. I am stating facts, the time piece is about those who’s actions this year invoked some sort of societal reaction. And they chose to show this women in a timeline fashion, time’s video proves that.
I am not. I vouch wholeheartedly for Tarana Burke. This isn’t about her though, this is about the issue itself. It’s not even about the me too hashtag movement. Just like it’s not about Taylor swift which you keep making it to be about.
What universe are you living in and why do you not understand language queues? I did not say beyonce was immune to critique. I am speaking generally about both women, generally speaking, beyonce garnered praise for her role in that and would have also if she was on the cover.
Again this is an issue that requires the inclusivity of those in positions of privilege. It is why we also fight for men caught up in this, nobody expects these things to happen to them. That reveals two frightening truths: that the issue in itself is not a respecter of persons and is something that we all are in danger of facing. And that minorities are continually subject to horrific treatment, so much so that it is normalized for us to be in that position.
It is very much needed, not to validate the issue but to shed light on the extent of the issue. Sales are a plus, I’m not denying that having her there won’t boost up sales but that is a good thing, we need more people reading these stories and listening and educating themselves. For you to insinuate that her privilege makes her presence in any way less needed is ugly.
You cannot talk about a very personal issue in such an impersonal way, this is a subject that has emotional and mental ramifications so this is where intersectionality comes in. Stop comparing victims and they way that they have chosen to handle their stories (“oh but Kesha did so much more with her case and this person has lost soooo much more…etc”)
Then you should salute Taylor swift who continually offers support for those in need of it. Including Kesha. Stop assuming that because someone doesn’t type out tweets or choose to show solidarity and support publicly that they are the devil. K thx.
Caping for people who haven’t given me a single thought is something I’m happy to do. I’ll do it with Taylor, with Tarana, with Kesha and anyone else who is deserving, nice try tho.
You are so on point!!!
Comment addressed to Gin.
LOL!!! So true!! Are ya’ll TRUE Luvvie fans???!!!! Have you ever read more than one of her blogs??? Come on!!!!!
I agree with not having Taylor on the cover, but she did not initially sue the DJ. Her people quietly talked to his radio station, he was fired, and HE sued HER. She did counter sue, but it was after.
lol sounds like you just don’t like taylor
malind
I’d guess that’s accurate, for all the valid reasons described in the blog post.
I got the same feeling. Ashley Judd is right up there next to Taylor and is also a very rich, white, woman in Hollywood. Yet, she doesn’t get any flack or criticism?
Can we please get at what is REALLY the question: why are these Time Magazine cover women all wearing black upholstery fabric???
LMAO!!! Good question!
I wondered who provided the clothes so all the groups looked so matchy— their own clothes weren’t good enough for the shoot. Taylor? Pffffft.
Luvvie, it’s like you live in my brain! I saw TS that cover and had a WTF moment and the *very* next thing in my inbox was this blog post. #Godismoving
I’d have loved Anita on the cover? A generation later with a hash tag. She spoke up against a powerful man when no one was asking for volunteers and was pilloried for it. Perhaps, NOW, the country is ready to hear her #MeToo…
YES! Anita is the pioneer here!
WOW so many people hurt re: TSwift.
Y’all?!
1) Luvvie is upfront about not liking Her Swiftness so everyone needs to have some seats —> \__/
2) If you can argue that there was not a single more deserving person Other than Swifty and back this ish up with facts I, for one would like to read/hear it.
3) Not liking Taylor and not agreeing with her being on the cover does NOT take away from her experience or win – which Luvvie mentions about 4X.
And yes, I agree that Tay-Tay’s spot would have been better served with Tarana. Or with some of the not famous women that are highlighted in the article. Stars, activists, writers, every day people should have that spotlight.
But why aren’t we as critical about Ashley Judd’s spot on the cover as Taylor’s? If it’s about showcasing minorities and marginalized individuals, why isn’t Ashley Judd being given the same amount of scrutiny as Taylor? Both white, rich, and Hollywood personalities. It just shows a very biased PoV.
YES! I can’t stand Swift and her whiny white girl nonsense so maybe I’m biased. But I completely agree with you. And for all the people saying “why isn’t her assault good enough for you?” -read the damn article again. That is entirely beside the point of what Luvvie is saying. There are countless other women who have been assaulted who are not on this cover. Questioning why one specific person IS does not mean you’re questioning the validity of their story or suffering. The point is that there are other women who deserved to be on that cover far more than Swift but they don’t sell magazines and Swift does.
There are multiple issues with Taylor.
1. The last time I checked, a DJ wasn’t in a position of power over Swift.
2. She only countersued. She didn’t sue that guy to be brave or make a point. She did it for self-preservation.
3. She’s annoying.
The End.
I guess people who fight and win should be represented too, as hope? It is encouraging to try if you know that you can stand up and win. And with that winning she tried to pass it on and support Kesha. There are people that should have been put on the cover before her, but I can understand what she symbolises.
Why isn’t Anita Hill in the cover? How can we forget her courage? Yes it wasn’t this year but she’s constantly erased.
Did you ever stop to think for one second that Taylor being on the cover is a good thing? There are a lot of people that look up to her and have possibly experienced sexual or physical assaults but were too scared to say something until now. They see Taylor standing up for herself and they are now empowered to do the same. Sure, there were a lot of other people who could be on the cover but why must we single her out? She’s one of the many faces of the movement, get over it.
Thank you! I absolutely agree! Taylor is young and reaches a different demographic and her appearance shows young women that it is okay to stand up for themselves and speak out when they have been violated. This post seems more like an attack on Taylor. Why play down Taylor’s experience because she won and it appears that she hasn’t lost anything. Yes, it’s true that Ke$ha went through hell for breaking her silence, but what does that have to do with Taylor’s experience? Ashely Judd was on the cover as well. Time could’ve easily swapped Ashely Judd for Tarana. This blog post didn’t mention her at all! I assumed that the women that were on the cover were the ones that broke their silence as off this year, but I could be wrong.
I agree. If this was about showcasing other individuals on the cover rather than Taylor, why isn’t OP discussing Ashley Judd’s presence? Others have mentioned that OP has never hidden their dislike for Taylor but if you’re going to write an article about the cover photo and only focus on ONE of the white Hollywood celebrities that appear, it seems very targeted.
I think Time’s did an excellent thing with their cover piece. It shows that NO one is safe from sexual assault. Anyone can be victimized, whether you are upper, middle, or lower class. It doesn’t matter what your skin colour is. It doesn’t matter whether you identify as a woman, a man, or genderqueer, or anywhere on the spectrum. It doesn’t matter whether you are straight, gay, pan, bi, lesbian, queer, asexual, etc. Age is of no factor. Sexual assault can happen to anyone and I think that’s represented on the cover.
I agree that there are many other people who could have been featured on the magazine. I am troubled by the idea that because she is white and thin her assault is not as valid. She did speak up and it got national attention and her words in court inspired a lot of other women to come forward. Yes, there are people who have been fighting this fight a lot longer and a lot harder and it might be frustrating for someone to come in and get “credit” for a movement that has been around before Alyssa Milano and Taylor Swift. BUT, let this be about the fact that the movement is working and hopefully society is changing for the better, regardless of who gets credit or who gets featured on the front of a magazine. Let’s keep working together to end sexual assault and harassment and know that many many not-famous women have risked their jobs and their lives in many cases to bring darkness into the light.
I think I love you…your article gives me life. Thank you for saying what you said, how you said it and when you said it. You are my shero.
i had the same damn thought. why taylor and no tarana? and yes, i too get “why” (she sells magazines) but still asked why. yes, she won a victory, but she hasn’t been much of a voice or an advocate, and those are the people we should be celebrating. i didn’t even recognize her at first, partly because of her hair choices recently, but also because i don’t associate her with the #metoo movement at all.
“Many only have voice and time to defend those who look just like them and *I* don’t have time for that. ” (i guess ya dont have time for yourself…) this is the real point of the article, you are defending women of color and disparaging white women. Women of all ethnicities and financial stations were included in the article, they were a collective cover. Side note, the woman most in center on the cover is a woman of color, Taylor is in the corner.
I think people reading your article are missing the point. Taylor’s battle is valid, and I am glad she won (and I’m no fan of hers), but the social impact of her case is arguably little to none, (except for maybe in the celebrity space) for the broader public. It is not a case of hating Taylor – but rather a case of there are so many other women (and some men) who went through larger hoops to make an impact in an attempt to break the chains of abuse, secrecy and shaming.
Taylor deserved her victory, and maybe TIME could have mentioned her in the cover article, but it would have been nice to see someone else on the cover.
I might still get the issue to read about all of the brave women who spoke up and took a risk. Of course, I’ll be petty and put someone over Swift’s pic.
Taylor is on the cover so that Time magazine can reach a different demographic.
16 year old Becky isn’t interested in current events and actresses from her mother’s time. Becky is familiar with Taylor Swift.
She sees her on the cover, starts reading it.
Maybe she will pick something up from the article, maybe not.
Maybe she will realize exactly how big of a problem Hollywood has.
Everyone knows Taylor Swift.
That is why she is on the cover instead of someone who has been fighting for victims of assault for 10 years.
She is spreading awareness to people who would usually not read TIME.
Author of article, please stop being so negative and think about why something is the way it is.
Then again, you probably know exactly what you’re doing and are just trying to get views on your spite filled article.
You’re gross.
Ok, Swiftie. And…yes, you are a Becky despite your claim ????????????
This Marketing 101 review is spot on, except for the name calling at the end. Unnecessary.
As is all the Becky flinging in the comments from people who can’t debate a disagreement without name calling. Stop it, ya’ll.
This is what I saw when I saw the cover. It shows that NO one is safe from sexual assault. Anyone can be victimized, whether you are upper, middle, or lower class. It doesn’t matter what your skin colour is. It doesn’t matter whether you identify as a woman, a man, or genderqueer, or anywhere on the spectrum. It doesn’t matter whether you are straight, gay, pan, bi, lesbian, queer, asexual, etc. And age is of no importance. Sexual assault can happen to anyone and I think that’s represented on the cover.
Hi Lurvie,
There are a lot of white women that agree with everything you wrote. Thank you so much for articulating it so perfectly!
Julz
While usually a fan of luvvie, the anger towards white people is making it difficult to remain one. I was taken aback when she asked what community she shared with TS other than being a woman. How about the fact that you are both human beings? Forgot about that one? I CANNOT STAND TS, but Luvvie, your posts are just becoming as racist as the white folks. If you want to promote equality, treat people equally. Had a black woman who shares the same story as TS been on the cover, you’d be thrilled, because of the color of her skin. But what about the reason? As annoying and privileged as TS is, she was sexually assaulted, and that is terrible. As the most widely recognized face on that cover, she’ll likely get more women to open it and read it than the lesser known faces would. Totally disappointed in your reaction.
Look up the term “mayo feminist”. Then hold up a mirror. Trust and believe luvvie and WOC are moving forward just fine without your support and unwanted approval.
Jess, it sounds like it’s time for you to find a blogger you have more in common with and spend your time and comments there. While you are entitled to your viewpoint, and it is pretty valid tbh, we aren’t required to give a damn. You see, this here blog is written by a Black woman and her main supporters, readers, and stans are Black women. Now, I’m not saying that white people aren’t welcome here but I’m saying they should recognize their place as guests and behave accordingly. I know it’s hard for most white people to understand but this blog ain’t for or about you! When a popular, Black female blogger uses her platform to shift the focus to WoC and PoC, particularly Black women, and refuses to play the role of the non-threatening, mayo-friendly, #AllLivesMatter blogger, it hardly seems like it should have caught you unawares. I mean, seriously? Are you new here? Luvvie has ALWAYS been crystal clear about where she stands when it comes to the Black/White race relations conversation, so this ain’t new boo! Basically, it oughta be lonely out there on that limb you stepped out on when you made this comment because you won’t find any cosigns among the true fans of this blog. Because: Black women. Best thing is to either fade back into lurkdom and hope we forget about you if you choose to continue to be a guest in OUR community or take my initial suggestion and find somewhere else to be.
I am happy that the silence breakers are the people of the year and with how #metoo is putting the world on its head right now. So to have this cover without Tarana is nuts.
You do realize that many people don’t want to be on the covers of magazines, including people who are otherwise often in the public eye? There is also the possibility that the timing was bad for some of the people who were asked. Has Time come out and stated how many people, and who, were given the opportunity, and then who declined?
When I saw Taylor on the cover and learned that Megyn Kelly was featured inside I was immediately incensed. You articulated exactly was I was thinking and feeling. Thank you.
I am HOWLING at the white woman coming to TS’ defense absolutely do not understand what you said. You absolutely said that you are not invalidating her story but that is the FIRST thing they start their comment with!!!! Reading comprehension, ladies. It works.
Two seemingly disparate takes. I understand, appreciate, and agree with your perspective – all good points, underlining that there truly were many other options that better reflect personal/professional risk/costs for breaking silence, AND I get the thorough objection of Taylor Swift due to all her lily white, celebrity privilege. On the other hand, I applaud Time for putting Silence Breakers front and center as person of the Year, which is such a significant acknowledgement of women, I truly don’t want that diminished because of agreement or lack thereof for who was on the cover. More importantly, I likely have more concern for absence of representation for those held silent still. I do not want to detract from the issue at hand – the spotlight on this is monumental for women. A part of me wishes they had included a sea of women (with perhaps Anita Hill front and center) where said celebrity was part, yet indiscernable, from the crowd. Lily white privileged or not, Ms. Swift articulated important points that reframed the issue during her trial putting the blame rightfully where it belonged. Due to her celebrity, this message was given broad exposure – so a place at the table was deserved, perhaps not front and center.
As a WoC, I don’t understand why people hate on TS so much. Does her being on the cover make the movement less important? Does it make the fight of other women less valid or less heroic? So what if she’s white? Are we now just turning the table around and putting white women down so we can be pulled up? The point of equality is to be equal (shocker?). You don’t need to have a million things in common to be supportive and encouraging of one another.0
Luvvie, I’m a Taylor fan and I agree with you. It is great that she did what she did but TIME clearly just put her on the cover for publicity reasons. Any of the people you listed would have been much better choices. Also some of your critics need to learn what intersectional feminism is……
thats taylor swift??? i thought it was the actress who played the current “britney spears like” pop star in the movie “music and lyrics” (imdb: haley bennett)
Are you kidding me with this article? First of all, Kesha still has an amazing career. Her new album is incredible and people LOVE it!! Taylor could have lost a lot, but she didn’t. That doesn’t make her any less of a person or a woman. People saying that she shouldn’t be praised for coming out with what happened to her are part of this problem. You should not be praising some people and making others feel like they can’t speak up. ALL of tje men and women telling their stories and their truths deserve recognition, and Taylor Swift is no different. People look up to her. Many people think of her as TAYLOR SWIFT, and just Taylor. If this can happen to her, and she can be brave and strong, then it helps a lot of other people as well. What happened to Taylor and these women can happen to anyone, regardless of race, color, age, sexual orientation, etc. All of them are helping women, and men, see that it is ok to talk about it. They do not need to be ashamed. Why NOT put Taylor on the cover with these other women? Forget the fact that she is TAYLOR SWIFT. On this cover, see her as another women who was brave enough to speak her truth, regardless of what people would say about her, including people who write articles like this
I am a black Barbadian woman. I got attacked in a bathroom and fought my way out of a rape. I was so successful that not a hair was out of place, not a scratch was on my body. No one (except one guy who saw the perp fleeing) believed me when I lunged at the man as he walked back into the establishment an hour later. Not my ‘friends’. Not the waiters and other staff. I was essentially alone. I called the police and at the last minute the staff revealed knowledege of camera that was able to prove the man was a liar.
Nobody will ever be allowed to belittle my experience. Nobody will ever tell me “iz wasn’t dat bad sweetie.” Nobody will ever be allowed to ask me “why de hell I mekking such a big deal outta dat measly shite?”
Nobody.
Assault is assault. I do not embrace or accept degrees of assault to determine what should ‘rile’ me up and what I should let slide.
The author of this piece disgusts me. She is a fucking worm. She running around trying to find scales to weigh trauma on and using her dislike of a white popstar to justify her misguided bullshit is not only pathetic but regressive. I doh like Taylor either but she fucking earned her spot there by being a victim. Fullstop. Final. Being assaulted is not a fucking joke or something one forgets easily. WE ALL KNOW THIS! How fucking dare you come along with your repressive bullshit couched in a banner of pro-blackness to justify your own insecurities about what it means to be a woman. Your divisive bullshit is the reason women have to fight so hard for everything…one woman speaks up and there are fifty thousand behind her yelling she didn’t yell as loudly as others or her pain should not feel as severe as it is for others. Her pain isn’t worth of being highlighted. What inhumane crap is that? Are you really that fucked up that you believe that having money and being white make some women less human and they should stay in the shadows silently letting men treat them like toy dolls just as you seem to be doing???? MONEY AND RACE DO NOT MAKE A PERSON LESS HUMAN. You sound like the colonial masters of my country’s past. They thought lack of money and being black made my ancestors less human. Here you are with all your fucked up scars and divisive intent in 2017 trying to silence women who don’t look like you and earn more money that you do. Deal with your fuckery and stop disgracing black people. Deal with your hatred for white people because hate will NEVER BUILD BLACK PEOPLE UP. If the only way you can build minority races up is by tearing down the rich and white then you are A FAILURE to the black race. You embody the bs stereotype of the bitter black woman and you are so eager to embrace it this whole piece wreaked of the shit you have allowed to intoxicate your mind on.
If you want to highlight the pain of minority women, write a piece about them instead of embarassing your fellow black people. You are so disgusting I genuinely have a feeling you are white and looking to slander the reputation of coloured women everywhere. I refuse to believe you can be white, indian, chinese, hispanic or any other race except caucasion. Delete this shite please and thanks.
Nah,B. This is going to be on the Internet forever.
Lordy Luvvie, I am with you. I saw this cover before I read your article and threw up a little in my mouth. I happen to be a white woman and in spite of sharing a skin color with Taylor Swift, it seems fairly obvious to me that the fact that she got groped by a fairly inconsequential creeper (who hasn’t?) and then paid for it (if I had a dollar!) does not make her the face of a movement of silence breakers. Groping is not OK, but a megastar suing a DJ for it is not the same as the women who have risked everything to stand up harassers and abusers who literally controlled their careers (a la Ke$ha). Obviously Taylor is on the magazine because her face sells magazines. Sadly, this silence breaking is not the end of hypocrisy, racism, and inanity. Keep on calling it out. Thanks.
This is why women make so little progress. Big picture lost. Pettiness. “not fair, not fair” like children…fighting and bitching about the wrong things.
FELT.
Thank you for posting this piece. It was definitely needed.
Also, GIn, what’s your twitter handle as I clearly need to be following you as well.
I don’t understand why there is so much hating on Luvvie for bringing up such an incredibly valid point. Like do y’all not realize that TS was labeled the actual Queen of the alt-right? She is openly being worshiped by Nazis as the perfect “Aryan goddess” and is trying to violate someone’s first amendment rights for pointing out that she has yet to denounce them. But yes lets look for reason why she deserves a Time cover more than Tarana Burke or Ke$ha or Terry Crews or any of the numerous other people that risked everything to come forward. No one is saying TS’s experience isn’t valid…. it is just being pointed out that her $1 counter suit risked nothing. And sure she contributed a little money to Ke$ha’s legal fees, but she still stayed publicly silent about Dr. Luke and Sony to protect her own career.
Who is Taylor Swift?
Every single word of this mirrors precisely how I felt when I saw the cover! I wasn’t as eloquent with my comment on Facebook but a dear friend, an editor for The Grio, posted this link in my comments and I can’t thank her enough. Once again you’ve hit the nail on the head Luvvie.
????????????????????????????????????????????????
I’m a WOC and I’m tired of seeing hit pieces that push oppression olympics. I have to wonder how much of the ire against Swift is actually at Swift or is it that she represents most white women in America and we WOC need a scapegoat to get angry at? We can spend all day ranking who deserves to be on the cover of Time for their assault (answer ALL women) or we can be productive in that #metoo really means #yesallwomen and when one woman comes forward, she is propelling this very important issue for all women forward.
This is extremely annoying that they would place her on the cover. What the hell has she been through that was so bad? She is NOT a silence breaker.
Your blog post is inaccurate. The man sued Taylor Swift and she had to go to Court as a defendant. She won the case or rather, he lost. He had grabbed her and then she complained to his bosses and he lost his job and sued her. She countersued and got the symbolic $1 judgement. Say what you want about Taylor’s music but she is a multi-platinum recording artist and very much a role model for millions of young women around the world. What she did was courageous and she spoke out about her assault in Court. She didn’t want to become the face of this movement but yet another man thrust her into a narrative that she didn’t ask for and violated her body because he thought he could do that to a woman. Let’s stop this whole attack. Just because she’s white doesn’t mean she can’t speak on a subject that affects a lot of us women. Plus, Taylor was minding her business in country music when Kanye bum rushed her and snatched an award from her. He would never have tried that with a man of any race. This blog post is disappointing. Let’s not denigrate a woman’s assault just because of her race. We should and can do better. You’re influential Luvvie. Your post had been shared more than 104 times on FB but it’s not even accurate. There’s more responsibility that should come with your posts. If this were a WOC who white women say isn’t their role model for assault, we will cry all holy hell when this is something women, regardless of race contend with every day. We have more to gain by supporting these sorts of stories. In Taylor’s case, we can’t discredit that she is successful and influential to millions of young women and is absolutely worthy of a TIME cover, she’s a huge international star whether or not you and I think her music is good. I think you should issue a different take on this and correct your inaccuracies. It’s dangerous to the #METOO movement. I hope other young women don’t feel afraid to speak out about sexual assault or any predatory behavior because they aren’t WOC and are afraid other women will berate them. This isn’t helpful at all.
Yes, thank you, Bola. The inaccuracies bothered me right from the beginning. The message here would be much stronger if it had been thoroughly fact-checked. But I guess saying ‘Taylor Swift sued and won’ just fits the narrative here better, accuracy be damned.
I think TIME lost an opportunity with this cover. In my view, when Stupid Donald said he ‘turned down’ the cover, there much anticipation about WHO would be on the cover. And because we are in this swirl of this topic at the moment, TIME was in a position to amplify and push forward the people who are really driving this movement, and pushing for change and penalties for the monsters. Ashley Judd, yes! We know she has been vocal about sexual assault for a long time. I agree with Luvvie that Taylor is there to advance another agenda (magazine sales, maybe, I don’t know but whatever, it isn’t more important than this issue?.
Even if we don’t know Tarna Burke’s face, many know her name. What could this visibility do for the (her) movement? Why not make her more visible and let her stand alongside Ashley Judd?
As a white male….PSA to men: Keep your goddamn mouths shut and just listen. Especially listen to what any woman who isn’t white has to say. About anything.
im here for prioritizing voices of sexual assault
*not
This reeks of jealousy.
“[…] so the song isn’t always so bland and rhythmless.”
Now, how did Whitney Houston get dragged into this? I’m kidding.
One look at Taylor Swift’s Instagram account was all I needed to know who she really stood with, and for. That, and the fact that she STILL won’t outright denounce the alt-right following that she has apparently cultivated.
So OVER Taylor Swift in her Taylor Swiftness! I don’t think she is as talented as her staff who “handle” her. Time Mag just totally marginalized everything their article was supposed to be about. You are so on the money with this one Luvvie and thank you for saying what so many others are afraid to voice.
lol @ this stupid negress whining about seeing a celebrity’s face
Negress? Really? Wow. Just…wow.
The race card got really old…a long time ago. Stop beating a dead horse. This article is lazy writing based on a hot button topic. If you spent more time building people up instead of tearing others down because of inherent jealousy (be it financial, status, fame, or dare I say, “whiteness”), then you’d stop spinning your wheels in the quagmire of race-baiting.
I seriously love you. You are fabulous.
White women: stop. Just stop and listen please. If you made it all the way here, just consider that this article is an opinion you need to listen to and digest. You don’t have to agree, but Luvvie’s opinion is so important to understand. You have literally nothing to lose from doing this. It might just change your life and the way you view the world.
My mom and I (both white women) said the exact same thing last night when discussing the cover. We loved the message of “The Silence Breakers” and especially the anonymous arm on the cover, but could not, under any circumstances understand why Taylor had a place on this cover. The story within? Absolutely, give her a shout. But to put her on the cover instead of Tarana Burke, and to include her and NOT include Kesha was criminal. Taylor has always only ever worried about Taylor. I admire her for taking that DJ to court but she had nothing to lose in doing so, while the Silence Breakers had everything to lose, and some truly did lose all. They knew putting her on the cover would sell more magazines, plain and simple. She’s done nothing for the movement in the grand scheme of things and is a feminist of convenience. When it matters the most, Taylor constantly perpetuates the silence; she NEVER breaks it.
We always get caught up in the fight about what’s right and what’s wrong.in the details. I appreciate Time putting this message on their cover. I am grateful. This feels like men and people in general, are getting the message. I hope that we can focus on the fact that no one has a right to violate, threaten or change someone ‘s life. No one has a right to harm our children, scar them for life with doubts and fear. No one is that powerful to use people, throw them aside and then lie about it. Those days are over. That’s the point!
I am a young, blonde, white woman and I fully support this. Thank you for your courage calling out a media giant for abusing their platform to make money instead of taking a minor risk to help break the silence.
I agree.
And I don’t mean to take anything away from Swift’s struggle or victory by that. It’s just…really? They could think of nobody else for that spot?
The picture overall is not very good.
Well, the picture itself is but it’s not a good cover.
If they were going for a “many voices” thing the grid of faces they went with for the story would have worked much better.
As so very often: Yay, progress! Boo, execution. *face palm*
Middle aged, white woman in Georgia here. My first thought on seeing the cover was to wonder why Tarana Burke wasn’t featured, perhaps with smaller images of women who have spoken out at great personal risk. There are so many who could have been included. I’m glad Taylor Swift won her case and that she helped Ke$ha with her legal fees, but I don’t see her actions here as especially groundbreaking. There are many others in entertainment, including Ashley Judd (who was on the cover), who have taken risks and been both politically and socially active because it was the right thing to do. Celebrities are fine when they use their influence to help others and accomplish good in the world, but I would prefer to have a cover introduce me to more real people taking action to change the world.
Look, I agree that there are many men and women who deserve to be on the cover more than her, but I think it’s a complete oversight to say she’s done nothing at all for the movement. After the trial the RAINN hotline saw a 35% increase in calls. After the trial, she vowed to donate to organizations aiding sexual assault survivors because she acknowledged of the enormous privilege she has economically and ‘in life’ to defend herself. She has donated a lot of money to the cause, which is a valid course of action. With that being said, I agree, she could be more vocal on these issues. But right now, she is indeed speaking up, and this is the only interview she’s given in the past year. And frankly, her demographic appeals to younger people too, which is a nice recipient to send the message to. PS: Not a white woman
I’m disappointed in this article (I will explain). When looking at this cover your eyes automatically go straight to Taylor Swift first because she’s the most recognizable. With her already over saturated persona in the media you naturally begin questioning the justification of why she is on Time’s cover. Did you question the other women on the cover? I don’t think one can disagree with Time’s decision because she’s 1) Too famous 2) Is White 3) Her Sexual Assault story isn’t as important 4) She Never Speaks publicly about women issues thus she’s not a feminist. Her story resonates with many women including myself. My experience is similar if not more traumatic, yet I don’t ask why is she on the cover. I ask WHY shouldn’t see be on the cover. All these women represent us whether you like it or not. Their stories are all different and where their stories lie on the sexual assault meter isn’t important. In regards to Taylor, she stood up for herself and went to court to prove a point that women shouldn’t let men get away with sexual assault. She’s acknowledged her privilege but shouldn’t have to apologize for it. Just because she hasn’t really spoken about it publicly doesn’t mean she was silent.
Hey. White girl here. I know I don’t get to be offended because I’m white, but I am offended that you assume the people who are disappointed are disappointed because she is white. I’m also offended that you think they don’t raise their voices for people of skin color other than their own. You don’t know if they do or not. I AM disappointed by your stance. Not because you want Kesha on the cover, or the leader of the movement (forgot her name). I’m disappointed because you think Taylor shouldn’t be on the cover because she didn’t lose enough. It’s not about how much someone did or didn’t lose. It’s about sexual assault. By saying that Taylor didn’t lose enough you ARE invalidating her and her claims. You are just as bad as Lena for saying “”Taylor didn’t lose enough.” And none of these ladies think they “deserve” to be on this cover, by the way. Remember, they were all sexually assaulted to get there. As for who gets to be on the cover, you should be blaming TIME who decides that kind of thing. Also, MAYBE THEY ASKED KESHA AND SHE SAID NO. Again, you don’t know. Also, if they didn’t ask her to be on the cover (because I agree that she should be) TIME is to blame.
I’m also offended that you think they don’t raise their voices for people of skin color other than their own.” Taylor Swift hasn’t done a thing for WOC. She’s never spoken up for WOC in any aspect. AT ALL. She talks about her damn cats and now she’s on this stupid ass snake thing, so shut up.
Interesting article. Just to add, Taylor Swift funded Kesha’s fight in court and she helps fund other women’s lawsuits as well. She is very quiet in her activism, that’s why it’s not all over the media. Perhaps a little more research was needed for this article.
The DJ was in a position of power. He can say anything he wants about her. Or not choose to play her music
Sounds like this blogger is simply jealous of her fame.
[…] never not been silent. But so many others have written about this much more articulately than me. Luvvie nailed it, Vox weighed it out, even The Washington Post had some hesitation to blithely accept her […]
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