If it wasn't Swift, it'd be someone else. See similar outrage over Greenday a few weeks back & I'm sure there's a laundry list of artists getting into spats with the American right-wing; christ let's take a moment to remember the Dixie Chicks having the gall to criticise Bush II / Iraq II - the right responding with almost pavlovian inevitability. It probably helps if it's a lippy woman; nothing the american right hate more than a woman with notions.
As I see it, the problem will always remain that by its own nature, art/entertainment leans liberal & left wing. It's almost impossible to create anything that talks of or details the human condition - even as a frivolous chirpy pop song - without having self-awareness to interrogate the world within. Conservatism by its own nature says "everything's OK the way it is, don't change things [or roll things back please, change is scary]". There's an emotional and intellectual curiosity that drives art that is antithetical to how MAGA et al thinks. Even at the level of Taylor Swift. Obviously IMO etc.
My theory is its their own internal reaction and rationalisation of their failure to fulfil the "American Dream".
They've been duped by rhetoric along the lines of: "The Land of Opportunities/the Greatest Country on Earth is the place where anyone can become a gazillionaire if you just work hard enough. It doesn't matter if you're starting with nothing, the sky's the limit if you have a dream and initiative. It's perfectly normal to work three jobs and have student debt hanging over you for your entire life. These are the sacrifices you make when you bet on being a success. And you'll be a success 'cos Capitalism kicks ass! You don't need social security or state supports; that's for Commies and losers. You will be a winner if you want it and work hard enough!"
Believing in that places the responsibility on the individual and blames them if they fail while ignoring the fact that not everyone starts off equal and not everyone will get the same opportunities as imperfect as that may be. A shining example is Trump himself; he simply wouldn't have reached the level he has if he had started off with nothing
Rather than admitting to themselves that they've fallen for the lie and their own country doesn't care about them and (worse) that they didn't want it enough or work hard enough, they turn on people who have been successful and need to explain it away instead of acknowledging the broken system and its inherent bias and actually trying to fix the system.
Without the start, Trump would be very akin to Danny De Vito's Mr. Wormwood, the used car salesman in Matilda.
It's the angle used by all dangerous populist movements.
They target those that society has left behind , consciously or otherwise and they tell them that it's "them" that did it , it's "them" that are the source of all their problems.
Having bought that story back in 2015/2016 from Trump (when it was sort of believable before it became clear how awful he is) it's very very hard for them to admit that massive mistake.
They also still really believe that the Democrats aren't there for them, so given they have no 3rd option they are further incentivized to stick with the sunk cost of supporting Trump.
"If it wasn't Swift, it'd be someone else. See similar outrage over Greenday a few weeks back & I'm sure there's a laundry list of artists getting into spats with the American right-wing; christ let's take a moment to remember the Dixie Chicks having the gall to criticise Bush II / Iraq II - the right responding with almost pavlovian inevitability. It probably helps if it's a lippy woman; nothing the american right hate more than a woman with notions."
"Fear not MAGA.... we have Kid Rock!"
Who would have thought in 2024, it would be MAGA vs Swifties? Is this actually world war 3?
Y'all Qaeda is the terrorist arm of Howdy Arabia.
Proud partners of Hee Haw Hezbollah
And
Can't take credit. Not sure if Beau can either, but who knows https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkjEg67j9mg
$34.99 on his truth social if you want 1.
Sell 2.4 million and Mrs Carroll is payed
Beau isn't happy in that video. Though, +1 for the Flying Spaghetti Monster shirt. He has the best shirts.
Also there's Yee Hawdist
I didn't come up with it.
Made in China I assume???
I'm fairly sure the local headcades are probably going on with the what about Muslims etc in relation to the incident.
So if "The Chump" is looking for a high flying lawyer to handle his already doomed appeal does that mean "Hopeless Habba" has got the boot?
Legal Eagle dunks on the Carrol verdict by unpacking the facts and fumbles of the Trump defense
Gravy Seals would be top for me.
Or their upper echelon, Meal Team Six
Haberman, who frequently gets into phone calls with Trump, is something of a journalistic expert on Trumpism, and she alleges that MAGA probably isn't bothered by their money going toward his legal battles:
If they did that would hemorrhage his support amongst his supporters pretty quickly.
It is their version of piety to the nobler cause,I guess.
It is good that he seems to be avoiding attacking Carroll,although I wonder what the fine would rise to if he carried on.
IDK, but probably in a straight line aligning with 5M to 83.3M.
I am borrowing that.
Hes on his best behaviour now but there is no way in hell that he wont eventually just default to slandering her again thanks to his attention span and malignant narcissism
And the neurosyphilis.
Demonstrates that money is in fact something he worries about, otherwise he'd be berating her still.
It's the ONLY thing that he cares about.
He didn't turn up to the First case, but when there was money included he was there.
The only other case that he attended was the NY fraud case, again because they are going after his money.
Money is how you hurt him, in fact it's the only way.
Swift is such a mainstream megastar that her fandom is surely going to overlap with Trump voters and a certain amount of MAGA maniacs. I would have to think her management has crunched the numbers on what a potential endorsement of Biden or criticism of Trump would mean for her music, merch and tour revenue.
It may be correct to say that Swift is more popular, but MAGA hats are nuts. If Trump views her as a genuine threat to his campaign, he'll pull no punches in attempting to make her life a complete misery. He has no scruples.
You'd have to assume she's aware of the risks, which makes her braver than almost the entirety of the GOP.
He'd turn the dogs on her without a second thought in plain sight of the world, and his defenders will still explain how he didn't mean that and he's misunderstood. The yearning for a daddy dictator to tell people what to think is very strong in the IQ deficient MAGA population.
Swift has a huge amount of influence in the US at the moment. Was reading earlier that the NFL have a dollar figure for her value to the sport so far from when she turns up at her boyfriends football games. And it's north of $300 million. They reckon 500,000 young women registered to vote after she put a call out. Trump might want to go after her, but he'd be an idiot ( I know, I know) as she'd shred him to pieces. She's popular, talented, rich, politically savvy and ruthless. He'd have a better chance of ousting the Ayatollah of Iran than dethroning the current queen of pop.
