Is Taylor Swift Promoting Sexist Ideologies?

"Blank Space" from Taylor Swift’s most recent record, 1989 has been one of her top selling tracks to date. The catchy tune and synthy pop beat rocketed this song straight to the top of the charts, and kept it there. A song like this that reaches (and potentially influences) such a large demographic is able raise some interesting questions: What kind of ideologies does this song promote? Should Swift have released a controversial track like this knowing that the majority of her audience is impressionable young people, many of whom idolize her or see her as their role model? And finally, Does Swift realize that a vast number of listeners will not know that the actual goal of the lyrics and music video for this song is to combat the sexist stereotypes that it appears to be promoting?

 "Blank Space" ​perpetuates​ ​female​ ​stereotypes​ ​through​ ​both​ ​the​ ​song’s​ ​lyrics​ ​and​ ​music
video.​ ​The​ ​promotion​ ​of​ ​these​ ​false​ ​and outdated​ ​ideologies​ ​in​ ​today’s​ ​pop​ ​culture​ ​provide​ ​ammunition​ ​for those​ ​that​ ​believe​ ​these​ ​stereotypes​​ ​to​ ​use​ ​against​ ​someone​ ​who​ ​may​ ​be​ ​trying​ ​to​ ​educate them​ ​on​ ​what​ ​the​ ​reality​ ​is. The​ ​song​ ​opens​ ​with

​ ​“Nice​ ​to meet​ ​you,​ ​where’ve​ ​you​ ​been?​ ​I​ ​could​ ​show​ ​you​ ​incredible​ ​things”​ 

​and​ ​later​ ​continues​ ​with

​ ​“’Oh​ ​my​ ​God, look​ ​at​ ​that​ ​face, You​ ​look​ ​like​ ​my​ ​next​ ​mistake’”.

 Immediately,​ ​we​ ​know​ ​from​ ​this​ line ​that​ ​the​ ​character​ ​Swift is​ ​portraying ​​is​ ​not​ ​taking​ ​the​ ​relationship​ ​so​ ​seriously, and is seeing her newest potential love interest as a strike on her tally board rather than a human being. This promotes the idea that women like to jump from partner to partner, and that that is an inherently bad and unnatural thing. ​Swift​ goes on to ​describes ​love​ ​as​ ​“a game”,​ ​and​ ​asks​ ​if​ ​her targeted partner​ ​“want​[s] ​to​ ​play”,​ ​indicating​ ​that relationships​ ​are​ ​a​ ​joke​ ​to​ ​this character,​ ​and​ ​that​ ​she​ ​will​ ​move on​ ​quickly​ ​after​ ​she gets bored of you. This suggests that essentially all women will do the same.​ ​

The​ ​song​ ​continues​ ​to​ ​use​ ​its​ ​lyrics​ ​to​ ​get​ ​across​ ​this​ ​image​ ​of​ ​a flighty, jet-setting, wild woman​ ​until​ ​suddenly​ ​Swift​ ​becomes increasingly more​ ​aggressive​ ​and​ ​volatile,​ ​singing​ ​

“Wait, the​ ​worst​ ​is​ ​yet​ ​to​ ​come,​ ​oh​ ​no Screaming,​ ​crying,​ ​perfect​ ​storms I​ ​can​ ​make​ ​all​ ​the​ ​tables​ ​turn, rose gardens​ ​filled​ ​with​ ​thorns, keep​ ​you​ ​second​ ​guessing​ ​like​ ​‘Oh​ ​my​ ​God,​ ​who​ ​is​ ​she?’ I​ ​get​ ​drunk​ ​on​ ​jealousy, But​ ​you'll​ ​come​ ​back​ ​each​ ​time​ ​you​ ​leave, cause​ ​darling​ ​I'm​ ​a​ ​nightmare dressed​ ​like​ ​a​ ​daydream”.​ 

​It​ ​is​ ​here​ ​in​ ​the​ ​song​ ​that​ ​things​ ​start​ ​heading​ ​south at an alarming rate​ ​in this relationship​ ​when Swift’s character ​begins​ ​showing​ ​signs​ ​of​ ​manipulation ​and​ ​possessiveness​, potentially implying that women are fundamentally clingy and borderline abusive over their romantic partners if they are given any reason for distrust.

 ​When​ ​in​ ​the chorus​ ​Swift​ ​sings

​ ​“got​ ​a​ ​long​ ​list​ ​of​ ​ex-lovers,​ ​they'll​ ​tell​ ​you​ ​I'm​ ​insane”,​

 ​it​ ​clues​ ​the​ ​listener​ ​in​ ​on​ ​the​ ​fact that​ any number of men​ (a number for which Swift is shamed for) ​before​ ​Swift’s​ ​current​ ​partner​ ​have​ ​been​ ​exposed​ ​to​ ​her​ ​frightening​ ​behavior​ and left her for that reason.

The character Swift is playing and the critique of society that she was attempting to create through her lyrics and music video have likely fallen on countless pairs of deaf ears that have not realized that her goal was to comment on the power of false feminine ideologies rather than encourage them. By ironically playing right into modern society’s age-old views of women, she quite irresponsibly forgets to consider the average listener who may not know anything about Swift, other than the fact that in "Blank Space", she encourages the perpetuation of sexist ideologies.