Awful Announcing
Newsweek has some serious explaining to do to not just Swifties, but pretty much everyone else who is living on Planet Earth. The legacy outlet published a column from author John Mac Ghlionn earlier this week that can’t just be classified as a hot take, but one that is scorching as hot as the surface of the sun. And it targets Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.
The story’s headline is “Taylor Swift Is Not a Good Role Model” and you can imagine where this is headed.
The main thrust of Ghlionn’s argument is that Swift hasn’t yet fulfilled her evolutionary responsibilities of procreation and is unmarried. Therefore, she is not who young women should aspire to be. We wish that we were making this up.
At 34, Swift remains unmarried and childless, a fact that some might argue is irrelevant to her status as a role model. But, I suggest, it’s crucial to consider what kind of example this sets for young girls. A role model, by definition, is someone worthy of imitation. While Swift’s musical talent and business acumen are certainly admirable, even laudable, we must ask if her personal life choices are ones we want our sisters and daughters to emulate. This might sound like pearl-clutching preaching, but it’s a concern rooted in sound reasoning.
Would you want your sisters and daughters to be beloved by billions of people and be one of the most successful people who has ever lived? Balderdash! This is sound reasoning!
Ghlionn also went after Swift’s different dating partners over the years and then has the actual nerve to say that it’s not an attack against Swift, but he’s just merely asking the question. You’d find better arguments in an Aaron Rodgers conspiracy podcast.
Swift’s highly publicized romantic life has been a source of prime tabloid fodder for years. She has dated numerous high-profile men—at least a dozen—including the singers Harry Styles and Joe Jonas, the actor Jake Gyllenhaal, and, more recently, the American football player Travis Kelce. This revolving door of relationships may reflect the normal dating experiences of many young women in today’s world, but it also raises questions about stability, commitment, and even love itself. Should we encourage young girls to see the “Swift standard” as the norm, something to aspire to? Or should we be promoting something a little more, shall we say, wholesome? Would any loving parent reading this want their daughter to date 12 different men in the span of just a few years? This is not an attack on Swift; it’s a valid question that is worth asking.
Finally, there’s the kicker, which is the predictable dig at Swift’s relationship with Travis Kelce and the writer’s bold prediction that it likely isn’t built to last.
While it’s true that young men need better role models, the same is equally true for young women. Swift and Kelce may last, and I hope they do. But, judging by her record, the odds aren’t great. Swift’s talent for sparking conversations, driving engagement, and raking in profits is commendable. Yet, admiration should not blindly follow. Her life, meticulously managed by a PR machine, represents a filtered façade rather than genuine reality. What young girls truly need, perhaps without fully recognizing it, are role models who provide both authenticity and actual depth, rather than artificial narratives and superficial glamor.
Of course, this is just using what little observational skills we have, but Kelce and Swift actually seem pretty happy together!
In case you’re wondering how a nearly 100 year old publication has gone off the deep end, Newsweek has embraced far-right political opinion with senior editor Josh Hammer in place. And if you’re thinking that this insane Taylor Swift column is something that looks like it should have run on a far-right conspiracy website like the Epoch Times, you’re right! The author, Ghilon, is a columnist there as well.
Who should Americans consider as role models according to Ghilon? Naturally, he wrote on the Epoch Times earlier this year an article entitled, “What Dana White can teach the men of America.” This is the same Dana White that was videotaped striking his wife a year ago.
In what universe is Dana White a role model but Taylor Swift isn’t? Sadly, it’s the one we’re living in right now.
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC’s Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.
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After the Indiana Fever beat the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday, the Fever’s social media team brought back Diana Taurasi’s comments on Caitlin Clark.
College Basketball
“Ask yourself, Is reporting this information worth this person never talking to you again.”
Netflix
The Championships, Wimbledon begins a fortnight of tennis at SW19 in London on ESPN’s platforms.
“I’ll be the first to announce that I’ll be doing the Home Run Derby this year.”
