Why Conservatives Who Hate Taylor Swift Are Losing The Culture War

The Swifties aren't the only ones obsessing over Taylor Swift – the popstar has permeated every corner of social media platforms, including conservative circles. But rather than right-wing individuals sharing reasonable opinions, they're spewing their intense hatred for her, making speculations about her fertility, making fun of her looks, and claiming that she's a psyop to steal the election. Anyone not glued to their phone screens would think these people are off their rocker.

Note that, for the rest of this article, when I refer to conservatives, the right-wing, or red pill space, I don't mean everyone who identifies as conservative or right-wing. There are plenty of conservatives condemning those who are incessantly hating on women and Swift. I'm specifically talking about the fraction of people in that space who participate in the manosphere and the personalities who have accumulated a similar follower base.

As someone who has to keep up with the current trends and viral social media posts or stories, I, too, am tired of Taylor Swift. However, I simply scroll by when I see her content. Or I write about her, and I continue with my day. But instead of conservatives on X (formerly Twitter) stating their annoyance and moving on, they're just coming up with the most asinine, misogynistic opinions. And unfortunately, their ideas are spreading to men or Pearl knock-offs and are only pushing women away. 

Taylor Swift vs. Conservatives

A prime example was a recent podcast episode featuring Turning Point CEO Charlie Kirk. Recently, Kirk and his ThoughtCrime co-hosts went off on Swift. To summarize the 25-minute rant, the "Anti-Hero" singer is...

• colonizing the culture

• not very talented

• ugly

• likely has no eggs left

• is "bitter" and "angry" (pot, meet kettle)

• has awful "feminist" takes

• a "liar" and is pitting women against men (do they not hear themselves?)

• "probably hates" her fans

• is dressed like a stripper and influences fans to dress "sluttier"

• making "women hate everyone," and that her following is a "cult"

• a bad role model and is not a good person

• going to "destroy the country"

According to the men, Swift also has...

• concerts that are "awful" and "miserable" that consist of "all women and gays"

• fans who are miserable

• a body count that "will have a museum and galleria dedicated to it at the end of her career"

• fake male fans that are only trying to "impress women"

Lastly, they made unhinged jokes about Swift's and Travis Kelce's deaths, stating that their relationship could end in a "suicide pact" and that the Covid-19 vaccine could "make Travis Kelce drop in the middle of practice," a scenario that Neff deemed would be "more fun." 

The irony is that plenty of men who agree with these takes have wives who had children in their 30s, and one-third of infertility cases are caused by male reproductive issues. Can you imagine if more women obsessed over men's sperm quality?

Comedian Owen Benjamin jumped on the hate train as well. He questions why Travis Kelce, "a guy worth like 100 million dollars marry someone" basic like Swift. He also says that "34 is literally middle-aged," even though Benjamin's mother had him when she was 38.

Women Are Turning Away from Conservatism

Other men on X have echoed these statements. I know people will think, “Oh, boo-hoo, that poor billionaire woman,” but what they don’t realize is that their harmful comments are internalized by the "average" American women who read them online. The women who aren’t even T-Swift fans will likely read these hurtful comments and begin to think that men only care about their youthfulness, appearance, and egg count. They believe they are being reduced to their bodies, that they’re a mere function, an it, rather than a living, breathing being with thoughts, bodily autonomy, and emotions. Additionally, the red pill men blame the modern woman and second-wave feminism for everything, as if today’s woman played a role in the '60s movement. Then, they’re constantly telling them to find a husband, that they’re nothing without one, that they’ll “hit the wall,” and to have kids as soon as possible (and to make many of them). They should cook, clean, and not be fat. 

Tell me, does any of this sound enticing? Does it make women want to get married or become conservatives? Or do most of these talking points only sound like they benefit the guys spewing them? It makes sense, then, why so many women are turning away from conservatism and are falling into other ideologies that are also harmful, like liberalism or “empowerment” feminism that promotes promiscuity, sex work, big pharma, consumerism, etcetera. 

I believe that a lot of young women have a rebellious nature. The issue is that they think they are rebelling against the conservatives by going too far left, and while they are responsible for their own actions, I need the right-wing space to see that they are doing just as much of the influencing as the left they claim to despise. The red pill men continuously complain about misandry without realizing that they’re fueling it. They’re acting like Swift is the supervillain that will send our country to ruin – when conservative individuals are actually playing a role in society’s downfall by lacking empathy, creativity, and awareness. They are losing the culture war, and they’re wasting too much time gossiping about Swift to recognize that they’re a part of the problem. I don’t agree with Swift’s politics either. But through her music, kindness, and talent, she’s able to encourage millions of people to vote for democracy. Her political stances are also not new. She's always been pretty liberal. Anyway, badmouthing young people and making fun of them when they complain about being overworked and underpaid, telling them that they're too sensitive or that they'll be alone in their 40s isn't going to make them want to vote for Trump.

Conservatives are failing to convince a lot of young people to join their side because their commentary (specifically those geared at women and Gen Z) is hateful. It’s all about logic when it comes to their discussions, and so they have a difficult time influencing via emotions and art – which, in my opinion, are incredible tools for shifting the public's perception. Additionally, this outrage toward Swift is bad optics. Recently, Jimmy Kimmell gave his audience the run-down on "conservatives versus Swift," and I hate that he said no lies. The Republicans look crazy now.

Now, all of this is not to say that every conservative influencer has lost it. There are conservative men out there who value women and respect them. I see how much they sacrifice for their wives and daughters. Others have condemned the T-Swift outrage.

Matt Walsh, for example, was very reasonable when it came to Swift. Like many, he believes the hate toward the popstar is unnecessary, especially when Cardi B. is singing about WAP, and Ariana Grande faces “homewrecking” allegations and brags about giving her cat to a man from 9 to 5, 5 to 9. Tons of musicians are desensitizing the youth to sex, drugs, and reckless behavior. Swift sings about love and heartbreak. The horror.

“If I were to make a list of the most degenerate and objectionable pop stars who have done the most harm to our culture and the most damage to young minds, Taylor Swift wouldn't even make the top 50,” Walsh said. “Not sure why she has become the focus of our wrath.”

Don't let Kirk put a bad name on Turning Point USA, either. Alex Clark, host of Poplitics, never misses when it comes to these cultural topics, and believes that the Trump vs Taylor dialogue is a no-go. “Shifting the conversation to be Trump vs Taylor instead of Trump vs Biden is a waste of time, looks terrible in optics, and convinces no new voters to vote for us," Clark wrote in an email to Evie. "Taylor Swift is a liberal, she’s been endorsing candidates since 2018. That isn’t new. But telling everyone she is a huge threat to the Republican Party and wields all the power will make all of this a self-fulfilling prophecy.”

Hannah Cox, president and cofounder of BASEDPolitics, wrote on the platform: “Conservative donors: ‘how do we reach the next generation with our ideas and save this country?!’

No one

Still no one

The weird man child conservative donors give millions to for ‘youth’ outreach: ‘DOES TAYLOR SWIFT HAVE ANY EGGS LEFT?’”

I’m saddened by what conservatism on social media has become. In 2020, during the pandemic, I made a lot of conservative friends online. Over time, it started getting nasty, and the community felt like it was no longer about patriotism. Now, the right-wing circle on X has turned into everyone arguing with each other about the gender divide. They're stuck in an endless loop of men vs women, left vs right. It feels like a dysfunctional family with a lot of in-fighting. There's no resolution; only 280 to 2,000 characters of the same opinions that have been tweeted before. It wasn’t until I logged off and stayed away for months that I realized how awful that echo chamber was. The real world is much better. My conservative – and some liberal – friends in real life aren’t full of hate like both sides claim to harbor. We all realize that, for the most part, we all want the same thing in society. That we’re all getting screwed by the same people in government. We have a lot more in common than we realize. We’re able to get along, work together, and influence each other to become better and do more for our community because we’re bonding over beauty and art; we're connecting and actually listening to each other.

So, perhaps it's time to step away from the circle-jerking on podcasts and X and go have conversations that can lead to real change. They can create something beautiful that inspires. Documentaries that show what harmful ideologies and narratives have done to society, or the conservative women and men who are focused on creating a better future. But let's face it – the dopamine hits from likes and retweets and invisible back pats from insecure fans are much more gratifying and profitable.

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