Why are some of Hollywood's funniest ladies piling on Taylor Swift?
Late-night comedy star Chelsea Handler was the latest to take a jab at the popular 22-year-old singer and her boyfriend problems.
“My theory about Taylor Swift is that she’s a virgin,” Handler, 38, told Andy Cohen on Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live.” “That everyone breaks up with her because they date her for two weeks and she’s like, ‘I’m not gonna do it.’ And they’re like, ‘Oh, well, forget it. Then I don’t want to date you.’”
Comics are paid to tell jokes, but did Handler's personal poke go too far, especially given the tender age of many of the singer's biggest fan?
“As a young woman the same age as Swift, this ‘joke’ infuriates me. Comedians are often absolved from playing by the rules in the name of humor, but Handler goes too far here. Handler basically sends the message to young women that, ‘if you don’t want to go all the way with a guy, you’re a loser. If you don’t have sex with a guy, he’s going to leave you,’” Katie Yoder of the Culture Media Institute told FOX411’s Pop Tarts column. “She degrades women and their relationship choices while pressuring them to go all the way when it comes to guys.”
Handler's comments came on the heels of the much-publicized ribbing Swift took from Amy Poehler and Tina Fey at the 2013 Golden Globes.
“There’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women,” Swift told Vanity Fair in response to having been mocked by the hosts when they cautioned her to “stay away” from Michael J. Fox’s 23-year-old son on the telecast.
Fey responded that hers was just a "light-hearted joke," but Hollywood-based public relations expert Michelle Vink said the humor went too far.
“I don’t understand the allure of ‘mean girl’ humor in the first place. Last time I checked, we were trying to fight the war on bullying,” she said. “Taylor is an easy target. It would certainly be more refreshing to see compassion and support amongst the female population in Hollywood. With all the celebrity support on being better role models and supporting fellow women, it seems a little counter-productive to be laughing it off in the next breath.”
On that note, it seems that in Hollywood, it’s bad to be bad, but maybe worse to be good. Unlike other former teen stars like Miley Cyrus, Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan, and let’s face it, a large portion of the young Hollywood community, Swift has proven to be a top role model for girls. She has never shot a sex tape or got down and dirty for a movie role or magazine shoot, she has never been busted for drunken driving or doing drugs, nor we do we see her stumbling out of nightclubs in the wee hours of the morning and/or wearing see-through tops on a red carpet.
Instead, Swift is one of the biggest moneymakers in the music industry who meticulously runs her own empire, wears country boots and '60s style dresses, and whose biggest crime may be holding hands with famous boyfriends and pouring out her broken heart in a song (songs she writes herself, which isn’t always the norm in the music industry, either). So is Hollywood, a community that often prides itself on fighting sexism, bringing women up and rallying against the GOP’s so-called “War on Women,” waging its own war against successful females?
“Taylor shines as a model for young girls, and Hollywood unabashedly goes after her,” Yoder said. “A culture that proclaims women’s rights should be fighting for Swift’s dignity and recognizing the damage that Hollywood and the media create – to Swift and young women fans – by poking fun at personal problems.”
However, others argue that Swift leaves herself open and vulnerable to jabs, given that first, she is in the spotlight, and second, almost every song she has penned over the years relates to dating debacles and boyfriend blues.
"With fame comes scrutiny. And rightly or wrongly, a few incidents can quickly define celebrity, particularly the young,” observed Ronn Torossian of 5WPR. “There's no question that every celebrity who goes through puberty in front of the media has their teenage adventures follow them into adulthood. Of course, Taylor Swift exacerbated the scrutiny when she chose to sing about some of her paramours."
But it seems Swift has no plans to alter her lyrical decisions, and is not afraid to bite back against her Tinseltown teasers.
“I think it is something that potentially should be celebrated,” Swift told Vanity Fair. “A woman writing about her feelings in a confessional way – that’s taking it and turning it and twisting it into something that is frankly a little sexist.”
Maybe it has to do with the fact that their issues were not key months in fashion...Taylor was on the February cover and Rihanna the November, which are hardly significant compared to September, obviously (Gaga) or March (Adele), which would also explain why those two in particular sold so well. It's not necessarily about the celebrity all the time, in my opinion. When I decide whether or not to buy Harper's Bazaar, Glamour, or InStyle, it's because I want to see the editorials and coverage of the new season, not because I like or dislike who's on the cover.
Although for Cosmopolitan, as we all know, it's a little different because it's not a predominantly fashion/style magazine. I would imagine Taylor is a poor fit for them anyway. Obviously she's more clean-cut than the average Cosmo cover star, and she doesn't have that so-called juicy, scandal-clouded life that seems to attract the most attention with magazines like that.
Realistic comment on fashionista's magazine sales article.
Trying to get Her sleepover BFF to explore the female persuasion.
Fall in love with strangers
Her BFF is seeing the Lord in a different light, as if She were a stranger... A sexy stranger...
Happy, free, confused and lonely
Happy = definition of gay. Free because 22 is the time to explore your sexuality. Confused about Her sexuality. Lonely because She doesn't know who She can talk to about Her desires.
We won't be sleeping!
No sh*t.
You look like bad news
The headlines would be horrible if the media found out. It would literally be bad news.
I gotta have you
Well we know She's not at a club because She and Her BFFs ditched the "whole scene" so who else could She be addressing other than one of the girls?
For breakfast at midnight
We know what the Lord will be eating.
Tonight's the night when we forget about the heartbreaks
Her sleepover buddies should stop making fun of their exes and enjoy some no-strings-attached lesbian love.
Trying to get Her sleepover BFF to explore the female persuasion.
Fall in love with strangers
Her BFF is seeing the Lord in a different light, as if She were a stranger... A sexy stranger...
Happy, free, confused and lonely
Happy = definition of gay. Free because 22 is the time to explore your sexuality. Confused about Her sexuality. Lonely because She doesn't know who She can talk to about Her desires.
We won't be sleeping!
No sh*t.
You look like bad news
The headlines would be horrible if the media found out. It would literally be bad news.
I gotta have you
Well we know She's not at a club because She and Her BFFs ditched the "whole scene" so who else could She be addressing other than one of the girls?
For breakfast at midnight
We know what the Lord will be eating.
Tonight's the night when we forget about the heartbreaks
Her sleepover buddies should stop making fun of their exes and enjoy some no-strings-attached lesbian love.
Steven Tyler Calls Taylor Swift "Hot," Says He Wants to "Write a Song With Her"
Taylor Swift, meet your next rock star beau: Steven Tyler! The Aerosmith frontman told Us Weekly on March 10 at the John Varvatos 10th Annual Stuart House Benefit in West Hollywood that he thought the "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" singer was "hot."
Responding to a fun question about who he'd intern for, the 64-year-old rock legend responded, "She's blonde with all the hits. Taylor Swift. She's hot."
"More than that, she's beyond talented," he continued of the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, 23. "I have to write a song with her."
The fact that people think all the Lord's songs are autobiographical, but 'You Belong With Jesus' is written from a gay boy's perspective. One of Her holiest hymns.
Taylor Swift Helps Grieving Town With Donation to Newtown Auction
The tragedy of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings is still heavy on the hearts of so many, and there is nothing that can ease the horror of what happened in December 2012. However, there are several celebrities who are stepping out to continue supporting the families of the young victims, with donations to the Music for Newtown Auction. The lovely Taylor Swift has shown her support, donating an autographed electric guitar.
ABC News reports that there are several other generous stars in addition to the ‘Begin Again’ hitmaker who have sent signed memorabilia to the auction, such as the Eagles, fun., Colbie Caillat, Gotye, Jessie J, Jewel and Five for Fighting.
Lots of terrific albums are up for grabs, as fun. donated a signed copy of ‘Some Nights’ and Gotye contributed a signed vinyl limited edition of his album ‘Making Mirrors.’ Additionally, some musicians have donated instruments, including a guitar signed by all four members of the Eagles. If auctioners want something a bit different, Caillat has offered an autographed copy of the ‘Archie’ comic book she was featured in and a signed copy of the ‘Breakthrough’ songbook. Four tickets to a May 27 taping of ’The Voice’ in Los Angeles have also been donated to the auction.
The Music for Newtown Auction runs from March 25-27 at MusicforNewtown.org. with all proceeds benefiting the Sandy Hook School Support Fund.
“One of my favorite things about the Red tour is that one of the main focuses I had was incorporating the element of surprise,” Tay said in a recent interview with ET. “Whether it was taking a song that [fans] knew we play and kind of reformulating the song to sound different than they expected, or seeing a different visual than they expected.
So Love Story will sound like the remix at the I heart Radio festival and the BBC concert?? I can dig it.
I hope she sings one of the songs off of the fearless deluxe version. Untouchable, Come in with the Rain, Superstar
And to whoever said she should sing Tied Together With A Smile that would be amazing
The fact that She went from singing "she's so high, high above me, she's so lovely" straight into "if you could see that I'm the one who understands you". Too obvious.
