#i get the frustration of people who called taylor a snake and a bitch going to shows cause it’s cool to like her again

[folklorefairy]

i can’t stand swifties

[mileycfan4eva33]

Fandom: SVU

Title:Epitaph Song

Chapter: 1 Down South

P O V: Amanda Rollins

Billy's Diner

Loganville, GA 2020

(A/N: Thank you as always for the readers who take the time to review, favorite or follow. As usual I own none of these SVU characters just my original characters. All others belong to NBC, Dick Wolf and Wold Ent. Jessie, Billie do not exist in this fic, I am still deciding if Noah dose or not. If you have a preference as to if you want Noah in it or not hit me up reviews motivate me.)

"Oh, Air Condition, thank God! It's hotter than a roasted pig on a skewer out there." Olivia Benson's laugh is light and airy as we enter the restaurant. "Oh, Amanda, I love your expressions, don't ever change. Seriously your southern drawl is so cute. Don't ever lose it."

"No worries, Olivia; it's been nearly ten years since I moved to New York. I haven't lost it yet." "Thanks again for coming down south with me. It means a lot."

"Your welcome Amanda, are you feeling any better since this weekend?" Shaking the soreness out of my weary bones I feel a yawn snaking up my jawlines as I try to fight it off to no avail, the yawn is relentless in its attempt to escape.

"A little thanks I am still tired and nausea I don't know why I slept all weekend, yet I still feel dizziness not as much as this weekend, but I am still weakened almost as if I am drained of all energy." Sliding into the booth, I lean back against the cool plastic backboard. "I'm sorry for calling out on you this weekend, Captain."

"Amanda, please, stop don't worry about it your health is too important don't apologize." "I am sorry, Liv, not just for this weekend, but now we're both away from NYC."

"Because your dad passed away, Amanda, we're not here on vacation. Kat and Fin understand, and Chief Garland sent two detectives to help out, SVU is covered. Please take some of this concern and apply it to yourself; you lost your dad. I know you haven't been close to him in years, but he is still your dad, give yourself the allowance to mourn, Amanda. Don't hide your emotions down and pretend that everything is perfectly fine."

"I don't think it's hit me yet, Olivia. I just don't feel anything." Olivia's hand slips over my hand as we lay them on the table, waiting on the waitress to come over to us. "It will Amanda, I don't know when sweetie, it may take weeks, days, months, but it will hit you. I just want you to know that I am here, honey, whenever you want to talk."

"Thank you, Liv; I appreciate this jester I know we haven't always been close, but I love the friendship that has been built over the last four years." "As do I Amanda. I love the trust that we've built within each other, the respect. Where is the waitress?"

"Liv, it's the south; we take our sweet time with everything, ain't no rushin' in the country life."

"You ever miss living down here, Peach?" "Honestly, Liv, there are parts I miss like my family, friends. I miss the comfort in knowing there is always someone here who will have your back. What I don't miss is everyone knowing everyone else business."

"Is that a true thing? Everyone else knows each other's business?"

As if God was given me a clue incomes Betsy Jane Rose "Oh, my bless my heart Amanda-Taylor Rollins, is that truly you?" I pick my head up, gritting my teeth as she comes flying inside the restaurant arms wild "Betsy Jane Mary-Sue it sure is, wow child it's been yonders since you've rolled back into these parts."

"Oh, I am so sorry about your daddy, such a shame bless your heart honey-bee."

"Oh well, how sweet of you, Ms. Betsy, so very kind of you thank you, how did you hear about my daddy's passing per se? We didn't put it in the Tribune or online."

"Oh, Sugar, you know how these things work, Lord, who needs that dingy old paper when we gave word of mouth. Has it been that long Darlin? Surely you remember the good old Betsy-Jane- Mary-Sue train."

"Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit. Oh Amanda, let me enlighten you wow New York City has slapped you silly, child. Anyways So Mary-Jo Higgins oh heavens I was born at night, but not last night! Duh, of course, you don't know who Mary-Jo Higgins is, well back in our days of youth she went by Mary-Jo Robins, so any who baby, Mary-Jo is now an RN."

"That's a Registered Nurse, by the way." "Yes, Ms. Rose, I know what an RN is."

"So yeah Mary-Jo works a that's Loganville Medical Center where your daddy was brought to by the Ambulance. So Mary-Jo was there when he passed bless his heart so Mary-Jo well you know good ol' Mary-Jo never could keep a secret so of course, she told her Mama who had to run down to the Salon to say to Ms. Sue who of course told the whole Salon."

Both of us laugh, "How did you find out, darlin?"

"Oh, you know this little thing called HIPPA they like to notify the Next of Kin, and since my parents you know divorced many moons ago, that would make me the eldest child his next of kin, since he hasn't gotten to remarry yet."

"Speaking of kin-folk dear, where is that sister of yours? She straighten her life out yet? Kimberly coming on her own?"

"No, Ma'am, I'm afraid she ain't gonna make it, you know the whole being in jail thing it kind of puts a cramp on a person's freedom. Thank you so much for coming over though, I sure don't want to keep you."

I don't give her a chance to answer quickly, sliding back into the booth turning to Olivia. Just as our waitress comes over. "good afternoon- honey pies, what can I get you ladies?" after we order, I lean back as Olivia starts to laugh, unable to hold in her amusement over Ms. Rose any longer. "So that's how news travels down south Captain." eagle eyeing Betsy across the room, I can already see she's on her cell phone. "Well, the whole damn town will know I am back soon enough." "that has to be frustrating, Amanda." "Oh, Liv, you ain't got a clue. Every day dealing with women like, is there any doubt about why I got out of here faster than a bat out of hell."

I stay silent about the other reason I left Georgia as soon as I was old enough my sexuality there's no room for differences here in the good old south. No way could I tell Olivia this though she has no idea I am a lesbian. "So, is your Mom coming?" "Lord, no Liv she's up in NY taking care of Mason, Mama said she was sorry the son of a bitch died, but she dumped his ass years ago, let his new hussy handle the affairs."

"My dear new sister, who I haven't even met yet. She's handling everything as per my dad's living will."

"Amanda, I am so sorry." "Don't be Olivia, I am fine." "Of course you are." I don't reply not because I don't have the response in me but because the doors burst open and a vast mass of people come pouring into the already packed diner.

"Amanda! It is true! You are back!" Tommy Jake Edwards "TJ" calls out "Yo Ms. Betsy Jane was right boys. Good Ol Rollins is back in town." there are rumblings from the entire group of men "Liv meet the former jocks of Loganville High School Pyro Red Devils who ruled LHS's halls from 1996-1999."

"Rollins, how can you sneak back into town and say nothing? Yo, Rollins, that is rude! I thought we were your boys!"

"Bump that T-rolls, I am pissed forget these clowns, I am your cousin! Uncle Jimmy is my kin-folk too. Where's my love?"

"Hey, Jensen, I just got back into town like literally ten minutes ago. I'm sorry it's been crazy these last few days. My head is still spinning. I haven't told anyone yet, sorry, truly."

Jensen's arms wrap around me tightly. "No worries, cuz. I got you. I am sorry I know you and your Pa wasn't close but damn it still sucks." "Thanks, Jensen, yeah, it does."

Coming out of his hug, I'm met by his brother Blake who I hug as tightly. "Yo boys will catch you later going to hang with family." the rest of the crew waves blowing me kisses as Liv, and I make room for these two. "Hi. I'm Olivia Benson, Amanda's boss, and friend."

"Oh honey-child we know who you are, we've heard all about you now haven't we Blake?" "Oh, yes, Yes, we have well let us introduce ourselves since Miss. Amanda has the manners of a pig. I am Blake Yankee; Jensen is my twin brother; our Mama is Amanda's dad sister."

"Were you three close growing up?" "Oh, tighter than chili papers, Mama, us, and our uncle TC's kids, our cousins Alonso and Scottie, are coming in tomorrow." "They called us the Rollin- Yankee-Terrors." Sipping my sweet tea, I groan, remembering all the names the seven of us use to get growing up. "don't tell her that she is my boss."

"Oh relax Junebug, it ain't like I told her about the time you put laxatives in Ernie Reynaldo's cornbread when you were ten and locked him in the outhouse for the whole day and told our teacher he ran away to the circus."

Olivia laughs so loudly. I feel my temperature rise in my face. "You what?" my face buries into the palms of my hands. "Yo, boy, that was nothing. Remember when we were twelve, and Kyle Kane told Manda she was uglier than a burnt barn, she took his pants and underwear while he was changing and threw it into the river."

Both boys bang on the table laughing, shoving each other as Olivia arched an eyebrow in my direction "Oh, yeah I do, she let the anger seethe inside all week till Saturday when the whole town was gathered for the annual fishing competition. When Kyle's dad was with the reporter for Atlanta news, Kyle comes walking bare-ass naked; the entire town saw him walking his little dude swinging in the breeze. Kyle was grounded for months. "

My embarrassment only increases as I lay my head down, groaning while all three laugh. "Oh, God, even as a kid, Amanda, you were a rule-breaker and a little shit-head." I feel Olivia's hand stroke mine laughing as she hangs her head down tears running down her face, which a lovely rose color.

I only pick my head up when the food arrives, feeling my whole body shiver and jolt as I lean back, smelling the greasy food. Reaching for the ketchup, I pop a fry in my mouth. I still can't shake this feeling of being drained or the tightness in my head.

"Oh My." another voice pops into my world as I see Mr. Jason Axson and Mrs. Janet Axson coming in with their two kids Christopher 17, Savannah 14. her voice cuts through the air. "How are you, Sugar?' "I am just peachy; thank you, just enjoying dinner with my family, here."

"Oh, of course, we don't mean to interrupt. You could use the food; obliviously, you are mighty thin sugar. Your daddy was right; they are working your tail to its bone up there in that big city unless you are sick again, darling."

"No Ma'am, I am right as a peach as I said, but I am trying to enjoy my dinner." "Yeah, Janet let these nice folks eat; worry about our own family; I do apologize, Miss. Amanda lovely to see you again, we shall pop in at another time."

Olivia's eyes stare right into mine. I know she's wondering about the "Are you sick again" line my face flushes as I look down, avoiding her eyes and the question. Another part of my past she has no idea about, My stomach rolls as I think about all the secrets and pressures I have on top of me, none of which Olivia needs to add to her plate.

"I need to use the bathroom, I'll be back, excuse me." getting up I start to head there, of course, a two-minute walk becomes ten as I am stopped by multiple people offering their condolences. My back hits the wall just as another wave of dizziness hits me; I do everything inside of me not to show it to anyone, I can see Olivia's eyes on me from across the room. Yet it isn't Olivia who catches my attention, rare I know.

This time, Savannah's voice so young, scared, and nervous. I am standing right next to their table as I hear Savannah say. "Mama, Daddy, I have something to tell you." Savannah's beautiful emerald eyes glisten as she stares at her parents. "I am a Lesbian, and I plan to come out this weekend at the prom."

Savannah's courage freezes me. I am forty and don't have the courage she has at fourteen-years-old. I can't think fast enough to react before her mom is out of her chair, smacking Savannah across her face. "You are not gay! Stop your lying, you fifthly whore! Who put these lies in your head? You are a good girl, a good baptist girl. Take it back!"

"No Mama, I can't I won't because I am gay, and yes I am a good girl, I am a baptist and MVP for the last two years in all the southern regions. I will play at college, and I will go pro, and my sexuality won't stop me from doing any of that."

"Fool, of course, it will, but you won't have to because you are not gay!"

"Mama, I am please just listen to me. Stop being such a bitch."

Her dad jumps up, grabbing at Savannah as I react, finally racing towards Savannah as Jason starts yelling. "Don't talk to your mother that way! Ever! No daughter of mine will be a sinner! I could deal with you being pregnant, not this! This is unforgivable. You either get over this phrase you little slut or you are OUT OF THIS FAMILY! Let's go now, Christopher, Janet leave her."

I hurry towards Savannah, who is trying with her whole body to remain strong as her family walks out. I know her face is stinging from the assault, but it's nothing like the pain in her soul. The rest of the restaurant sits there, not offering to help just turning to their families. My hands connect to Savannah's as I help her sit down "Sweetie, I am so sorry that your parents reacted to you."

"It's okay, ma'am, I excepted this. It was so so stupid-crazy to even except for any different outcome."

"No honey, it isn't it's not crazy or stupid to except unconditional love from your family; that's what parents are supposed to do. Of course, you wanted to tell them living in secrets, hiding who you are, it's exhausting. The if only or what-ifs or the I should have's, they take their tolls."

"It's 2020, not 1990 times have changed; maybe the south should catch up." My hands rub Savannah's back softly. "I'm from here honey, so I get it baby-girl I know how scary accepting your sexuality is, I know how painful it is to hold this all inside, to feel as if you ain't normal simply because you don't feel fireworks when the popular jocks kiss you."

"I knew that when I was thirteen, I felt it already I was great to hang out with boys all day when it came to playing ball, or telling dirty jokes or pulling pranks, but when it came to who I was attracted to sexually or emotionally, guys they just didn't do it for me. I could feel myself gravitating toward girls in ways that I didn't with boys."

"Don't let your sexual identity label you or define you—whether it be as lesbian, bisexual, asexual, or another term—how you choose to label yourself is not based on a checklist. You can still be everything you just told your parents; you can play any instrument you want to learn, you can be the best damn softball player this world's ever seen."

"Savannah, I started figuring it out at thirteen, but I didn't let myself act physically until I was 16, I kissed a girl at a party for the first time, and it was magical. Everything flowed so naturally, my body just knew what to do. I reacted to her in a way that felt right—the way I had always envisioned the first kiss to be. I tried saying I was bisexual for a quick minute and even had sex with several guys to prove that I wasn't an abomination the way the church, my family, and everyone else in this town always said gay people are. Still, I could feel myself gravitating toward girls in ways that I didn't with boys."

"Did your family accept you?"

"I don't know I never told anyone I was too scared. It was a different time back then before it got better or internet support. There were no Gay pride parades even now at forty living in NYC, a place filled with cultural and sexuality differences. I am still living in that small-town mindset. I can't tell anyone. I can't even tell the woman who I am madly in love with who I know is so accepting of people. Because I am still afraid that even with an open mind as beautiful as Olivia's, I am afraid she'll reject me."

"Savannah, I know this feels like the end of the world right now, it's not I am right by your side. I will support you; you can stay with me. Will get through this together."

"Thank you, Miss. Amanda. Thank you so much. I think you should tell this Olivia lady how you feel. Even with my parent's rejection, I feel such a weight off my chest; I feel as if I can finally breathe."

"Amanda, maybe you should listen to Savannah, she seems like a brave young lady, and I love women who are strong in body, mind, and spirit. You have a very sexy strong body, and I know your mind is sharp, so if you get some balls Amanda and tell me how you feel face to face, I think we might be able to make a beautiful connection, of our minds, souls and our bodies." Olivia's voice completely freezes every sense, emotion and body function inside of me. I can't speak, think, move or even breathe.

Did she just hear me confess my deepest feelings for her?

[ts1989fanatic]

How reputation Helped Taylor Swift Completely Change Her Narrative

There's a process Taylor Swift goes through each time she sits down to write a song.

It's not as if she steps into the studio, list of former paramours in hand, rubs her hands together gleefully and thinks of all the ways she can call out her bad boy exes. Rather, her method of pulling lyrics from life experiences means she needs to be working through something, an issue spinning in her mind until she's able to memorialize it in verse.

Take the time she penned "All Too Well" about an unnamed ex-boyfriend who invited her over to his sister's house before casually discarding their relationship (but not her striped scarf). The hit, she shared during a Texas tour stop last October, "was born out of catharsis and venting and trying to get over something."

Which is pretty much how everything she creates springs to life. "When I write a song," she told the crowd, "it's usually me just trying to get past something and understand something I'm going through by writing about it."

And when she sat down to craft her latest disc, reputation, well, she had some things to say. The album was every bit the commercial success of her previous five, moving 1.2 million copies in its first week en route to becoming the bestseller of both 2017 and 2018. She added another three Billboard Music Awards to her trophy case, bringing her career haul to a record-breaking 23 and this Sunday she's up for Best Pop Vocal Album at the Grammys, where she's previously collected Album of the Year honors for both Fearless and 1989, making her the first female solo artist to do so twice.

An argument could certainly be made that the immensely popular disc was snubbed in the top category this year. But while those accolades would have been nice, it was never about that.

Rather, this time T. Swift had some important things to get off her chest.

Because her decision to remain out of the public eye for much of 2017 was never about a fear of oversaturation. The back half of 2016 hadn't been particularly kind to the 29-year-old, thanks to another highly publicized breakup and a handful of feuds, including one with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West that left the pop star fairly pointing out that she shouldn't have to be cool being reduced to the term "that bitch."

Not that it mattered. Sides had already been taken in the #KimExposedTaylorParty and those that weren't labeling Swift a snake were wondering if maybe she was kinda over.

So she laid off social media, ceased with her immaculately dressed trips to the gym and managed to disappear as she spent a solid year putting the finishing touches on reputation.

Her absence only served to make her fans' hearts grow fonder.

When she released her first single "Look What You Made Me Do" one Thursday night in late August 2017, a completely different sound dripping with revenge-laced lyrics such as, "Maybe I got mine, but you'll all get yours," it became the most played song in a single day on Spotify. After the video dropped, appropriately at MTV's Video Music Awards, it received 43 million YouTube views in 24 hours, besting Adele's previous record for "Hello" as viewers parsed every frame looking for the easter eggs that might provide a further glimpse into her disagreements with Kardashian, West and frenemy Katy Perry.

Like Swift's eventual tour, which would feature pyro explosions, oversized inflatable serpents and a 63-foot cobra named Karyn, it was heavy on the snake imagery, a choice Swift made quite deliberately. "A couple of years ago, someone called me a snake on social media and it caught on," she shared with those gathered at her May 8 tour opening.

"Then a lot of people were calling me a lot of things on social media and I went through some really low times for a while because of it. I went through some times when I didn't know if I was going to get to do this anymore."

Then she rose up from the dead and realized she wasn't about to go down without showing some fight. Now reveling in her rebirth, she shared, "I wanted to send a message to you guys, that if someone uses name calling to bully you on social media, and even if a lot of people jump on board with it, that doesn't have to defeat you. It can strengthen you instead."

And, then, just as it seemed as if the whole disc would be singularly focused on telling off those who had wronged her, she flipped that script, unveiling "End Game" and "Delicate" the types of romance and butterflies songs generally found in the Swift oeuvre.

"There was a bit of a bait-and-switch that happened with this album when we put out 'Look What You Made Me Do' and we're like, 'Guys, this album is gonna be one thing.' And then the album came out," she shared last August with the intimate crowd gathered at an AT&T-hosted Taylor Swift NOW concert in Chicago. Instead, she shared, per Us Weekly, people realized "it's legitimately an album about finding love throughout all the noise."

The journey began where she was at during the close of 2016, frustrated with the criticism and misinformed attacks on her character. "It starts with the noise and how that makes all you feel and how it makes you feel when people are saying things about you that you feel, like, aren't true and living your sort of life in defiance of that," she shared. "And then, sort of, in the middle of the album you kind of realize, 'How much do I really value that?' If you can find something real in spite of a bad reputation, then isn't that what matters the most to you? And doesn't it matter the most to you that you know who your real friends are now?"

Because what she had spent 2017 developing with boyfriend Joe Alwyn was undoubtedly real. Suddenly Swift was in love again and the unlikeliness this would occur while she was enduring the worst headlines of her career just made her treasure it all the more.

For the first time she realized she didn't owe anyone an unvarnished look at her most private relationship. Leaning heavily into the private jets and blacked-out sedans at her disposal along with UK customs officials willing to check her passport on the tarmac without her having set foot in any of London's airports, she had managed to keep her romance with the British actor, 27, completely under wraps until The Sun outed "Taylor's Secret Brit Love" in May of 2017. And being able to build a romance without, as she once described it, "20 men with cameras" tagging along, had only served to cement their bond, an insider telling E! News, "It's made things more special and sacred."

[originalswifty89]

She will always get the last word

I just kind of need to talk about it and get some feelings out, because it still frustrates me and I’m not going to ever get over how Taylor was completely taken advantage of.. okay maybe in like 15 years I’ll let it go, but not now.

Taylor has battled in order to overcome it all and has taken their insulting move and turned it into her armor and profit, but I STILL feel the aftermath. I was so unbelievably frustrated and angry for her, which is why I’m typing away and feel the need to recap and summarize.. over 3 years later. Buckle up for a long read or pass it up it you’re sick of the topic.

I’ve been trying to put it into coherent thoughts for three hours now... sorry

Taylor announced that National Snake Day is her favorite day of the year on July 17th 2018, the two year anniversary of the hurtful and deceptive actions brought against her by K&K and their faithful following. 

She made it plain that she was never told the full length of lyrics that were about her, that she was only told a particular part about how K thinks they’ll have sex. Which is what you hear on the snapchat video, the one in which they unlawfully recorded Taylor without consent. He never disclosed to her that he was calling her “that bitch” and that he made her famous and that THAT’S why she’ll have sex with him. He never told her that he was taking credit for her fame and that’s why she owes him sex. He never played the full song for her as promised. He also had asked her to promote the fucking thing on social media for him at the time. So SO SO low.

During the height of it all, the media was quick to pick sides and write their pieces on how Taylor “got caught, is saving face, is over, is trying to play the victim, is a SNAKE,” etc. People were fucking ruthless to Taylor, calling her a snake all day and leaving the emoji on every piece of her social media (I can’t blame her for leaving social media, deleting everything, and disallowing comments on her new posts), throwing “TS is over parties,” chanting “Fuck Taylor Swift” at a certain concert, ganging up on her, and attempting to diminish her right to react to the attack and giving their best efforts to belittle her very valid feelings. She was so attacked and feverishly backed into a corner.

Even after she made it clear that she wants to be left out of their narrative and their lives, and even after the evidence was apparent that she was not lying, people were STILL blind to her innocence in this mess and insistent on continuing the hate.

SO, here we are, over 3 years later.

💢She’s finally made peace with having her crown taken, having the castle crumble, and with understanding and accepting that not everyone’s opinion of you matters. She realized that it’s the people who truly know you, the people who you truly care for that make up the entirety of the “opinions” we should concern ourselves with and not those of the manipulative, egotistic, immature, desperate JOKERS of the world, or of the people who never bother to actually get to know you.

💢She has been in an amazing love with someone who, evidently, helped weather that storm for her. He helped her see the bigger picture and realize that this isn’t what her life is about, that a false reputation is not who she is and will not truly define her life in years to come. He helped her find her balance while on a tilted surface.

💢She’s breaking records left and right with her new albums. Their snake insult was her genius marketing tool helping her to break and set new records. She’s created an entirely different story.. one of love and happiness. Her strength has never been more apparent. 

I could not be more proud of the class act known as Taylor Swift!!! She is setting amazing examples of how to carry one’s self with self respect, dignity, and maturity while handling unfair and undeserved circumstances. She never sinks to other’s levels, she doesn’t cry out complaining how unfair it is, she doesn’t actually play the victim. She rises above it.

She doesn’t lash out at every turn. She has never been petty in her reactions. And she never gives up. No, she let’s the assailants think she’s going to show signs of weakness while they have her backed into that corner... but she doesn’t surrender...

SHE STRIKES LIKE THE TASTEFUL AND ELEGANT, BUT FIERCE COBRA SHE IS.

She does that all while doing better than she ever was.

Her true last word is KARMA. She is sincerely in a place of peace in her personal life, while her career has never been so elevated. Her revenge is living her best life and creating her best self yet, not paying attention to the people who don’t deserve it, high above where they could ever hope to reach her again. 

Big enough so they can’t hit her.

[soft-pages]

Why It Is Fun To Hate Taylor Swift

1. She writes songs about her past loves that are not always so subtle about who they are about. 

     People see this as offensive to men in the media they are fans of or in general because it is an invasion of some sort into the private lives of the men. People also see it as “whiny” and “annoying,” and “can she please just write about anything else?” Those men she writes about? Most of them, if they are artists, write or sing about love and their own personal relationships themselves. That’s not an invasion? Also, Taylor is invading her OWN personal life in order to release pent up feelings, free herself, and also let her listeners know that she relates to them. The more personal and less subtle, the more we can relate. Secrets and songs that are not on a deep personal level from an actual real experience just aren’t that relatable, and in my experience, don’t really help me when I’m going through something deep and personal. Relationships are not all she writes about. She has written about friendships (Fifteen), her mother (The Best Day), forgiveness (Innocent), a dying boy (Ronan), and even about her being the one doing wrong in a relationship (Back To December). People like Adele (literally every album, but more explicitly Someone Like You), Ed Sheeran (also every album, but more explicitly Don’t), and Justin Bieber (Sorry) don’t get criticism in this way. Why is that? If she is whiny and annoying, why are you listening to her? More importantly, why are you talking about her? Focus on people you actually can relate to and enjoy listening to. 

2. All she does is date. She jumps from guy to guy like it’s nothing.

       This goes along with the first and I think this is a super silly and played out thing for people to say about Miss Swift. Find something original. But even my mother says it. The media, including something as simple as the morning news or newspaper, has drilled it all into our heads as a “fact.” It’s not, though: http://taylorswift.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_Taylor_Swift%27s_ex-boyfriends. She is 27 going on 28. Eight seem like a very normal amount. She also has not dated one guy after another, unless you count Tom Hiddleston only weeks after her and Calvin Harris’ split, which I don’t, considering it’s one time and everyone has done something similar at some point. I am 21. I can tell you that I have dated much more than 8 men. No one is calling me out for it. It is NORMAL. More importantly, if all the men she has dated, and continues to date, obviously know about her reputation as a dater, then why do men keep dating her? If they know “she’s just going to write a song about them,” then why do they do it? Why are they not called out for it? Why is no one blamed but the woman the way women are always blamed? If it is just for publicity for themselves, then that is even more pathetic. Sounds like sexism to me. 

3. She’s fake.

       This really means “she’s too nice.” It’s as simple as that and you all know it. She acts humble when she receives an award, all of her interviews are her smiling and happy, she compliments people regularly, she donates to charity, she visits sick children and people in hospitals, she sends personal gifts to her fans, she defends everyone involved in the music making process and their right to be paid fairly, she is a supporter of all women and is open about this in all of her actions including her “squad,” etc, etc. She wants everyone to like her and she has cared about that up until her 1989 album. Her wanting everyone to like her has led her to mistakenly say things she didn’t mean. In a short twitter disagreement I’m sure some of you are aware of, Nicki calls out MTV for being racist and not including enough nominations or awards for those of color and different body types, and in the midst of this calls out videos nominated with slim women while the only other nomination including much women was Taylor’s. Taylor tweets Nicki saying “I’ve done nothing but love & support you. It’s unlike you to pit women against each other” and “If I win, please come up with me!! You’re invited to any stage I’m ever on.” Clearly she missed the point and later tweets Nicki “I thought I was being called out. I missed the point, I misunderstood, then misspoke. I’m sorry, Nicki.”  http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop-shop/6641794/taylor-swift-nicki-minaj-twitter-argument-timeline  If you’re not a fan of Taylor or even hate her, you might have seen this as her being just another white girl with white privilege who doesn’t know her place. Clearly, she is a white girl with privilege who, in this moment, was forgetting that she had this privilege, as many white people do. You forget that it’s not about joining someone up on stage, it’s about fighting for that person of color’s right to win and be the leader of the fight. You have to take yourself out of it and realize that if you are being called out in this way, it isn’t to be malicious, it is shine light on a problem in our society. Taylor missed this point because she is constantly trying to build up girls and women, and also in the fight against the media and haters who are always calling her out and hating on her for every little thing. I think her being called fake is purely because she has been in the limelight a long time and she is obviously trying to be nice to everyone at all times. That irks people. On a personal level, my own boyfriend told me that I irk people purely because I go out of my way to be nice: “your being too nice is frustrating and makes it seem like you can’t be a real person. A real person is mean sometimes.” Maybe that’s the same reason for Taylor, who knows.

4. She plays the victim. She lies.

       I’m putting these two together because I honestly barely understand why they are reasons. Is the victim thing because of her singing about being hurt in relationships? Is it because of the Kim & Kanye debacle or just all celebrity riffs? The only other riffs I can think of are with Calvin Harris and Katy Perry. Possibly some with women who were in her “squad” and now are not. I covered the relationships thing but the Katy thing? Seems kind of silly and the only one who has addressed it is Katy. She is the only one who has spoken semi-openly about it, as well as Calvin Harris. I feel Bad Blood is too strong of a song to be written about Katy. Plus, we all have had multiple friendships that have ended in a bad way but that doesn’t really mean we need to hate either person for it, especially since we are not even a part of that relationship and there were no actual confirming words on Taylor’s part. Calvin Harris is… honestly, I never cared for him. From his snapchats before dating Taylor Swift, he always seemed really immature. Taylor used a fake, Swedish name for “This Is What You Came For” just so that he would receive the spotlight alone and probably because he wanted to be immature and petty, she decided to say that she helped write it, which is rightful of her to do so. He was clearly petty like I thought he would be and went on a twitter rant while she sat back and didn’t say a word. Maybe that’s why she is viewed as playing the victim? Because she barely says anything and when she does, she apparently never takes the blame. This is obviously not true considering instances like her apology to Nicki. Also, her alleged song about Kanye (Innocent) with lyrics like “who you are is not what you did.” One more small example: Back To December, allegedly for Taylor Lautner with lyrics like “so this is me swallowing my pride, standing in front of you saying I’m sorry for that night.” Doesn’t seem victim-like to me. Next, she gets the trademark as a “liar” and a “snake.” This is because of ONE instance–the Kanye video where Taylor agrees to a line and later says she never agreed to it in Kanye’s Famous: “Me and Taylor might still have sex…I made that bitch famous.” Before I get into that, if anyone remembers, Kanye embarrassed and interrupted Taylor’s grammy win in 2009 because he felt someone else deserved it more. Whether he was wrong or not, that was extremely disrespectful and a really painful memory for her. Then at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards Taylor makes light of it with a joke, says kind words about Kanye, and graciously presents him with the Video Vanguard Award. Then came the lyric he wanted approved. If you’ve heard the video where she actually approves it (http://variety.com/2016/music/news/taylor-swift-kanye-kim-kardashian-video-snapchat-famous-lyrics-1201816146/), Taylor ONLY APPROVES THE LINE “Me and Taylor might still have sex,” NOT “I made that bitch famous.” Taylor found it extremely misogynistic and also unfounded considering, she was accepting a VMA when he interrupted her, so clearly she was already famous before then. Even if she did approve the entire line or whatever, it is still misogynistic and it is still a dumb thing to hate Taylor for. That is between Taylor and Kanye. Taylor wouldn’t have been doing anything cruel. The cruel part will always be on Kanye’s side. She just would have been helping that along if she approved all of it. But Kanye, as well as many rappers, is known for his misogynistic lyrics. For no one to call out this 40-year old as immature and cruel is ridiculous, while Taylor gets called out for lying. Really? We all lie. We don’t all bash women in songs that play on the radio for all of our children to hear. 

So, for all of you out there who want to and certainly will continue to hate Taylor Swift for whatever reason, please feel free to let me know what it is you hate about her that I didn’t mention above. 

As much as you hate Taylor Swift, realize that those powers of hate can be used for so much good. Maybe shift to hating white supremacists, racists, neo-nazis, homophobes, and misogynists.