Taylor Swift positioned as Time Person of the Year?

[Squirrler]

Moral courage can be found everywhere. There are stories everyday - large and small - of vulnerable people risking their jobs, their reputations, even their lives, to take a stand against abuses of power. If, to reflect the zeitgeist, Time wants to make it about women standing up to sexual abuse, who would argue against that.

But Taylor Swift? One of the most powerful people in modern music, with a personal fortune of millions... that's a choice for the front cover? What did she risk? What was on the line? A man grabbed her bottom and she won a dollar in court. And this is supposed to be inspiration for women to put their own jobs and reputations on the line?

Do me a favour.

I am not questioning the validity of Taylor’s experience or her story. What I have a problem with is what Taylor is being positioned as the face of a movement by being placed on this cover, because she won a lawsuit. She lost nothing when others have lost everything when they break silence, but don’t get visibility. Just look at Ke$ha, whose abuser was her record label boss. She took him to court and lost everything, including her career. She broke silence when there was zero room for it and got shamed into hiding. He even put a gag order on her. Why is she not on the cover?

Why is Tarana Burke not on this cover, when she’s been doing this work for 10 years? Yes, she is on the inside and gets to tell her story but she deserves to be on this cover, because if there is a face for the movement, hers is it.

What about, say, Terry Crews, who is a man who decided to break silence and that shit was major. In this culture of toxic masculinity, men speaking up about their victimhood is revolutionary.

www.awesomelyluvvie.com/2017/12/time-person-of-year-taylor-swift.html

Rosa Parks is hailed in the civil rights movement for the "simple" act of sitting on a particular bus seat. Yet what Taylor did is insignificant.

You think Rosa Parks' risk was comparable with TS's? Are you for real?

This is exactly my point: TS is not Rosa Parks. Rosa Parks was arrested, lost her job, was subject to death threats in an age where they literally lynched blacks. TS went home to her mansion. That is not me having an issue with successful women. That's not me having a pop. That's a plain-as-the-nose-on-your-face observation.

TS is being painted as a historically significant heroine. The narrative is that she's a weak vulnerable woman standing up to the greater power of a misogynist patriarchy. Yeah, sure. To some extent, that is true. But it excludes two rather obvious basic facts: she is one of the most powerful people in the world and she risked very little to do what she did. (See, not backtracking: It's. The. Same. Point.)

Evilringabitch - you've almost got it: it received huge attention because of who she is Exactly! It was significant because she was a powerful person doing it. Her voice was heard because of who she is. Voices have been raised before and since and not heard. And she's on Time cover for doing the same damn thing from a position of guaranteed safety.

Incidentally, I do wonder if Rose MacGowan not being on the Silence Breakers cover was anything to do with her reportedly taking $100k and signing a non-disclosure agreement.

I just read an article about the cover. There's an elbow featured because one woman said she couldn't be seen or she'd lose her job. It supposedly represents the women who can't stand up publicly. So that is being acknowledged.

Is your major issue that she is painting herself as powerless although she is powerful? Or that she is rich and white so doesn't represent most women? Or that other women risked more so deserve more credit?

I see her as one of many. Literally in the case of the cover. They are a group representing many women.

Are there other women more deserving of celebration and acknowledgement? Of course.

Taylor Swift an icon. What she says and does is influential. Putting her on the cover of Time is nailing home the point she was trying to make. Again.

It’s keeping what she did in the limelight.

In terms of raising awareness, the fact that she already has influence and fame is key.

I also don’t see her in isolation, as a person whose circumstances count against her. I see her as representative of women. And it gives me a sense of solidarity. Not separation.

Taylor Swift, with all her fame, money and influence is subjected to exactly the same sexual harassment as anyone else.

It shows that male sexual harassment is across-the-board. Nothing protects you.

I haven't seen anything that suggests the narrative is that Taylor swift is a weak and vulnerable woman, quite the opposite. She's presented as tough and resilient by her fans.

Are you thinking of the little girl image she had when she first broken into the business? She was very young then and probably was quite vulnerable, but all her more recent media image has been about strength and independence.

Your problem seems to be that you think she's not enough of a victim to merit her place. But she was a victim of a sexual assault, and then the creep tried to get money out of her. I wonder just how shocked his team were when she didn't just quietly settle to avoid bad publicity. (If she'd lost her case, the publicity would have been terrible.) woman in her position are supposed to accept low level abuse.

OP. Do you agree that Taylor Swift’s assault case gained a large amount of publicity and contributed to public discussion about the constant levels of sexual harassment/assault that almost all women are subject to but mostly expected to put up with?

If so then she should be on the cover regardless of whether you personally think she’s too rich, white or pretty to be admirable. It’s not a reward for good behaviour. Trump was probably runner up.

The point of the Time article is that sexual harassment affects every woman, from movie and pop stars to women working in fields or cleaning hotels. It literally states that. So as far as I'm concerned, it makes perfect sense to have the most famous woman who has been affected and spoken out about it on the cover.

You think Rosa Parks' risk was comparable with TS's? Are you for real?

I don't think the risks were comparable. I think that both acts could be described as "simple things" if one wanted to be particularly dickish and minimise women's contributions

Are you suggesting that someone’s experience of sexual assault is somehow lessened because they’re very wealthy?

OP "she is one of the most powerful people in the world "

and some guy still thought he'd put his hand her on ass and get away with it.

OP. Do you agree that Taylor Swift’s assault case gained a large amount of publicity and contributed to public discussion about the constant levels of sexual harassment/assault that almost all women are subject to but mostly expected to put up with?

Yes, I do agree.

And why did it gain that huge publicity: because of what it was she was doing, or because of who it was doing it?

Answer that and you get my point. She's on the cover because she's TS.

You can say she's representing the battle, but I'm disagreeing.

Speaking out is inherently about rocking your own boat: it's about your employer, your friend's husband, a member of your own family. Whilst it's someone else that was abusive, in that moment before you speak, all is calm. It's not your fault, but it feels like the decision to bring chaos and recrimination to your world is yours to make. And it is, in a way. So much easier to be silent. That's why they get away with it, isn't it? And that's why women feel guilt when they do speak. That's why it takes strength and moral courage. That's why I'm talking about risk, and that's the dynamic as I see it - and no, TS is not representative of that dynamic.

So much easier to be silent.

As it would have been for Taylor Swift.

The recent events ARE about sexual harassment suddenly being something people are acknowledging and talking about and, I hope, doing something about. If it was JUST Marge from Fresno talking about it that wouldn't have happened; fucking awful as that is. It had to be high profile women as well; TS and Alyssa Milano and the rest.

The 'silence' (i.e. people ignoring it) was broken because of high-profile women.

And again, she is only one of the people on the cover. At the back, lower down (even though she's nine feet tall) not first or biggest or front or anything that would suggest prominence. Which I think was a conscious decision.

It takes strength and moral courage for any sexual assault victim, even one who has relative privilege, to subject herself to the legal process. Testifying in court, undergoing cross-examination, and being the subject of opposition research put any victim at risk, especially for her emotional well-being.

Squirrler

But one woman going to their employer, or calling the police is alerting, at best, a handful of people.

Taylor Swift alerted millions.

And I’m sure it did rock her world. I’m sure it was incredibly stressful.

She is rich and has the cushion of money. But with that wealth came responsibility, which she acknowledged quite effectively by not shoving the whole thing under the carpet and paying him off.

She could have made it go away, very quickly. And although it may have left her seething, she wouldn’t have been splashed across the papers and put herself in a position where she could be potentially ripped apart in court. And vilified on social media.

In fact she was vilified. Plenty of people minimising what happened to her.

She chose to go public and to expose herself.

I’m not sure exactly what it is you disagree with.

It takes strength and moral courage for any sexual assault victim, even one who has relative privilege, to subject herself to the legal process. Testifying in court, undergoing cross-examination, and being the subject of opposition research put any victim at risk, especially for her emotional well-being.

I could not agree more. I'm not sure I would have the strength to go through that, and I'm really pleased for the girls I teach there is someone perceived (by them) to be on their wavelength speaking out.

But this wasn't the woman who were the ones who had the most to lose. This wasn't supposed to be highlighting the woman who had the biggest fight, or who had suffered the most.

It was listed as "The Silence Breakers" who lead the change in attitudes this year to sexual abuse, and she certainly was - her court case came first.

She could have easily made this go away. She would have been told to just settle. She took a stand she didn't need to do, and by doing so and winning, she helped others speak out.

Yes. She's on the cover because she's Taylor Swift. To make the point that even arguably the most famous woman in the world gets sexually assaulted and its time to speak up about it. Yes, it makes a big impact because it's her. That's the point isn't it? Not whether she has loads to lose by speaking out. I have no idea why you think it's only relevant if it's a risk for someone to challenge sexual assault. ALL sexual assault should be challenged.

I’m not sure exactly what it is you disagree with.

I don't know how to put it plainer than I already have.

Agree that TS deserves a place. As PPs said, she stood up and was counted, she fought back. She might have wealth, but in some ways that just makes her a bigger target for people that like to shoot women down. I don't believe her 'power' is anywhere near as secure as a that of a celebrity male - just look at how Kanye West behaves and what he gets away with.

She was a role model for younger girls when she didn't have to put her head any further above the parapet. Plenty of wealthy or famous people do nothing brave or controversial with their wealth or power. And I don't think wealth insulates you at all from feeling like shit and certainly not from what would have happened had she lost.

OP you have not explained your objection to this young woman being recognised for speaking out against sexual harassment. What do you you have against her? Her success? Can you really not bring yourself to celebrate a successful woman? Have you internalised misogyny to that extent?

Squirrler

Perhaps you are thinking that why should Taylor Swift be celebrated, when there are tens of thousands of ‘normal’ Women who have suffered the same.

Do you get that, actually.

I just think you are missing what Taylor Swift has gained for women because of her wealth, not despite it.

Are people scared to admit that wealth and influence are power? That they're akin to privilege? Is that it? Is that what's going on here? It doesn't matter how successful you are, you'll still just be a woman?

I think that's it - that's part of what's happening here. It's irrelevant how much money, influence, security and straightforward power any woman might achieve - she'll always be secondary to men. Well sorry, I think that's BS and I refuse to look at it that way or encourage that sort of thinking. Jesus, are we telling our daughters that? They'll always just be beaten-down victims of a misogynistic patriarchy?

Bloody hell. That's a self-fulfilling, word-for-word traditional oppression of women. I suppose we can't claim sisterly solidarity between middle class white women and the majority of the rest of the female world otherwise can we? So we invent the idea of jealousy as a way to dismiss it when it comes up. I get it now.

OP you make very little sense - do you not understand that women are oppressed as a class? And for all TS's wealth she was abused because she belonged to the oppressed group called women? The fact she stood up to her abuser and won is symbolic for all women because women do not have equal status to men as a class, notwithstanding individual wealth.

They'll always just be beaten-down victims of a misogynistic patriarchy?

No, I'll teach her that it's wrong but it happens. So she needs to recognize and fight. Individually and as part of the class of women.