Deep Dive: Look What We Made Taylor Swift Do
Added 2024-01-12 23:34:56 +0000 UTCLast week, the New York Times published the Gaylor magnum opus: a 5,000 word speculation of Taylor Swift's sexuality couched in the language of queer theory and social justice, cleverly titled "Look What We Made Taylor Swift Do." Today, we dissect it. In a situation that I think requires both empathy and scrutiny, we ask such important questions as: is it gay to be an ally? Are sunsets inherently bisexual? Enjoy.
Comments
This is so interesting! Makes me think about art, artists, and the emotions that art elicits. People 100% place their personal experience onto others. I art model and there's this phenomenon of artists drawing/painting themselves when drawing/painting people. this story makes me think of that. That journalist wrote an article about her own identity and should've kept it to herself. I'm on board with it's none of our business, let the artist create. Making complaining cozy, very cute
Anne
2025-01-13 02:57:29 +0000 UTChope u got ur camera queen ❤️ it was still seemless
reena rk
2024-11-18 00:46:45 +0000 UTCHey Matt, first Happy Birthday, just finished the third episode of Bye Sister only to discover the forth is delayed (sad face). Will you be putting out audio only versions of these early Patreon EPs? Hope you have a great Birthday 😎
Kris
2024-10-16 17:57:04 +0000 UTCusing taylor’s middle name feels like people using chappell’s non stage name 😭😭like stop trying to claim her that’s so weird
walker
2024-09-13 18:28:44 +0000 UTCwatching this post bye sister marathon… the author is kinda… trying to trick straight people into being gay… /j
walker
2024-09-13 18:19:53 +0000 UTCIs every sunset bisexual?😂
Marine Friob
2024-08-07 08:57:49 +0000 UTCTo be honest, you just helped humanize Taylor a bit for me. I really don’t like her music or her actions, but that article truly is gross. Yikes
Steph
2024-08-05 14:29:00 +0000 UTCThe conspirituality surrounding Taylor Swift is simply amazing.
Cordelia Reagan
2024-06-16 18:01:07 +0000 UTCGreat analysis Matt…this article is very disturbing. Like tbh, if I was the sort of person who made guesses about people who could be queer (in either the gender expansive sense or the sexuality sense) I would say P!nk gives off more of a vibe of queerness than Taylor Swift. But I don’t like to speculate one way or the other - personally while it’s always extremely nice to feel represented in the large and wild world of fame - I mean, I’m a fat, chronically ill, Latine nonbinary person and I fuckin love Lizzo, Vico Ortiz, and lots of others who represent various parts of my identity and make me feel seen and not alone. Representation is amazing - but invading people’s personal lives like this as a form of wish fulfillment is absolutely not it🫠
Ember
2024-05-11 16:45:58 +0000 UTCMy take: It's giving Camille Paglia.
Dale
2024-04-16 19:30:09 +0000 UTCJust now finally watched this one. "Gossiping in the language of intellectualism" sums up the problems in the NYT piece.
Dale
2024-04-16 19:29:15 +0000 UTCSorry, I just saw how long this was. This is my 2nd day on Ritalin ever. I promise not to blow up every comment section like this in the future.
Karayah Whiseheart
2024-03-24 02:16:57 +0000 UTCI also see queer people suspect celebrities/politicians are queer all the time. One of my friends texted me & asked if I thought Prince Harry was queer the other day & they aren't a TS fan at all. Many believe Ben Shapiro is some kind of queer, but they're usually saying it because they know it'd embarrass him as a conservative. It's weaponized homophobia & it's really gross. When sapphics speculate, it's usually meant as a compliment. My friend thought it was exciting he could potentially relate to Prince Harry in some way. Countless celebrities have queer speculation or rumors, especially from queer fans. Some of it is using gaydar. Some of it is complete projection. Some Gaylors are overly attached to this queer version of Taylor in their heads who's still pining for a Victoria Secret model or something & completely cross a line. The parasocial aspect of her fandom is wild. Taylor meticulously plants Easter eggs & clues within her music & art & says they all have meaning. Remember the 33 million puzzles which had to be solved for the 1989 TV album? She plans things out for years in advance, too. Swifties listen to her music over & over & over again looking for secret message or parallels or call backs. I've seen TikToks of people speculating she cheated on Joe with Travis, tracking her "cycle" to speculate when Travis will "get her pregnant", that she & Joe were secretly married & had a baby, etc. Queer people are going to recognize queer symbols, history, & culture in a way most straight people miss. They see references to Loie Fuller, Clara Bow, Dusty Springfield, Emily Dickinson, Virginia Woolf, seagulls, albatrosses, Saturn, lavender haze, Stonewall, New Romantics, & other queer references & think she's trying to communicate something the general public won't catch out of ignorance. Is some of it coincidence? Probably. Maybe she's a straight girl in love with queer culture. But as an ally, Taylor shouldn't be offended people think she's queer. Crossing boundaries is offensive. The NYT article was unbelievably horrible.
Karayah Whiseheart
2024-03-24 02:04:51 +0000 UTCOh, boy, do I have thoughts. I am a Gaylor, but the NYT article made me FURIOUS! Mentioning Chely Wright's suicide attempt as a way to emotionally blackmail someone you believe is forcefully closeted is absolutely disgusting. No one owes anyone a coming out, which Anna said but still wrote things as if Taylor doesn't come out, she's failing the entire LGBTQ+ community. She's not. I have friends who aren't out to everyone in their lives. They're out to the people they are safe to come out to. Dylan Mulvaney made a 46 sec IG post with her face on a Bud Light can, & conservatives responded by putting bomb threats to Budweiser warehouses. I hear about a new elementary school, library, or hospital getting bomb threats consistently for LGBTQ+ reasons. In CA, an ally was shot & killed for displaying a Pride flag recently. If Taylor publicly "came out" the way Anna is almost demanding from TS in the article, I could see Matt Walsh & other conservative figure heads talk about how Taylor's been "grooming kids" for decades through her music. MAGA is already losing their minds over Taylor's influence on the general public. If the biggest pop star in the world came out as queer, I think there'd be a backlash of unparalleled proportions. You think Taylor wants to risk 70k+ fans' safety? Yes, she can afford the best security in the world, but her queer fans who might get targeted for wearing TS merch or playing her music by irrational religious extremists don't have that protection. I do disagree with your interpretation of the community she's not part of comment. Taylor has been publicly advocating for the LGBTQ+ community since 2008. I took that comment to mean as a white LGBTQ+ person, she's learned she needs to advocate for LGBTQ+ POC & trans people. But I also don't get upset if people think she's straight. 90% of the world does.
Karayah Whiseheart
2024-03-24 01:39:35 +0000 UTCI think the author of this nyt article read “7 husbands of Evelyn Hugo” and took it a little too seriously, especially with the line about coming out to her biographer!
Lucie Sullivan
2024-03-18 13:12:17 +0000 UTCUghhhhhh you're the best, thank you, Matt for all this!! So fkn fantastic and validating every damn day, gal 🥰🥰🥰 At the risk of being perceived as too hung up on words, I just wanted to check in (with all my love) on the use of the phrase "committed suicide"- I think you're probably aware of this already, but (especially for those of us who have intimate experience), "died by suicide" is a phrase more accurate and less steeped in historical criminality, which many of us are trying to help shift our collective language to. Sharing these thoughts with all my love in hopes to expand our collective, inclusive community. Big bigeternal love from a friendly neighborhood colorado queer Jew against genocide 💜🏳️🌈✡️🍉
Hanna Lignell
2024-03-08 13:59:54 +0000 UTCWell said!!!
Karissa
2024-01-26 17:32:33 +0000 UTCI get tired of people chomping at the bit, foaming at the mouth, clawing at every “hairpin” moment to validate their idea that Taylor Swift (and by extension her work) is queer. We are surrounded by the most out sapphics in music history, and you show them such disrespect by needing someone who has said they’re straight to be queer. You want a mega pop star who’s a sapphic? Put this energy behind supporting them. You can’t forcibly out people, and you can’t force your prefers sexuality onto others.
SF
2024-01-21 03:07:03 +0000 UTCThe way the author refers to Taylor is so pretentious 😭
Carly Hughes
2024-01-20 20:08:38 +0000 UTCGreat work, Matt! I laughed and cringed lot. It's shocking how we have to use Taylor Swift as a queer icon when there's so many queer artists we can support and love, who've made music that aligns with our lifestyle. It's great that people love Taylor but there has to be a limit to these parasocial relationships. It's very embarrassing.
Maria Loreto
2024-01-19 16:04:10 +0000 UTCfrench actually but yeah guess that shows huh
julls
2024-01-18 10:23:48 +0000 UTCSo excited to see more content.
Jessica Burkel-Lazic
2024-01-17 14:43:23 +0000 UTCAwesome work Matt, as always! I agree with your assessments: allowing for the possibility of queerness is vital and beautiful, but not what's happening here. Such a good analysis. Excited to support you on here and see your future patreon work too!
Ele
2024-01-17 01:28:36 +0000 UTCLove it! Thank you!
Mary & Scott
2024-01-16 19:53:24 +0000 UTCUh i like this format!
Theodor Pilou Kruse
2024-01-15 20:38:19 +0000 UTCOh absolutely! That's what I mean by "Find joy where you do." Find meaning in all the music you love. I think if you are a gay Swiftie you know how important community is. That is the beautiful part of this whole thing. This music speaks to your heart. Truly that is amazing. You can hold space for that. I hope that makes more sense. Sorry if my comment came across as a so black and white. Thank you for replying to my comment so gracefully and starting a conversation. I think there is no harm in fans finding queer meaning in Taylor's music.
Jules Inkwell
2024-01-15 19:40:38 +0000 UTCI've seen this sentiment a lot in comments on Instagram (they're obviously worded... a little less eloquently lol). As a gay Swiftie who primarily listens to queer artists (aside from Taylor? including Taylor? who knows), I'm not sure why there has to be a binary here. I think we can listen to Taylor Swift and hold space for the possibility of queerness while also celebrating and supporting queer artists who are openly out. What do you think?
Alli Soandso
2024-01-15 19:32:30 +0000 UTCAlso the note about parasocial relationships was really important. Taylor doesn't KNOW her fans yet they think she does.
Sarah
2024-01-15 16:13:56 +0000 UTCThis was amazing, loving the two besties chatting in bed vibe. Can't wait for more!💕
Sarah
2024-01-15 16:13:01 +0000 UTCCOME THROUGH ENGLISH MAJOR!
Matt Bernstein
2024-01-15 00:16:39 +0000 UTC"it's really hard for me to admit that billionaires are people too but in this case I'll let it happen" thanks Matt, I was really looking forward to this video and you delivered. Something I would add: text interpretation, or in this case lyrics interpretation or any other form of interpretation doesn't work like that. You can't read into something looking for clues to prove a hypothesis you already believe to be true without letting yourself be open to the possibilities that it could mean plenty of other things, including some contrary to your hypothesis. It's been proven that you can "find clues" in a text to make even a purely nonsensical interpretation seem plausible. So in order for any interpretation to mean anything, it has to remain honest. Without the honesty to recognize that multiple possibilities can exist, or to take into account other clues or a wider context that disprove your interpretation or make it much less likely, you're slipping into conspiracy theory - which as you've pointed out gaylorism is (not saying that all gaylors are dishonest though! I know a lot of them are just, as the article say, pointing at the "possibility of queerness" and this I don't see an issue with, speculating about a person's sexuality notwithstanding). And honestly, while this is a separate issue, it's also quite worrying. I think we should learn and strive to always be aware and critical of our own ideas.
julls
2024-01-15 00:12:58 +0000 UTCAllison, I strongly disagree with your claim that that quote is a definitive assertion of her sexuality, though I don’t blame anyone who read it that way. I’ve said similar things among groups of people when I want some in the group to know I’m queer and leave others in the dark, but that’s why I don’t think it’s denial. I think refusing to even see the possibility of queerness in a person who has not once in nearly 20 years in the spotlight used the word straight to describe themself, and who only uses implication to talk about their sexual orientation is closer to denial. I understand we might not see eye to eye on this which is fine. Thanks for sharing your position
Jackson Lundeen
2024-01-14 23:50:54 +0000 UTCJess, It seems to me that a majority of gaylors would say she’s bi, and the section of the fandom that thinks she’s a lesbian either believes she’s come into that identity more recently, or that all of her public relationships with men have been beards. I personally think that believing Taylor might be bi is just a theory, but thinking she’s been lying about whose she’s dating this whole time would more of a conspiracy theory. (Bearding isn’t unheard of in the entertainment industry so I suppose it’s possible but much, much less likely.)
Jackson Lundeen
2024-01-14 23:40:02 +0000 UTCI also would like to add: even in other fandoms where the involvement of fans in the artists personal lives is strong and the parasocial relationship are even stronger sometimes people can feel like they can assign a label to the artist because of “coding” in their art, even though not in the same constant structured form gaylors do. I used to be in the BTS fandom (I know, from armytwt to the swifties? twitter has never been for me, not once) and I remember that after a live performance by Jimin (I can’t remember what song, but it was a solo song) in which let’s just say the queer subtext was very easy to find, specifically themes of gender non-conformity as he had a dance routine in which he appeared to be more free as he put one more feminine clothes to sum it up badly, people were claiming that fans should start using they/them pronouns for him, because “clearly he’s enby and just can’t come out because of the state of the korean entertainment industry,” which is strikeningly similar to the Gaylor argument. and like, this was talked about for a while in certain corners of armytwt i now wish I hadn’t found myself in. like. it was a thing. it wasn’t one random kid said something dumb on twt. so yk. maybe this whole gaylor thing is just the pointing finger and we’re still missing the moon tbh.
Jules
2024-01-14 23:20:05 +0000 UTCTo be fair, as a very recent swiftie, I must say the whole fandom kinda has a problem of being too invasive into Taylor’s personal life, so I can see how, in that context, the emergence of Gaylors is not much wilder than what the rest of the fandom is doing. like. I distinctly remember a very heated discussion on twitter stemming from someone reposting a tiktok saying “guys I think Taylor had a miscarriage” because of the lyrics of “should’ve, could’ve, would’ve,” which. I mean. can it be interpreted that way? sure, but is that an appropriate thing to say about anyone? not really, no. It is true that to a certain extent she does invite her fans to speculate by hiding easter eggs into her songs about her own life… but still, some people take it too far I think.
Jules
2024-01-14 23:09:01 +0000 UTCThis article is wild. Kudos to you for covering it with nuance. I’m not a Taylor fan (Not a hater, just not into that style of music). I wonder if our energy could be better spent supporting queer and LGBT artists and making sure LGBTQ folks can be out safely and create their unique and wonderful art. What if we all supported less popular artists? Find joy where you do. But maybe keep digging deeper for the artist without a lot of clout and uplifting them, instead of treating Taylor like a doll we can put our own narratives on. Great first patreon only video Matt. I look forward to seeing what else you create. I feel so lucky to be here. ALSO: As a nonbinary queer bisexual I can confirm sunsets are bisexual and trans. Sunrises are lesbians.
Jules Inkwell
2024-01-14 19:44:27 +0000 UTCAbsolute gas ✨ thank you for doing this & cannot wait for more. Only wish you’d started this sooner, Matt.
Carolina Herrero
2024-01-14 17:14:46 +0000 UTCI love this. But can we also do audio only? I like to listen on walks and it’s hard to walk why having a video
Andrew Wing
2024-01-14 16:41:59 +0000 UTCVery insightful and intelligent take on this article, I hadn’t read it so I appreciated how you read it and then discussed it. I made a longer comment above about my feelings in response to another comment. But overall I do believe that while Taylor has had 95% male relationships, she hasn’t had ONLY male relationships. I’ll die on the Karly Kloss hill. And am I a little sad that if it’s true they can’t come out with it? Yes. But I still love Taylor and think being an ally is great. I think the article is really gross and just like WTAF. Also can’t believe it got published. She doesn’t need any more shit and that’s what this is. It’s her choice to come out and if she doesn’t ever then it is what it is. It’s like people look to her to save the world. All the people hating on her because she doesn’t post about the war. As if she could stop it. Enough is enough. She is Mother but she is not the Messiah. Let her just shred our souls with her lyrics and cheer for her man at his football games.
Jess
2024-01-14 15:25:06 +0000 UTCSo glad you commented. So do Gaylors think she is bi? I imagine you can’t think she’s “fully” gay as she obviously has dated guys her entire life. I am not a Gaylor but I do think she had a relationship with Karly. Like 100%. And I believe in the coded messages in some of her songs. Like the changing her to you, and Maroon? NOT about a guy. I mean I can understand being hopeful! My daughter is gay and a HUGE Swiftie, not a hard core Gaylor but she also believes in the many references. And will die on the Karly hill. So I get it, and soemtimes it makes me sad to think that if they really did have a relationship that they can’t come out with it. She seems so honest and upstanding in so many ways, and it would do great things for the community. But as Matt said it’s also not her job to save it. But still a teeny part of me wishes she would 😉. But I’m also super into Tayvis and she seems so happy so it is what it is!
Jess
2024-01-14 15:14:21 +0000 UTCI’m not a gaylor but I agree that we shouldn’t assume or assert that she’s straight (or really anyone for that matter) unless people specifically claim to be straight. I mentioned this in my other comment but he skipped over the part in the article where a few months after she said “a community I’m not a part of”, she posted a rainbow filtered photo of her arm with bracelets & one of them said proud with beads in the bi colors. If any non-famous person did that, the automatic assumption would be that it was their coming out post. At the end of the day though, her sexuality doesn’t really matter. I love her music and as long as she’s happy it’s all good! 😊
Cyd
2024-01-14 04:03:14 +0000 UTCI appreciate you doing an analysis video on this! In the article, there were a couple good points and a lot of bad points 🫤 however you skipped over the only real “evidence” in the essay. A few months after she did the interview where she said “a community I’m not a part of”, she posted a rainbow filtered photo of her arm with bracelets & one of them said proud with beads in the bi colors. I agree I felt slimy reading this, it’s an invasion of privacy, I didn’t agree with a lot of the points, I’m a swiftie regardless of who she loves and her sexuality is the least interesting about her. However, if any non-famous person posted what she did then you would assume that it was them coming out. Do you have any opinions on the post? But yeah this article shouldn’t have been written, especially after what she said in her 1989 TV prologue. Maybe she will eventually more explicitly come out if she is queer but if she doesn’t cuz she’s not or she is but doesn’t want to then that’s her decision and no one should try to force anything 🩷 (btw I swear I’m not a gaylor its just a question😭)
Cyd
2024-01-14 03:57:50 +0000 UTCI don’t know if you’ve ever seen this parody of gaylor stans but it’s spot on: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZM6x6sKrb/
Jonathan Lavoie
2024-01-14 02:50:27 +0000 UTCLove love love your take. I have a couple queer friends who are die-hard “Gaylors”, and as a straight woman I haven’t felt it’s my place to critique them. But it really does feel invasive and more harm than good, personally.
Amanda
2024-01-14 01:59:17 +0000 UTCLove this! Also I thought the camera change in the middle was fun!
Emmett
2024-01-14 01:42:48 +0000 UTCi want to be as gentle as possible because i know this is a safer space, but when she said “she didnt know she could advocate for a community shes not a part of” thats her confirming shes straight. Its straight up denial to say its not. Especially when that claim from her is backed up by her public dating history. It really isn’t our business whether shes gay or not and thats the point you should have taken away from the deep dive.
Electric.Whims
2024-01-14 00:27:11 +0000 UTCI think this is an incredible perspective, it means a lot that it comes from a non-swiftie, (yes i know youre a fan, but swifties are a new level) because it really shows how out of pocket these people are. Im a swiftie myself, but the things that go on in this fandom are absolutely ridiculous
Electric.Whims
2024-01-14 00:22:30 +0000 UTCI TOO choose to recognize the possibility of bisexual sunsets! ❤️
Gary Larizza
2024-01-13 23:46:40 +0000 UTCI'm so happy I joined your Patreon, Matt. Your content, as always, is phenomenal
Karissa
2024-01-13 22:04:06 +0000 UTCYes. As a massive HS fan, the larry sect makes my brain melt 😩
Dayle Moon
2024-01-13 20:00:20 +0000 UTCI knew you would deliver. This is excellent paid content Matt. 👌
Dayle Moon
2024-01-13 19:57:01 +0000 UTCAs a bit of a gaylor myself, I fully agree that this op-ed would’ve been better suited to a gaylor blog and not the NYT. Most people on gaylor twitter seem to agree, now that some time has passed, that the NYT never should have published this because it puts pressure on Taylor to say something when she may not want to talk about it (in a way fans dissecting lyrics amongst themselves on TikTok or Twitter kind of doesn’t imo.) I feel I should mention that, “you’re still gay and that’s final!” tweet you included (as hilarious as it is) was posted by an account that gaylor Twitter understands to be a bait account. I don’t see that sentiment being shared sincerely very often if ever. I agree with most of what you said in this video, the largest issue I have is your claim that Taylor Swift has labeled her sexuality or called herself straight in the past. I don’t believe this to be true, and she’s never publicly used the word straight to identify herself. The closest she’s gotten is that, “I didn’t realize I could advocate for a community I’m not a part of” quote. In context she was talking about rights being stripped away from “basically everyone who isn’t a straight, white, cisgender male.” So she could be referring to her inclusion of trans people and people of color in her “activism” more, especially considering she had started advocating for gay people well before this 2019 quote. (Mean music video, Welcome to New York lyrics.) I guess what I’m trying to say is, the reason I and most other gaylors still “recognize the possibility of queerness” in her is because she’s never labeled her sexual orientation. She only ever discusses her orientation through implication (something I recognize as a queer person, especially a queer person who’s out in some parts of my life and not yet out in others, though she could be doing this for unrelated reasons.) People insisting she’s straight is upsetting to gaylors I think partly because what other evidence do people have that she’s straight? Her public relationships, obviously. But this feels like queer erasure because only publicly having dated men isn’t proof she’s not bisexual. Whether you think Taylor is a straight woman or not, she’s never publicly described herself that way. Which is why when people do it, gaylors get frustrated. “You’re pushing a label on her that she hasn’t claimed herself,” is an accusation that can go both ways, but is only supported by heteronormativity in one direction. Sorry for the long comment, I’ve just been in this space a while so I have lots of thoughts. (And I didn’t just join the Patreon because you’re talking about gaylor, I plan on sticking around.)
Jackson Lundeen
2024-01-13 17:58:05 +0000 UTCSuch a delight! Also, as a non-native English speaker my brain noped out trying to follow some of the word salad in the article, so I was glad to see a much more eloquent person also struggle 🤭
Irijs
2024-01-13 16:36:21 +0000 UTCThis is “recognizing the possibility of queerness” in action. We stan!
bakersdozn
2024-01-13 16:30:11 +0000 UTCBased on this article, I'll be submitting my gushy Shawn Mendes Insta posts to the NY Times...
Christian Scholer
2024-01-13 15:37:21 +0000 UTCAlso… yea it’s very easy to read queerness into her lyrics in the same way it’s easy for me to read my own personal trauma details into her lyrics. That doesn’t mean she’s experienced the same things! It’s a reflection of a skill she has and clearly cares about to write in a way that is broadly and flexibly relatable. I generally can’t understand the need for people to make more of her work than her skills and her pretty clear efforts toward openness, possibility, and relatability in her art!
Sara Nadeau
2024-01-13 14:43:58 +0000 UTCWhat… could possibly be read into the hairpins? Those lines are both plays on cliches which is like TSwift’s favorite thing to do in her writing???
Sara Nadeau
2024-01-13 14:32:28 +0000 UTCMost entertaining and thought-provoking lunch-break I’ve had in a while ♥️
KoaLaura
2024-01-13 12:38:52 +0000 UTCThis was great Matt! My daughter and I watched it together. I agree- TS' sexuality is literally none of our business.
Francesca Liberatore
2024-01-13 11:46:10 +0000 UTCReally enjoyed hearing your thoughts!
Eric J
2024-01-13 11:44:12 +0000 UTCLove !
Robin HG
2024-01-13 10:02:05 +0000 UTCwhy does a damn new york times article give off the same vibes as some 13 year old’s larry twitter manifesto 😭
liliana
2024-01-13 05:30:49 +0000 UTCugh what a treat to hang out with Matt in his bed and hear him intellectually take apart this ridiculous article. thank you 🙏🏼
Darya Gilbert
2024-01-13 04:10:31 +0000 UTC"is every sunset bisexual?! ...maybe?! Maybe." Sent me 🤣🤣
Lisa
2024-01-12 23:49:33 +0000 UTC
