I've not actually read the NYT piece as it sounds deranged and unnecessarily intrusive. The idea that someone has willfully conform to the fantasy of mental Journalism is laughable and disturbing in equal measure. And obviously The Guardian have jumped on the bandwagon like the desperate attention seekers that they are with a number ridiculous pieces.
I could’ve sworn I screenshotted it, but I can’t find it now: Someone tweeted “Taylor Swift isn’t gay; you’re gay, and her music is universally relatable. When I listen to her, she sounds like an annoying alcoholic.”
This is interesting to me as someone who curates and publishes a niche, counter-culture website and podcast. The niche media/zine space is more refreshing and yet you would think the opportunity is there for mainstream media to play more of a role in discovery of & for lesser known artists/creators, rather than just cycle through the same old celebs. Who needs more Taylor Swift tbh? What about all of those great new up & coming potential TS/s out there? Why confine them to unknown or cult status by default. I see the same old celebs major and minor in the papers, on radio etc. it's so very tired. As an editor - can YOU resist the tide and set a different agenda Eleanor?
The problem is that mainstream media is to a large extent ruled by numbers (which keeps it afloat) and the same old celebs pull in the big numbers, while rising stars, unless accompanied by a provocative headline (which the rising star no doubt hates) flounders online and makes it harder to justify making such pieces a priority. Then as a newspaper we have to react to what’s in the news, and if someone like Swift is making news headlines then we have to cover her… Then add budget constraints to the mix. It’s hard, but got to keep trying, as you say!
I've not actually read the NYT piece as it sounds deranged and unnecessarily intrusive. The idea that someone has willfully conform to the fantasy of mental Journalism is laughable and disturbing in equal measure. And obviously The Guardian have jumped on the bandwagon like the desperate attention seekers that they are with a number ridiculous pieces.
Agreed! Though on the Guardian point I did think Laura Snapes’s piece was very good as always
I could’ve sworn I screenshotted it, but I can’t find it now: Someone tweeted “Taylor Swift isn’t gay; you’re gay, and her music is universally relatable. When I listen to her, she sounds like an annoying alcoholic.”
Haha, there’s also a very good TikTok making the rounds of how Taylor Swift sounds to people who don’t ’get’ Taylor Swift
This is interesting to me as someone who curates and publishes a niche, counter-culture website and podcast. The niche media/zine space is more refreshing and yet you would think the opportunity is there for mainstream media to play more of a role in discovery of & for lesser known artists/creators, rather than just cycle through the same old celebs. Who needs more Taylor Swift tbh? What about all of those great new up & coming potential TS/s out there? Why confine them to unknown or cult status by default. I see the same old celebs major and minor in the papers, on radio etc. it's so very tired. As an editor - can YOU resist the tide and set a different agenda Eleanor?
The problem is that mainstream media is to a large extent ruled by numbers (which keeps it afloat) and the same old celebs pull in the big numbers, while rising stars, unless accompanied by a provocative headline (which the rising star no doubt hates) flounders online and makes it harder to justify making such pieces a priority. Then as a newspaper we have to react to what’s in the news, and if someone like Swift is making news headlines then we have to cover her… Then add budget constraints to the mix. It’s hard, but got to keep trying, as you say!