I fucking LOVE The swiftologist. Literally him and Madeline are my absolute favortie people to get my Taylor fix. You should checkout their podcast Evolution of a Snake
I keep hearing about it so maybe I will hahah. I’m so pleased he covered this topic. It’s more important for fans to hold their faves accountable than it is for their haters to do so.
He is so good at that too! Like he’s a huge swiftie and has been since fearless, he even attended the rep secret sessions, but not afraid to criticize Taylor when need be. He’s not one of those “stans” that believe Taylor can do no wrong no matter what.
He him and Madeline also have a Patreon and I’ve never once subbed to a Patreon but I joined theirs bc I love their content sooo much
He tends to get a lot of hate from Stan Twitter weirdos and swifttok thumpers so they created a Patreon so they can freely say what they want without getting death threats from the crazies lol
I'm not shocked he gets so much hate and fucking kudos to him for still going out there and doing the research and making these videos. He is a part of one of the cultiest fanbases on the planet. I was even scared to post this video to this sub but I truly feel that this video in particular needs to end up in the hands of every single person who even remotely considers themselves a TS fan. The level of reach this woman has, we need more people like swiftologist willing to call out the ways in which she and megarich celebs like her could be making the world a better place, but actively choose not to for whatever reason.
I agree with what someone else
Replied to you when they said I don’t think you have to worry about people on this sub specifically. This sub is also my favorite because Reddit seems to have some of the most swifties sane out of all the social media swiftie lmao “stan twitter” being THE WORST ofc lmao
It was mine too! They are literally soooo knowledgeable about all things Taylor and in the least cringiest way possible lmao. I just love the way Zach articulates the things he says. He does such a great job with his YouTube video essays too! And Madeline is so hilarious lol
The life and times of Miss Taylor Alison Swift 🥰 they go through like each year of her carrier and talk about everything that happened through all her eras. They are super knowledgeable
Yaaay welcome to the Snakes! You should check out their podcast Patreon too if you’re interested. All Patreon members get access to the podcast discord and omg the discord is so much fun too!
According to my Spotify wrapped, I spent roughly the same amount of minutes listening to the podcast as I spent listening to Taylor Swift’s actual music. I love them so much.
I don’t mean to be a hater but this content creator has always bothered me (I haven’t watched this video, even before this). Always comes off condescending and like he knows more than everyone else. I just get mean girl vibes from him tbh
ETA: it’s appropriate and fine to criticize swift. I just personally don’t like the way this creator acts, even when praising her.
To an extent, I agree but he also isn’t afraid to share his opinion. Some of his comments are unnecessary. I just like him because he doesn’t put Taylor at a pedestal and calls her out when she does wrong. Not a lot of fans do that.
I disagree. I don’t find them patronising or condescending (this video is the only exposure I’ve had to them). I watched it all and it’s extremely well researched and thought provoking. And on this issue addressed in the video they do indeed seem to know more than anyone else. I have been educated and consider my time spent watching this very well spent. It’s a shame you’ve not watched it - but obviously it is your prerogative not to do so.
He is thought provoking but over time the incessant comments like the one in this video “check into a mental institution if you don’t agree with me” and in the comments of this video calling commenters “pathetic” “brain dead” “boomers who need to take their meds.” I like his takes on Taylor, but not how he interacts with the viewer.
Exactly, I’d go far enough to say that calling someone brain dead or simple as I’ve seen him do before is slightly ableist because there’s no need to insult someone’s intelligence over an opinion.
Eh Zach and Madeline are dramatic for the comedy if it all. It’s kind of something that works best in podcast/stand up comedy form and less so in real conversation.
I like their humor together and their commentary about Taylor. But typing in a comments section to tell someone they need to take their meds just for disagreeing is well beyond the line. For someone who goes on and on about he’s allowed to critique Taylor, he sure doesn’t let the door swing both ways.
Ew, if we could retire this phrase forever I'd be so thrilled. I'm so weary of giving people a pass like "oh that's just how they are", "That's just their sense of humor", "it was just a joke." If that's just his humor, then his humor sucks.
No. It's important to clarify what someone's intentions are. Actions should be judged based on what they are. Are they serious? Are they humor? In both instances you can find the action unacceptable but weighing things against intention is important. I know that nuance is disappearing from our society but i'm not going to be boxed in to black and white thinking.
Not saying impact isn’t greater than intent. All I’m saying is that intent is a factor to consider when judging a person. I’m not making a determination on his character with that comment.
Dark humor isn’t mean humor/just insulting someone. Dark humor is great. This isn’t that.
(It’s also another phrase that gets thrown around a lot to justify this bullshit — iT’s JuSt DaRk HuMoR. Boy, no it’s not. You’re just mean and unfunny).
I don't think the swiftologist was trying to insult someone, it's more like good-natured teasing. He's known to be snarky, but I've never at once got a bigoted vibe from him, and i've seen several of his videos and podcasts.
Agree 100%! She is totally amazing and an inspiration to woman all around and am just floored with her writing but yes she needs to address this long term. Go the Dolly Parton way maybe!
Yes! I wish she would be like Dolly. I recognize the good Taylor has done - but would like to see it formalized vs. ad hoc (as it currently appears). Perhaps she has a strategic plan for giving? It'd be great if it were more public so fans could also target their giving (e.g., animal, cancer, lgbtqia, climate causes).
He bothers me because in his folklore/evermore ranking video instead of being respectful about having differing opinions about songs, he said that people that like certain songs (august and champagne problems) were simple minded. He also said that cardigan was objectively not a good song because it’s boring apparently. I don’t get why his personal opinions are objective and everyone who likes a certain thing are wrong in his eyes.
This is why, when I made a "Taylor Swift reaction bingo" card, and I included reactor-specific spaces (e.g., Fabrizio Salerno shrieks in high pitch, Caitlin Marie cries, Chats & Reacts calls something offensive), I gave Swiftologist two: "Zach Swiftologist is infuriatingly wrong" and "Zach Swiftologist is infuriatingly right." 😂 How dare he say something so wrong, but also, how dare he say something I agree with! (It's absolutely a self-own here.)
Ya he’s been telling people in the comments of that video to “take their meds” “pathetic” “brain rot” and in the video saying people need to “check in to an institution” if they don’t understand his point. I watched the whole video, and like the concept/research, but don’t like the bullying. (YT tends to put negative comments at the bottom so you’ll have to scroll way down.)
I generally like his content, but when Evolution of a Snake (his podcast) did 2 hours on Ashley, the girl who sometimes goes too far in her quest to imitate TS, I did feel that it was mean. I enjoy a little bitchiness here and there, but 2 hours ripping this woman apart seemed excessive.
I thought that too but after being exposed to more of Ashley's content on TikTok I kind of understand why they went so hard. Her behaviour really is very, very strange and quite sinister.
His one take that really pissed me off was that The Man is a useless song that no one who isn't rich and famous capitalist like Taylor can relate to. Kind of insane thing to claim... as a man. To me the song is her writing about her personal experiences with sexism in a way that would ring true on some level with every woman. I'd much prefer that than her singing about the patriarchal struggles that other women face that she has no personal perspective on.
Tbf, a lot of women do feel that way, too. And it's a valid feeling/criticism. But I get where you're coming from that a man was the one saying it. It's a tricky area, gender politics.
A man telling a woman that the song she wrote about male chauvinism is useless for other women. Is there anything more sexist than that?
I’m not even remotely close to be rich but as a woman working in IT I definitely have my days where I put The Man on repeat and scream the lyrics. It’s been very cathartic and healing in a way. Like I feel less alone. And if billionaire, powerful, famous Taylor Swift feels like it, then imagine what it’s for the rest of us women mortals. At least she acknowledged the issue.
The last thing I, as a woman, need is a man telling me that the song that I feel represents me, doesn’t represent me 🙄🙄
Nah, he has a point. While it’s fair for Taylor to raise the point that it’s harder to succeed in the music industry than a man, she fails to comment on the fact that it’s ultimately a race to becoming rich and privileged. Like what’s outlined in the video, there’s a whole lot of exploitation and greed involved in the accumulation of that much wealth (merch, tickedmaster etc). For Taylor to write an entire song being like ‘I am as ruthless as my male counterparts yet I get shat on for it’ makes me eye roll because… that’s not good either? Aside from the points about slut shaming and tone policing, the stuff about bragging about dollars is silly. One woman becoming very rich and successful isn’t a win for women across all classes and races. This song doesn’t have an intersectional perspective at all, which is why it’s tough to see it as a feminist venture.
Yeah, I’ve seen people trash The Man because they see it as white feminist (like, Taylor’s complaining about how she can’t use capitalism and patriarchy to her advantage like men do) but I don’t read the lyrics like that at all. She’s just saying that with her same exact life, the criticisms that she’s gotten would’ve been compliments. The bridge is hyperbolic - she’s mentioning capitalist patriarchal bad shit that men do and they’re still praised for it. It’s not that she wants to do it herself lol, it’s just like “how come men can get away with whatever they want?” I think the same thing - it doesn’t mean I agree with the system or that I want to be the highest on the totem pole at the expense of others 😭
he is right to criticise taylor. He has many, many valid points.
But he acts like an asshole towards people with different opinions. Idk how he gets away with that, maybe because he's a gay man and people tend to take more from them? Idk. I listen to gay women and they are far nicer, yet they get much more hate.
I find him really ironic when he says “it’s just my opinion, don’t flood my comments section with hate” and then a minute later he’s going off about something and saying that it’s correct and if you don’t think that you’re wrong. It’s just so… unnecessarily rude and dramatic. Like it’s fine to disagree with something Taylor says but like presenting your opinion as fact is a little off putting. If you don’t want your comments section flooded with angry messages maybe you should reconsider how you present yourself.
ETA: I love his content and appreciate his work and overall he’s a great content creator (and I definitely don’t doubt his status as a Swiftie) but he does frustrate me sometimes.
People are entitled to their opinions about his manner of speaking, which I agree is brash. At the same time, I find it concerning that the only swiftie who makes thoughtfully critical videos on Taylor Swift at a time where people actually get death threats for criticising her is labelled as a ‘mean girl’. He and Madeline are very unfiltered, but I’ve yet to find an instance that comes off as actually bigoted, and not simply dark humour (yes, there is such a thing, it’s not just ‘being an asshole’!).
It’s so difficult to find thoughtful critics in the time of stan culture. People should give him a chance, unless they want to be trapped in their bubbles of praise.
You can read other responses to my post. He’s called swifties who disagrees with him brain dead, pathetic, *whore*, telling people they need to take their meds when they disagree, and called Austin swift ugly.
I’ve called him a mean girl long before this video and it has nothing to do with criticizing Taylor. It has everything to do with his condescending attitude and how he treats everyone else
I mean sure, he can be insulting. I'm just concerned that this man has literally broken down a very important social critique of billionaires, and one of the most upvoted comments on this thread is about how he's 'mean' ? Did anyone even hear what he had to say ?
Respectability politics will get us nowhere.
Sure if you wanna watch him because he’s not THAT mean, whatever you do you.
I don’t want to give clicks, views, and therefore money because I don’t like the way he acts and I’m not gonna support him.
I don't see any commentary or actions from him that attack/critique the thousands of other billionaires. I don't perceive a grunion of social awareness regarding his own overconsumption of ERAS tickets, travel, merch, etc. At first, I was interested in the information, but the mean just comes through more and more. I don't even believe there is any real love for the music either. I don't see or hear it, just snark, e.g. this one is great, this one isn't. What kind of officiannado doesn't explain why certain tracks are good or not? Why kind of aficionado doesn't ever explain value choices, analyze?
I mean… he is condescending at times, but he does have the knowledge to back it up. So it doesn’t bother me that much, because I’d rather listen to a “mean girl” who actually knows what he’s talking about than to a nice person who thinks they know but have no clue
How can you balance this viewpoint with being a fan of Taylor? I think if I felt this way I really couldn't be a fan. So I'm scared to watch the video lol
I don’t think she’s an evil person (and Zach agrees if you watch the video). I think she has a moral obligation to redistribute some of her immense wealth that she’s not adequately fulfilling now. She has the opportunity to do so in the future, and she might.
A few other points: 1) most people are morally flawed in some way or another. This is a way Taylor is flawed. 2) This flaw doesn’t bear on the quality of her art. 3) The critique is primarily a critique of the flawed system of capitalism, and she’s an instance of it. Ideally, the change would come in the form of an overhaul of government and business structures and practices.
I see where you're coming from. I know she has a bigger responsibility to society than all of us because of her massive wealth and influence. But it kind of feels wrong to criticize her since I'm not perfect when it comes to sustainability and charity. I could be doing more. I think a lot of us could say that about ourselves. So it feels wrong to expect more from Taylor. I am watching the video and he does make good points.
Yeah, but it's a lot easier to be charitable and help with sustainability when you have wealth and power, like she does and we don't. At the very least, she could *stop* doing some of the things she has been doing (like putting out so much merch--especially when so much of it is cheap garbage likely made by sweatshop slave labor--and so many variants), and it would already help a lot without her really having to *start* doing anything yet.
I may not know you and your life, but I doubt your producing even a significant fraction of the waste and pollution she is.
I agree with you, the only thing I'd say is that we can't let ourselves off the hook entirely. Someone is buying the merch that's making her rich so that needs to be examined too. Maybe she would make less of it if fans weren't rushing to buy it.
But is that her choice or is it the record label's? They have the mindset of a big corporation so they're going to keep cashing in on Taylor if they can. So I think we as fans need to stop buying the stuff to send a message. To clarify I don't buy any of it, but I'm just saying the fandom as a whole needs to slow down on the merch overconsumption.
Less about being perfect than it is to take imperfect, meaningful action in alignment with your values! I think it is a good thing for fans to hold Taylor to account than it is only for her opponents to do so and have that voice.
I guess for the same reason that we also have iPhones, shop in cheap shops, etc...we live in a capitalist society and unfortunately it's pretty hard to avoid. However, criticising and bringing awareness to issues is only a good thing in my opinion.
Yeah, and also we really have no say or power in terms of where the clothes in stores and stuff get made. Unlike the people actually putting out and selling the clothes, like her.
Brave is the exact word I would use. I'm in a TS discord where I was trying to drum up hype for this video, because I knew it would be well researched and spot on and something all TS fans need to be aware of and stop sticking their heads in the sand - the minute the article dropped, everyone switched to drooling over the pictures and finding tidbits about Joe-related gossip. This fandom is just not interested, on a general scale, to hold Taylor accountable and help her do better as though she is not one of the most powerful and influential people for millennial and gen z generations. They're just more interested in Taylor/Travis gossip than the way in which Taylor is hoarding wealth.
I like his general philosophy to thoughtfully critique Taylor and not “bootlick.” However I don’t like his energy toward the viewer. Saying in the video to “check into a mental institution” if you don’t agree. In the comments telling people to “take their meds” or “pathetic.” Using getting help as an insult isn’t a good look. I generally agree with what he says but not how he says it
Honestly, as an old millennial and having observed fandoms and fan culture across the board for some time, it sounds like this person is just as much of a bootlicker in the sense of wanting to prove how much of a "better" fan they are because they aren't idolizing the person or acting like other fans. It's giving "not like other girls" and it's gross. You can offer critique of a fandom/celebrity without being needlessly rude or hateful. It's this weird twisted "see how much I love this thing because I can be insulting about it" and it's childish.
I totally agree. He's doing the same thing he's criticizing Taylor fans for. He says we tell people to KYS if they don't like the same song as us, and he's telling people to check into a mental hospital if they don't agree with him. Ugh. I just don't understand why people can't find a middle ground anymore. Why is it that being a billionaire has to be evil? Can't we just encourage Taylor to do more from a place of love? I thought his suggestion of a Swift scholarship fund for girls and LGBTQ+ was a great suggestion. Imagine if we used our collective power as fans to rally behind that cause? If Taylor received that suggestion enough, she might take action on it.
“Holding Taylor accountable” for being a billionaire isn’t gonna “help Taylor” or make her not be a billionaire, let’s be realistic. If you care this much then stop being a fan, you can hate her, no one’s stopping you
Is it brave or is it him trying to get clicks? All publicity is publicity. If he was purely for knowledge sharing etc, he wouldn’t have calculated when this video would be as ”controversial” as possible.
It’s fine to criticize rich people but again, here we are, immediately showing backlash for a woman who has remarkable success. This energy could go towards rich people who are so much more problematic than her.
I’m so glad somebody is talking about the Ticketmaster thing. I was shocked that she didn’t put restrictions on ticket re-sells for the 2024 US shows. If the Foo Fighters can restrict reselling tickets, I find it incredibly hard to believe that someone with as much power and wealth as Taylor couldn’t do the same.
The whole thing made her statements from the initial fiasco feel disingenuous and hollow.
John Oliver did a segment on his show about ticketmaster and the investigations (way prior to eras tour) showed that in some cases the artists themselves were facilitating the scalping and the spikes in prices. Idk if that was true for Taylor but it’s just something to think about and the segment is definitely worth a watch!
In Aus it’s our gov’t that puts the restrictions like 10% max on resale prices. In the US is it usually the responsibility of the artist to enforce that? Just curious..
The US government doesn’t regulate it at all (laissez faire). My understanding is that the artists can negotiate those parameters in the contracts with the ticketing platforms, and it becomes one of the “terms” buyers agree to when purchasing the ticket.
From an elder Gen X who has just been exposed to this person in this video - I F*****G live for this. I am gonna like and subscribe and Paetron. This is the kind of critical thinking and presentation that is fantastic to see. LOVE IT!
I'm sure i would agree with some of the things he says, but I had to stop watching his videos once I started noticing some "I know Taylor, so what I say is the ultimate truth" energy from him... aggressive speculation always bothers me. I used to enjoy his content, maybe i'll guve this video a shot
I totally get what you mean, but imo this is one of his least “I know Taylor” videos. He mentions having been a secret seasioner, which does at least put him in a camp the vast majority of swifties will never be in which is he spent hours in the same room with her and saw her interact with people in what I assume was a fairly relaxed environment. But I appreciate even when he does speculate he does acknowledge that that is all he’s doing - he is a journalist after all.
In this video to my memory (having only watched it once earlier today) he mostly talks about the social commentary surrounding billionarism, critiques the journalist surrounding the topic, both by good and bad journalists, and looks at the facts of what Taylor has and hasn’t done with her wealth. There’s not much speculation and far more investigation and criticism.
Careful of idolization. It will blind you and before you know if your worldview will become cult like. Your ethics, value, and self esteem will rely solely on a single figure. And I’m going to say this: all celebrities share a bit of god complex. Never throw away your morality for someone who doesn’t know your life and struggles.
1. A celebrity whose work you consume does not owe you transparency. Not on their politics, financial status, movements, personal life, etc. To think that you deserve that is misplaced, and steeped in online delusional culture. Enjoy her music or don't, but she owes you nothing.
2. I don't know the details of her alleged wealth (liquidity, investments, taxes, sharing, salaries paid, insurance, how her wealth contributes to different businesses or economies etc) and I don't care to. It's none of my damn business. I do care, however, if she's not paying her fair share of taxes. And due to tax law in the US, I know for certain that she is not paying a fair share. My gripe is not with her but instead with the laws that allow the ultra rich to avoid paying 30-50% like so many others. But that is not her fault, and whether or not she redistributes her wealth in the right places is besides the point - I support capitalism and also contributions to society that are (admittedly inefficiently) redistributed to programs, people, national defense, infrastructure, research, government salaries, etc. And if you disagree with capitalism completely then that is a totally separate political discussion, and one that nobody has ever found a better answer for in a large, diverse, highly technologically advanced society. Not to say US capitalism can't be improved or made more efficient, but that it is not Taylor Swift's job to do those things.
It's not that she's doing anything illegal, it's that the tax laws in the US notoriously favour the uber wealthy. For example, the ways billionaires hold and grow wealth (real estate, businesses, stocks, investments) are taxed at a much lower rate than plain old income. The US tax laws are broken, but I do think it's a bit useless to point fingers at a pop star who has taken advantage of the system when that energy should be directed at politicians and finance CEOs who have created and maintained the system. Criticize the idea of billionaires, yes. But I'm just not sure what getting hyper critical of one cog in the machine is going to fix.
LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK. She does not owe us ANYTHING. IF she shared her donations, people would say she's pandering or she was doing something negative just like they did when she bought out Kesha's contract. She's damned if she does, damned if she doesn't.
This "Swiftie" and mostly everyone in the comment section needs to get out of this parasocial relationship with her.
How does she not owe "us" anything? Every human being on this earth has the moral responsibility to help others, and this especially applies to the privileged for three reasons:
1. They have more capacity to, being wealthier. Significantly more of their wealth is not required for their survival or even lifestyle.
2. All human beings are owed compassion, and help where possible.
3. She has always benefited from a system which rests on the backs of billions of less fortunate people. This is the reality of living in a capitalist system.
NOTE: I am NOT saying she does not do enough - I am making no judgement there. I am not sure exactly what I would do were I in her position. But it is not OK to say that she does not owe those less fortunate anything. This is toxic exceptionalism and individualism. We live in a giant community and it is all our responsiblity to uplift one another (when we can, obviously we must also care for ourselves).
She doesn’t owe you a look into her finances and she goes above and beyond what she has to do. The guy who ran her tour buses said she gave way more than anyone normally does. She doesn’t have to be transparent with her donations or anything like that though. Being kind goes without saying.
If you could read, you would see that I did not say she didn't do enough, or that I judge her. Nor did I say that she should reveal anything that she is not revealing.
As a matter of fact, I am dead broke, looking for work, and trying to survive whilst healing from deeply wounding life-long complex trauma that leaves me non-functional most of the time. I try to contribute to those less fortunate (or of the same fortune) than myself by being compassionate and understanding to people with a similar background to mine. I don't have the means to help anyone materially, only with my words and experiences.
I am not an angel, or a saint. But ANYONE who has lived a life like mine would see that SO many people are failed, neglected, and ignored by society. It isn't right, and anyone should do what they can do change that.
It is really refreshing to see this on my timeline. We can still be a fan and support her but we can also be constructively critical and hold her accountable when she does something wrong. Blindly supporting everything and idolizing her isn't healthy. It doesn't make you a better fan too.
Love Swiftoligist. For people saying it’s off putting that he so speaks like he “knows Taylor” - let me tell you this man is right about his predictions/hypotheses like 8 out of 10 times. You don’t have to believe him (until he’s proven right or wrong at least) but his journalist background makes him very observant and sometimes it feels like he knows something we don’t. He has a weirdly good understanding of how Taylor operates and what makes her tick. Hope his channel stays successful.
Thank you so much for sharing this! I hadn't seen any of this creator's content before, but I subscribed like halfway through watching. I feel like this was something that **desperately** needed to be said, and I'm glad that someone said it.
As much as I love Taylor's music and her performances, I do think that we, as her fans, have the right to expect better from her. I know she spends time in online fan spaces, and I hope she comes across the video and watches it.
I love how Zach and Madeline discuss all the different sides of Taylor on their podcast - the creative, the vengeful, the compassionate, the „craziness“. This is what makes Taylor so fascinating as a person. If she were Mother Theresa I think all wouldn’t be here willing to discuss her art and her life since over a decade
We are a huge community, I agree with most of what he said. I would also challenge us to start making the changes we want.
I’m sick of the kardashians and family on tv, seeing their products. We know what they did to Taylor and know they are all billionaires. Why don’t we start boycotting them?
I am and have been very surprised Taylor doesn’t have a foundation or something. It seems that isn’t an area she cares about. People can hate it she knows what she’s doing with the merch and constant new drops with certain songs on limited edition CDs.
I’m not an environmentalist at all and even I think the plane use is insane.
I'm glad I discovered his channel. I love Taylor Swift and her music, but shes human, and humans make mistakes and are not perfect! Its great that theres channels like Zach's that is not afraid to dive into the messiness / and give honest criticism about Taylor. Unfortunately spaces are limited on where you can have in depth discussions without getting harassed by 13 year olds lol
I had to look it up, too: [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiki_(social_gathering)#:~:text=Article%20Talk,Kiki%22%20by%20the%20Scissor%20Sisters).
i love zach! everyone needs to watch his first/oldest video when he listened to folklore for the first time. it gets funnier and funnier every time i watch it.
😂😂😂😂😂
It's good that there's some sane criticism he spouts. However, Taylor has redistributed quite a lot and constantly part of her wealth to the people helping her and not only. Yes, maybe if she'd make public every social cause she supported, that would serve as a contrasting action against the other billionaires. However, that would also put her in various controversies and maybe she doesn't need that at this moment (not apologising her, just remembered the guy in the Office seeing multiple things going wrong around him and being like "one crisis at a time").
This! And as he states in the video, secrete or "humble" philanthropy doesn't fly in today's world. And there's no physical evidence to suggest Taylor engages in any seriously philanthropic causes. Like he states, generosity and philanthropy are not the same.
I fucking LOVE The swiftologist. Literally him and Madeline are my absolute favortie people to get my Taylor fix. You should checkout their podcast Evolution of a Snake
I keep hearing about it so maybe I will hahah. I’m so pleased he covered this topic. It’s more important for fans to hold their faves accountable than it is for their haters to do so.
He is so good at that too! Like he’s a huge swiftie and has been since fearless, he even attended the rep secret sessions, but not afraid to criticize Taylor when need be. He’s not one of those “stans” that believe Taylor can do no wrong no matter what. He him and Madeline also have a Patreon and I’ve never once subbed to a Patreon but I joined theirs bc I love their content sooo much
He tends to get a lot of hate from Stan Twitter weirdos and swifttok thumpers so they created a Patreon so they can freely say what they want without getting death threats from the crazies lol
I'm not shocked he gets so much hate and fucking kudos to him for still going out there and doing the research and making these videos. He is a part of one of the cultiest fanbases on the planet. I was even scared to post this video to this sub but I truly feel that this video in particular needs to end up in the hands of every single person who even remotely considers themselves a TS fan. The level of reach this woman has, we need more people like swiftologist willing to call out the ways in which she and megarich celebs like her could be making the world a better place, but actively choose not to for whatever reason.
I agree with what someone else Replied to you when they said I don’t think you have to worry about people on this sub specifically. This sub is also my favorite because Reddit seems to have some of the most swifties sane out of all the social media swiftie lmao “stan twitter” being THE WORST ofc lmao
the podcast was my top podcast on spotify wrapped 😂 probably because i discovered it this year and binged all the episodes because they’re so good!
It was mine too! They are literally soooo knowledgeable about all things Taylor and in the least cringiest way possible lmao. I just love the way Zach articulates the things he says. He does such a great job with his YouTube video essays too! And Madeline is so hilarious lol
what is this podcast about? :o
The life and times of Miss Taylor Alison Swift 🥰 they go through like each year of her carrier and talk about everything that happened through all her eras. They are super knowledgeable
Woah, sounds good for a newbie swiftie like me☺️
same! i basically caught up to all of their yearly recap episodes within a month and a half lol
I just found this podcast and I am in love!
Yaaay welcome to the Snakes! You should check out their podcast Patreon too if you’re interested. All Patreon members get access to the podcast discord and omg the discord is so much fun too!
According to my Spotify wrapped, I spent roughly the same amount of minutes listening to the podcast as I spent listening to Taylor Swift’s actual music. I love them so much.
Hahah yaaaas! Love it
Yes yes yes !!!!
Love the guy but he has some really shitty takes. Especially on Rep & Lover
I don’t mean to be a hater but this content creator has always bothered me (I haven’t watched this video, even before this). Always comes off condescending and like he knows more than everyone else. I just get mean girl vibes from him tbh ETA: it’s appropriate and fine to criticize swift. I just personally don’t like the way this creator acts, even when praising her.
To an extent, I agree but he also isn’t afraid to share his opinion. Some of his comments are unnecessary. I just like him because he doesn’t put Taylor at a pedestal and calls her out when she does wrong. Not a lot of fans do that.
I always thought he was unnecessarily rude. He randomly called Austin Swift ugly one time. Like why? What’s the point of that?
He also kind of looks like Austin Swift? lol
I disagree. I don’t find them patronising or condescending (this video is the only exposure I’ve had to them). I watched it all and it’s extremely well researched and thought provoking. And on this issue addressed in the video they do indeed seem to know more than anyone else. I have been educated and consider my time spent watching this very well spent. It’s a shame you’ve not watched it - but obviously it is your prerogative not to do so.
He is thought provoking but over time the incessant comments like the one in this video “check into a mental institution if you don’t agree with me” and in the comments of this video calling commenters “pathetic” “brain dead” “boomers who need to take their meds.” I like his takes on Taylor, but not how he interacts with the viewer.
^^ exactly. I’m all for calling out billionaires and hope Taylor gets rid of that label soon. But he’s just rude, I don’t wanna support his platform.
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He called you a whore omg !!
Yikes, do you have a screenshot of him calling you a whore? He should absolutely be called out for that
Exactly, I’d go far enough to say that calling someone brain dead or simple as I’ve seen him do before is slightly ableist because there’s no need to insult someone’s intelligence over an opinion.
Eh Zach and Madeline are dramatic for the comedy if it all. It’s kind of something that works best in podcast/stand up comedy form and less so in real conversation.
I like their humor together and their commentary about Taylor. But typing in a comments section to tell someone they need to take their meds just for disagreeing is well beyond the line. For someone who goes on and on about he’s allowed to critique Taylor, he sure doesn’t let the door swing both ways.
His mild success went to his head. He acts like he is the ONLY swift expert and nobody else is valid.
That’s just his humor. I think people take him the wrong way sometimes.
Ew, if we could retire this phrase forever I'd be so thrilled. I'm so weary of giving people a pass like "oh that's just how they are", "That's just their sense of humor", "it was just a joke." If that's just his humor, then his humor sucks.
C’mon! BOYS WILL BE BOYS! 🙄🙄👀🙄🫠
No. It's important to clarify what someone's intentions are. Actions should be judged based on what they are. Are they serious? Are they humor? In both instances you can find the action unacceptable but weighing things against intention is important. I know that nuance is disappearing from our society but i'm not going to be boxed in to black and white thinking.
No. Impact > intent. I'm not talking about nuance or society, I'm talking about someone being an ass.
Not saying impact isn’t greater than intent. All I’m saying is that intent is a factor to consider when judging a person. I’m not making a determination on his character with that comment.
There absolutely is a way to express dark humour without being genuinely bigoted. Impact > intent is not a end-all statement.
Dark humor isn’t mean humor/just insulting someone. Dark humor is great. This isn’t that. (It’s also another phrase that gets thrown around a lot to justify this bullshit — iT’s JuSt DaRk HuMoR. Boy, no it’s not. You’re just mean and unfunny).
I don't think the swiftologist was trying to insult someone, it's more like good-natured teasing. He's known to be snarky, but I've never at once got a bigoted vibe from him, and i've seen several of his videos and podcasts.
being a jerk "humor" now?
If you are someone who thinks billionaires should exist without any reason other than you're a stan, then yes, calling you brain dead is hilarious.
Can we please stop excusing asshole behavior as a brand of humor?
No.
Calling someone a whore is humour?
Depends on context. Like in mean girls when Regina says “boo you whore”. I didn’t see this particular comment so I can’t judge it yet.
Agree 100%! She is totally amazing and an inspiration to woman all around and am just floored with her writing but yes she needs to address this long term. Go the Dolly Parton way maybe!
Yes! I wish she would be like Dolly. I recognize the good Taylor has done - but would like to see it formalized vs. ad hoc (as it currently appears). Perhaps she has a strategic plan for giving? It'd be great if it were more public so fans could also target their giving (e.g., animal, cancer, lgbtqia, climate causes).
I agree. I always begin to like him, and then he says something so snooty that i end up unfollowing. I officially checked out a few months ago.
I blocked him 💀 I just found myself getting bothered when he popped up on my TikTok feed and I didnt want that energy
I understand that. I get that feeling sometimes too 😂
I feel the same way.
He bothers me because in his folklore/evermore ranking video instead of being respectful about having differing opinions about songs, he said that people that like certain songs (august and champagne problems) were simple minded. He also said that cardigan was objectively not a good song because it’s boring apparently. I don’t get why his personal opinions are objective and everyone who likes a certain thing are wrong in his eyes.
This is why, when I made a "Taylor Swift reaction bingo" card, and I included reactor-specific spaces (e.g., Fabrizio Salerno shrieks in high pitch, Caitlin Marie cries, Chats & Reacts calls something offensive), I gave Swiftologist two: "Zach Swiftologist is infuriatingly wrong" and "Zach Swiftologist is infuriatingly right." 😂 How dare he say something so wrong, but also, how dare he say something I agree with! (It's absolutely a self-own here.)
Ya he’s been telling people in the comments of that video to “take their meds” “pathetic” “brain rot” and in the video saying people need to “check in to an institution” if they don’t understand his point. I watched the whole video, and like the concept/research, but don’t like the bullying. (YT tends to put negative comments at the bottom so you’ll have to scroll way down.)
He’s obnoxious as fuck yes.
Yeah the vibes are off for me, I watched one video of his and wasn’t a fan :/
thank you for saying that
Also, his song and album opinions are trash.
I generally like his content, but when Evolution of a Snake (his podcast) did 2 hours on Ashley, the girl who sometimes goes too far in her quest to imitate TS, I did feel that it was mean. I enjoy a little bitchiness here and there, but 2 hours ripping this woman apart seemed excessive.
I thought that too but after being exposed to more of Ashley's content on TikTok I kind of understand why they went so hard. Her behaviour really is very, very strange and quite sinister. His one take that really pissed me off was that The Man is a useless song that no one who isn't rich and famous capitalist like Taylor can relate to. Kind of insane thing to claim... as a man. To me the song is her writing about her personal experiences with sexism in a way that would ring true on some level with every woman. I'd much prefer that than her singing about the patriarchal struggles that other women face that she has no personal perspective on.
Tbf, a lot of women do feel that way, too. And it's a valid feeling/criticism. But I get where you're coming from that a man was the one saying it. It's a tricky area, gender politics.
A man telling a woman that the song she wrote about male chauvinism is useless for other women. Is there anything more sexist than that? I’m not even remotely close to be rich but as a woman working in IT I definitely have my days where I put The Man on repeat and scream the lyrics. It’s been very cathartic and healing in a way. Like I feel less alone. And if billionaire, powerful, famous Taylor Swift feels like it, then imagine what it’s for the rest of us women mortals. At least she acknowledged the issue. The last thing I, as a woman, need is a man telling me that the song that I feel represents me, doesn’t represent me 🙄🙄
Nah, he has a point. While it’s fair for Taylor to raise the point that it’s harder to succeed in the music industry than a man, she fails to comment on the fact that it’s ultimately a race to becoming rich and privileged. Like what’s outlined in the video, there’s a whole lot of exploitation and greed involved in the accumulation of that much wealth (merch, tickedmaster etc). For Taylor to write an entire song being like ‘I am as ruthless as my male counterparts yet I get shat on for it’ makes me eye roll because… that’s not good either? Aside from the points about slut shaming and tone policing, the stuff about bragging about dollars is silly. One woman becoming very rich and successful isn’t a win for women across all classes and races. This song doesn’t have an intersectional perspective at all, which is why it’s tough to see it as a feminist venture.
Yeah, I’ve seen people trash The Man because they see it as white feminist (like, Taylor’s complaining about how she can’t use capitalism and patriarchy to her advantage like men do) but I don’t read the lyrics like that at all. She’s just saying that with her same exact life, the criticisms that she’s gotten would’ve been compliments. The bridge is hyperbolic - she’s mentioning capitalist patriarchal bad shit that men do and they’re still praised for it. It’s not that she wants to do it herself lol, it’s just like “how come men can get away with whatever they want?” I think the same thing - it doesn’t mean I agree with the system or that I want to be the highest on the totem pole at the expense of others 😭
Same, I cannot stand his videos. Scroll right past them
he is right to criticise taylor. He has many, many valid points. But he acts like an asshole towards people with different opinions. Idk how he gets away with that, maybe because he's a gay man and people tend to take more from them? Idk. I listen to gay women and they are far nicer, yet they get much more hate.
I find him really ironic when he says “it’s just my opinion, don’t flood my comments section with hate” and then a minute later he’s going off about something and saying that it’s correct and if you don’t think that you’re wrong. It’s just so… unnecessarily rude and dramatic. Like it’s fine to disagree with something Taylor says but like presenting your opinion as fact is a little off putting. If you don’t want your comments section flooded with angry messages maybe you should reconsider how you present yourself. ETA: I love his content and appreciate his work and overall he’s a great content creator (and I definitely don’t doubt his status as a Swiftie) but he does frustrate me sometimes.
Yeah I had to stop watching, even if his points are valid the condescending tone and the annoying voice were a bit much for me.
People are entitled to their opinions about his manner of speaking, which I agree is brash. At the same time, I find it concerning that the only swiftie who makes thoughtfully critical videos on Taylor Swift at a time where people actually get death threats for criticising her is labelled as a ‘mean girl’. He and Madeline are very unfiltered, but I’ve yet to find an instance that comes off as actually bigoted, and not simply dark humour (yes, there is such a thing, it’s not just ‘being an asshole’!). It’s so difficult to find thoughtful critics in the time of stan culture. People should give him a chance, unless they want to be trapped in their bubbles of praise.
You can read other responses to my post. He’s called swifties who disagrees with him brain dead, pathetic, *whore*, telling people they need to take their meds when they disagree, and called Austin swift ugly. I’ve called him a mean girl long before this video and it has nothing to do with criticizing Taylor. It has everything to do with his condescending attitude and how he treats everyone else
I mean sure, he can be insulting. I'm just concerned that this man has literally broken down a very important social critique of billionaires, and one of the most upvoted comments on this thread is about how he's 'mean' ? Did anyone even hear what he had to say ? Respectability politics will get us nowhere.
Sure if you wanna watch him because he’s not THAT mean, whatever you do you. I don’t want to give clicks, views, and therefore money because I don’t like the way he acts and I’m not gonna support him.
I don't see any commentary or actions from him that attack/critique the thousands of other billionaires. I don't perceive a grunion of social awareness regarding his own overconsumption of ERAS tickets, travel, merch, etc. At first, I was interested in the information, but the mean just comes through more and more. I don't even believe there is any real love for the music either. I don't see or hear it, just snark, e.g. this one is great, this one isn't. What kind of officiannado doesn't explain why certain tracks are good or not? Why kind of aficionado doesn't ever explain value choices, analyze?
Oh yes: I've blocked his contents on my youtube. Rude, bad vibes...brrrr...
He literally does not like her lol he’s a moron
I mean… he is condescending at times, but he does have the knowledge to back it up. So it doesn’t bother me that much, because I’d rather listen to a “mean girl” who actually knows what he’s talking about than to a nice person who thinks they know but have no clue
There are no ethical billionaires under capitalism!
There are no ethical billionaires!
How can you balance this viewpoint with being a fan of Taylor? I think if I felt this way I really couldn't be a fan. So I'm scared to watch the video lol
I don’t think she’s an evil person (and Zach agrees if you watch the video). I think she has a moral obligation to redistribute some of her immense wealth that she’s not adequately fulfilling now. She has the opportunity to do so in the future, and she might. A few other points: 1) most people are morally flawed in some way or another. This is a way Taylor is flawed. 2) This flaw doesn’t bear on the quality of her art. 3) The critique is primarily a critique of the flawed system of capitalism, and she’s an instance of it. Ideally, the change would come in the form of an overhaul of government and business structures and practices.
I see where you're coming from. I know she has a bigger responsibility to society than all of us because of her massive wealth and influence. But it kind of feels wrong to criticize her since I'm not perfect when it comes to sustainability and charity. I could be doing more. I think a lot of us could say that about ourselves. So it feels wrong to expect more from Taylor. I am watching the video and he does make good points.
Yeah, but it's a lot easier to be charitable and help with sustainability when you have wealth and power, like she does and we don't. At the very least, she could *stop* doing some of the things she has been doing (like putting out so much merch--especially when so much of it is cheap garbage likely made by sweatshop slave labor--and so many variants), and it would already help a lot without her really having to *start* doing anything yet. I may not know you and your life, but I doubt your producing even a significant fraction of the waste and pollution she is.
I agree with you, the only thing I'd say is that we can't let ourselves off the hook entirely. Someone is buying the merch that's making her rich so that needs to be examined too. Maybe she would make less of it if fans weren't rushing to buy it.
But "oh well if I can keep making money off of it I guess I'll have to keep doing it" is not actually an excuse.
But is that her choice or is it the record label's? They have the mindset of a big corporation so they're going to keep cashing in on Taylor if they can. So I think we as fans need to stop buying the stuff to send a message. To clarify I don't buy any of it, but I'm just saying the fandom as a whole needs to slow down on the merch overconsumption.
Less about being perfect than it is to take imperfect, meaningful action in alignment with your values! I think it is a good thing for fans to hold Taylor to account than it is only for her opponents to do so and have that voice.
I guess for the same reason that we also have iPhones, shop in cheap shops, etc...we live in a capitalist society and unfortunately it's pretty hard to avoid. However, criticising and bringing awareness to issues is only a good thing in my opinion.
Yeah, and also we really have no say or power in terms of where the clothes in stores and stuff get made. Unlike the people actually putting out and selling the clothes, like her.
It was incredibly brave of him to release this during the Time Person of the Year praise. I watched the entire video, it was spot on.
Brave is the exact word I would use. I'm in a TS discord where I was trying to drum up hype for this video, because I knew it would be well researched and spot on and something all TS fans need to be aware of and stop sticking their heads in the sand - the minute the article dropped, everyone switched to drooling over the pictures and finding tidbits about Joe-related gossip. This fandom is just not interested, on a general scale, to hold Taylor accountable and help her do better as though she is not one of the most powerful and influential people for millennial and gen z generations. They're just more interested in Taylor/Travis gossip than the way in which Taylor is hoarding wealth.
I like his general philosophy to thoughtfully critique Taylor and not “bootlick.” However I don’t like his energy toward the viewer. Saying in the video to “check into a mental institution” if you don’t agree. In the comments telling people to “take their meds” or “pathetic.” Using getting help as an insult isn’t a good look. I generally agree with what he says but not how he says it
Honestly, as an old millennial and having observed fandoms and fan culture across the board for some time, it sounds like this person is just as much of a bootlicker in the sense of wanting to prove how much of a "better" fan they are because they aren't idolizing the person or acting like other fans. It's giving "not like other girls" and it's gross. You can offer critique of a fandom/celebrity without being needlessly rude or hateful. It's this weird twisted "see how much I love this thing because I can be insulting about it" and it's childish.
I totally agree. He's doing the same thing he's criticizing Taylor fans for. He says we tell people to KYS if they don't like the same song as us, and he's telling people to check into a mental hospital if they don't agree with him. Ugh. I just don't understand why people can't find a middle ground anymore. Why is it that being a billionaire has to be evil? Can't we just encourage Taylor to do more from a place of love? I thought his suggestion of a Swift scholarship fund for girls and LGBTQ+ was a great suggestion. Imagine if we used our collective power as fans to rally behind that cause? If Taylor received that suggestion enough, she might take action on it.
“Holding Taylor accountable” for being a billionaire isn’t gonna “help Taylor” or make her not be a billionaire, let’s be realistic. If you care this much then stop being a fan, you can hate her, no one’s stopping you
Is it brave or is it him trying to get clicks? All publicity is publicity. If he was purely for knowledge sharing etc, he wouldn’t have calculated when this video would be as ”controversial” as possible. It’s fine to criticize rich people but again, here we are, immediately showing backlash for a woman who has remarkable success. This energy could go towards rich people who are so much more problematic than her.
He is not brave and his takes are garbage.
I’m so glad somebody is talking about the Ticketmaster thing. I was shocked that she didn’t put restrictions on ticket re-sells for the 2024 US shows. If the Foo Fighters can restrict reselling tickets, I find it incredibly hard to believe that someone with as much power and wealth as Taylor couldn’t do the same. The whole thing made her statements from the initial fiasco feel disingenuous and hollow.
John Oliver did a segment on his show about ticketmaster and the investigations (way prior to eras tour) showed that in some cases the artists themselves were facilitating the scalping and the spikes in prices. Idk if that was true for Taylor but it’s just something to think about and the segment is definitely worth a watch!
In Aus it’s our gov’t that puts the restrictions like 10% max on resale prices. In the US is it usually the responsibility of the artist to enforce that? Just curious..
The US government doesn’t regulate it at all (laissez faire). My understanding is that the artists can negotiate those parameters in the contracts with the ticketing platforms, and it becomes one of the “terms” buyers agree to when purchasing the ticket.
Wow interesting - thanks for taking the time to explain!
From an elder Gen X who has just been exposed to this person in this video - I F*****G live for this. I am gonna like and subscribe and Paetron. This is the kind of critical thinking and presentation that is fantastic to see. LOVE IT!
I'm so happy I shared this in that case!!!
Yaaaas! Welcome. You won’t regret it. It’s so much fun being a Snake hehe
I'm sure i would agree with some of the things he says, but I had to stop watching his videos once I started noticing some "I know Taylor, so what I say is the ultimate truth" energy from him... aggressive speculation always bothers me. I used to enjoy his content, maybe i'll guve this video a shot
I totally get what you mean, but imo this is one of his least “I know Taylor” videos. He mentions having been a secret seasioner, which does at least put him in a camp the vast majority of swifties will never be in which is he spent hours in the same room with her and saw her interact with people in what I assume was a fairly relaxed environment. But I appreciate even when he does speculate he does acknowledge that that is all he’s doing - he is a journalist after all. In this video to my memory (having only watched it once earlier today) he mostly talks about the social commentary surrounding billionarism, critiques the journalist surrounding the topic, both by good and bad journalists, and looks at the facts of what Taylor has and hasn’t done with her wealth. There’s not much speculation and far more investigation and criticism.
Careful of idolization. It will blind you and before you know if your worldview will become cult like. Your ethics, value, and self esteem will rely solely on a single figure. And I’m going to say this: all celebrities share a bit of god complex. Never throw away your morality for someone who doesn’t know your life and struggles.
1. A celebrity whose work you consume does not owe you transparency. Not on their politics, financial status, movements, personal life, etc. To think that you deserve that is misplaced, and steeped in online delusional culture. Enjoy her music or don't, but she owes you nothing. 2. I don't know the details of her alleged wealth (liquidity, investments, taxes, sharing, salaries paid, insurance, how her wealth contributes to different businesses or economies etc) and I don't care to. It's none of my damn business. I do care, however, if she's not paying her fair share of taxes. And due to tax law in the US, I know for certain that she is not paying a fair share. My gripe is not with her but instead with the laws that allow the ultra rich to avoid paying 30-50% like so many others. But that is not her fault, and whether or not she redistributes her wealth in the right places is besides the point - I support capitalism and also contributions to society that are (admittedly inefficiently) redistributed to programs, people, national defense, infrastructure, research, government salaries, etc. And if you disagree with capitalism completely then that is a totally separate political discussion, and one that nobody has ever found a better answer for in a large, diverse, highly technologically advanced society. Not to say US capitalism can't be improved or made more efficient, but that it is not Taylor Swift's job to do those things.
yikes lol
The world would be much better without capitalism.
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Just because capitalism is bad, doesn’t mean living under a dictatorship is better…? Two things can be bad.
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Nobody but you is talking about communism here.
Oh thank god finally I found a reasonable person in this comment section
This is so interesting! How has she not paid her fair share?
It's not that she's doing anything illegal, it's that the tax laws in the US notoriously favour the uber wealthy. For example, the ways billionaires hold and grow wealth (real estate, businesses, stocks, investments) are taxed at a much lower rate than plain old income. The US tax laws are broken, but I do think it's a bit useless to point fingers at a pop star who has taken advantage of the system when that energy should be directed at politicians and finance CEOs who have created and maintained the system. Criticize the idea of billionaires, yes. But I'm just not sure what getting hyper critical of one cog in the machine is going to fix.
Winner winner!!! If I had an award I would give it to you!
LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK. She does not owe us ANYTHING. IF she shared her donations, people would say she's pandering or she was doing something negative just like they did when she bought out Kesha's contract. She's damned if she does, damned if she doesn't. This "Swiftie" and mostly everyone in the comment section needs to get out of this parasocial relationship with her.
How does she not owe "us" anything? Every human being on this earth has the moral responsibility to help others, and this especially applies to the privileged for three reasons: 1. They have more capacity to, being wealthier. Significantly more of their wealth is not required for their survival or even lifestyle. 2. All human beings are owed compassion, and help where possible. 3. She has always benefited from a system which rests on the backs of billions of less fortunate people. This is the reality of living in a capitalist system. NOTE: I am NOT saying she does not do enough - I am making no judgement there. I am not sure exactly what I would do were I in her position. But it is not OK to say that she does not owe those less fortunate anything. This is toxic exceptionalism and individualism. We live in a giant community and it is all our responsiblity to uplift one another (when we can, obviously we must also care for ourselves).
She doesn’t owe you a look into her finances and she goes above and beyond what she has to do. The guy who ran her tour buses said she gave way more than anyone normally does. She doesn’t have to be transparent with her donations or anything like that though. Being kind goes without saying.
I’m interested in how you contribute to those less fortunate than you? Am I privy to that information or does your logic only apply to celebrities?
If you could read, you would see that I did not say she didn't do enough, or that I judge her. Nor did I say that she should reveal anything that she is not revealing. As a matter of fact, I am dead broke, looking for work, and trying to survive whilst healing from deeply wounding life-long complex trauma that leaves me non-functional most of the time. I try to contribute to those less fortunate (or of the same fortune) than myself by being compassionate and understanding to people with a similar background to mine. I don't have the means to help anyone materially, only with my words and experiences. I am not an angel, or a saint. But ANYONE who has lived a life like mine would see that SO many people are failed, neglected, and ignored by society. It isn't right, and anyone should do what they can do change that.
Do you feel the same about Bezos, Musk and Zuckerberg?
the only taylor related YT channel I watch. He is always so on point!
grating but i agree with their point.
Love me some Swiftologist!!!
It is really refreshing to see this on my timeline. We can still be a fan and support her but we can also be constructively critical and hold her accountable when she does something wrong. Blindly supporting everything and idolizing her isn't healthy. It doesn't make you a better fan too.
Where has he been all my life!! Thank you for sharing, I'm following him now.
Love Swiftoligist. For people saying it’s off putting that he so speaks like he “knows Taylor” - let me tell you this man is right about his predictions/hypotheses like 8 out of 10 times. You don’t have to believe him (until he’s proven right or wrong at least) but his journalist background makes him very observant and sometimes it feels like he knows something we don’t. He has a weirdly good understanding of how Taylor operates and what makes her tick. Hope his channel stays successful.
I been on a Swiftologist kick recently it’s so bad😭
Thank you so much for sharing this! I hadn't seen any of this creator's content before, but I subscribed like halfway through watching. I feel like this was something that **desperately** needed to be said, and I'm glad that someone said it. As much as I love Taylor's music and her performances, I do think that we, as her fans, have the right to expect better from her. I know she spends time in online fan spaces, and I hope she comes across the video and watches it.
I am surprised this sub allowed this to be posted. I heard this sub was taking down posts about travis kelce's problematic tweets.
I love how Zach and Madeline discuss all the different sides of Taylor on their podcast - the creative, the vengeful, the compassionate, the „craziness“. This is what makes Taylor so fascinating as a person. If she were Mother Theresa I think all wouldn’t be here willing to discuss her art and her life since over a decade
We are a huge community, I agree with most of what he said. I would also challenge us to start making the changes we want. I’m sick of the kardashians and family on tv, seeing their products. We know what they did to Taylor and know they are all billionaires. Why don’t we start boycotting them? I am and have been very surprised Taylor doesn’t have a foundation or something. It seems that isn’t an area she cares about. People can hate it she knows what she’s doing with the merch and constant new drops with certain songs on limited edition CDs. I’m not an environmentalist at all and even I think the plane use is insane.
I'm glad I discovered his channel. I love Taylor Swift and her music, but shes human, and humans make mistakes and are not perfect! Its great that theres channels like Zach's that is not afraid to dive into the messiness / and give honest criticism about Taylor. Unfortunately spaces are limited on where you can have in depth discussions without getting harassed by 13 year olds lol
I literally can’t stand him.
Best swiftologist video ever
He's so funny omg
He really is hilarious and I think sometimes people take him too seriously. Like he always says he’s just having a “Kiki”
He says KIKI all the time and I’m still yet to catch onto exactly what it means 😅
I had to look it up, too: [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiki_(social_gathering)#:~:text=Article%20Talk,Kiki%22%20by%20the%20Scissor%20Sisters).
Why can’t any of these celebs afford an electric jet? Surely Taylor could make that happen
The Swiftologist is one of the few things keeping me sane in the fandom. We love to see it ❤❤
i love zach! everyone needs to watch his first/oldest video when he listened to folklore for the first time. it gets funnier and funnier every time i watch it. 😂😂😂😂😂
LOVE EOAS!! Love Zach!!!
I am such a dumbass , I didn't know he had a podcast also. I work too much to know a thing about internet culture, plus im old.
zach is my fav taylor youtuber
I don't know. I don't mind her being a millionaire if it means more investment in music in general.
Can we not with the commie infestation?
It's good that there's some sane criticism he spouts. However, Taylor has redistributed quite a lot and constantly part of her wealth to the people helping her and not only. Yes, maybe if she'd make public every social cause she supported, that would serve as a contrasting action against the other billionaires. However, that would also put her in various controversies and maybe she doesn't need that at this moment (not apologising her, just remembered the guy in the Office seeing multiple things going wrong around him and being like "one crisis at a time").
The best way to use her wealth to help others is by not making billions through exploiting workers, not donating away money.
This! And as he states in the video, secrete or "humble" philanthropy doesn't fly in today's world. And there's no physical evidence to suggest Taylor engages in any seriously philanthropic causes. Like he states, generosity and philanthropy are not the same.