Gen Xers - Do you find Taylor Swift’s music bland?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ohhh I just got it- maybe you and she doesn’t know what curtailing means. It means you are lessening it. Not a good thing for a kid.

The song is about everybody, knowing that the child is dying of cancer, but not telling him, and pretending everything is fine and letting him be himself.

So yeah, curtailing his knowledge is a good thing.

You should watch the movie, called the farewell

Ooookay- several posters are saying it is just about childhood. I think Taylor should have done a better job explaining that the kid she is curtailing has cancer if she wanted to tell his story.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Gen X women think hating Taylor Swift is a personality and I will never understand

One of the Gen X PPs here to clarify that I only am neutral/meh about Taylor. Now her fans…

+1

I have not posted much in the thread but I don't actually have strong feelings about Swift as a person. Like others I have tried to get into her music because she seems to be the biggest thing going, but it just never clicks with me. I do like singer-songwriters like Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo so I don't think it's purely a generational thing.

But reading through the thread I am reminded that I find diehard Swifties really annoying. They take any critique of Swift so personally. I don't get it. I think there is a lot of over identification with her as a personal avatar and it's not healthy. She's just an artist and celeb.

Actually, I don’t really care whether people like her or not. I understand she is not everyone’s cup of tea. I think people mainly take issue with the criticisms that come from generalizations or ignorance, or even a dismissal of her themes as unimportant because they appeal to young women as though that is a bad thing. There’s a deeper body of work there underneath the radio hits. I understand not everyone has the time or willingness to listen to them. But many people still speak before they know.

Then give me an example of something I should listen to and appreciate.

There's this masterpiece about her sweater

https://youtu.be/K-a8s8OLBSE?feature=shared

I tried and felt like I’ve heard versions of that song from her before. Dreamy whisper pop. Got bored half way through and turned it off. Not doing it for me. Sorry.

That’s my issue with her latest albums. I listened to the first song and liked it. Then I kept listening and realized they all sound the same.

If I listen to a Beatles or Radiohead album, I’ll get variety from song to song. I don’t feel like I get that sort of rhythmic and sonic variety from her albums, especially lately.

It's interesting. I hear a lot of variety in the songs on TTPD and some of them evoke a lot of emotion, most especially Robin. Maybe we just have different definitions of variety and pick up the sounds/themes differently because of the different music we appreciate. I like Radiohead just fine but they don't resonate with me like they did in the 90s. The Beatles are mainly meh to me and always have been.

+1
Robin is a truly beautiful song and makes me tear up thinking of my (now adult) kids when they were little. I believe she and Aaron Dessner wrote that together since it’s about his son.

I find the pacing odd. And the line "but now we'll curtail your curiosity" is one of the clunkier lines I've heard. To me, this is an example of insisting on overlaying lyrics that don't fit.

They are protecting him from future pain and hurt. It’s a beautiful concept.

Uh- This is one where I can’t even understand Orr agree with the lyrics.

No one’s job as a parent is to protect someone from future pain. Your job is to give them the tools to deal with life.

And curtailing a kids curiosity is like child abuse as far as I’m concerned.

It’s a song about a kid dying of cancer. It’s about an actual kid who died of cancer at the age of 6.

Well then that is an example of not so great lyrics. If you have to know all the background they aren’t writing in the song in order to make it understood, that is not great storytelling. You have to know that in order to appreciate it, and it isn’t in the lyrics. Then n people like the PP who wrote it made them remember their kids childhood will be confused and confuse listeners like me who think it sounds horrible.

Poor kid and family though.

They spent 6 months acting like he wasn’t dying of cancer so he could have 6 months more of childhood.

It’s nobody’s business except the family and TS what the lyrics mean and how closely they mimic exactly what the family saw and did.

It’s not about you. That must drive you crazy.

What?no. Not really. I have spent maybe 5 minutes reading the PPs post and not understanding why she wanted to take away her kids curiosity.

Ok if it isn’t my business, why publish it, and I stand by the fact that curtailing curiosity is bad.

She used a bad phrase to describe it.

Put down the wine girlfriend.

They, his parents, not you…. Oh my God, what is wrong with you because if you are not drunk, you really need serious help.

Songs are released in the public sphere for public consumption. If she wrote this ‘just for his parents’ to understand as a gift, it wouldn’t be on an album for everyone to listen to, Apparently, there is controversy about the song and if it is about a kid with cancer anyway.

Are you really trying to argue that curtailing a kids curiosity is a good thing?

we found the barmy who thinks every song is about Matt Healy

[Anonymous]

Since I’m curious google agrees with the it is about childhood folks. I find it sad that she believes a kid should not be encouraged to be curious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ohhh I just got it- maybe you and she doesn’t know what curtailing means. It means you are lessening it. Not a good thing for a kid.

The song is about everybody, knowing that the child is dying of cancer, but not telling him, and pretending everything is fine and letting him be himself.

So yeah, curtailing his knowledge is a good thing.

You should watch the movie, called the farewell

Ooookay- several posters are saying it is just about childhood. I think Taylor should have done a better job explaining that the kid she is curtailing has cancer if she wanted to tell his story.

TS has been very clear that she’s not gonna explain all her songs to everybody. Some of them are about people and some of them are just about ideas and she’s not gonna tell you, which is which.

Maybe you should use your brain.

If you want to pretend it’s about childhood and some abusive parent not telling their kids about growing up then so be it… But that makes me wonder about your childhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Since I’m curious google agrees with the it is about childhood folks. I find it sad that she believes a kid should not be encouraged to be curious.

Well, it’s settled then a computer has collected all the information from Reddit and made a decision.

lol are you drunk or stupid?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Long may you reign
You're an animal
You are bloodthirsty
Out window panes talking utter nonsense
You have no idea
Strings tied to levers,
slowed down clocks tethered,
all this showmanship
To keep it, for you,
In sweetness
Way to go tiger
Higher and higher
Wilder and lighter
For you
Long may you roar
At your dinosaurs
You're a just ruler
Covered in mud, you look ridiculous
And you have no idea
Buried down deep and out of your reach, the secret we all vowed to keep it, from you,
In sweetness
Way to go tiger
Higher and higher
Wilder and lighter
For you
You got the dragonflies above your bed
You have a favorite spot on the swing set
You have no room in your dreams for regrets
You have no idea
The time will arrive for the cruel and the mean
You'll learn to bounce back just like your trampoline
But now we'll curtail your curiosity
In sweetness
Way to go, Tiger
Higher and higher
Wilder and lighter
For you

What’s your point?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Since I’m curious google agrees with the it is about childhood folks. I find it sad that she believes a kid should not be encouraged to be curious.

Cool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a post from a 40 year old woman I know:

Someone commented “This is my Roman Empire,” and I’m sure I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Because of Taylor Swift:

-I get GOOD NEWS in my algorithm multiple times a day

-Food banks across the country are able to feed so many more people - a single donation of hers fed over 500,000 every month in California

-Her fans are becoming more generous - with those same food banks reporting increased donations

-A new, more humane standard for pay has been established

-Millions of girls and women feel more confident, safer, and inspired

-Countless people across the country have received support during tragic times. Just google it. It’s unbelievable

-An additional 35,000 Americans are now registered to vote, taking part in critical act of democracy

If you have anything negative to say about Taylor Swift (please keep it off my page) - I’m sorry you feel that way - truly - because her impact has been one of incredible positivity with impact that most of us could only dream of.

I’m grateful that I get to live during this time and witness this type of leadership - LOVE in action. 💗

You don’t think this is a tad unhinged?

I agree it is unhinged specifically because humans are complex. To say "never say anything negative about Taylor Swift in my presence" is to argue for her infallibility. But... she's not infallible. I think she has done great things and I also think she sometimes does questionable things. I think it should always be okay to discuss the public actions of very high profile and powerful people (and Taylor Swift is both). Is some of the criticism of her just BS misogyny? Yes of course -- is water wet? But this is true of literally every single woman in the public eye. It's true of Taylor and Beyonce and Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren and Liz Cheney and Lauren Bobert and Ivanka Trump. Does that mean no one should ever be allowed to criticize any of those women for anything? Think about this.

This is the problem with people becoming so obsessed with public figures that they cannot view them with any emotional detachment. It makes it impossible to hold powerful people accountable.

So you may not want to hear it but here you go:

- Taylor Swift releases too much music and a lot of it is bland and boring. I get her megafans just love having more content but as a music fan I think it results in a lot of mediocre music in the world.

- Taylor Swift like pretty much all celebrities is a huge environmental burden that all of us will pay for. Her private jet use alone is worth talking about.

- I find the way she places her personal life in the public eye in a very overt and aggressive way and then complains about any negative coverage of her behavior as unfair to be obnoxious. She does not have to conduct her personal life in such a public way. She can go out to dinner with her friends without tipping off paps and sashaying down the sidewalk with a bunch of famous faces in order to ger her picture taken. She doesn't need to show up to NFL games in bustiers and thigh high boots and being sure to walk past photographers and reporters. She chooses to do these things. To then complain that people are too interested in her personal life? GTFO. She stokes that interest for her own financial gain. It's cynical and she should accept the negative side of being so unnecessarily public just like people like the Kardashians do.

There are also things I think are great about Taylor Swift. Some of her music is great. Her charitable giving is of course good and I appreciate how she's used her platform to encourage political engagement among young people. She seems like a reasonably nice person to the extent that it is possible to figure out what someone is "like" from this distance. Her business acumen and marketing skill and discipline is commendable.

But come on. She's a billionaire pop star. You're going to tell me she's some kind of humanitarian angel sent to bring us joy? No. She's a capitalist who is largely in it for herself. Any Gen Xer who doesn't get that and wants to tell me I am simply not *allowed* to criticize her in their presence clearly wasn't paying attention in the 90s. Y'all are gullible. Absolutely no one has a duty to carry water for Swift or any other super wealthy and powerful celeb. I don't care if you think she's "one of the good ones." Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely dummies.

What’s really strange is how people “actively” dislike her. I don’t like plenty of bands and that means I pay zero attention to them. I don’t see pap shots of them or even look at a list of their discography to know how many songs they released. And I certainly don’t post long screeds about them online.

+ a million
The screed-writing person clearly sucks the air out of every room. What a tremendous bore.

[Anonymous]

I think she’s ok. Swifties though. Yikes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think she’s ok. Swifties though. Yikes.

🤞🏻please vote with her though!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Since I’m curious google agrees with the it is about childhood folks. I find it sad that she believes a kid should not be encouraged to be curious.

She is not telling a kid not to be curious but is talking about losing that childlike sense of wonder when you become an adult or in this case, learn the secret that was being withheld from them. Could be that the child has a terminal illness, someone died, the parents are divorcing, or something else that will dramatically change the child’s life.

She is not always literal with her lyrics. I remember someone on this site criticizing her use of “tea time” in anti-hero because they thought she was referring to drinking tea together, like British high tea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think she’s ok. Swifties though. Yikes.

🤞🏻please vote with her though!!!

I’m not voting with her anymore than I’m voting with you. I voted when she was a baby and will continue to do so all by myself.

I do think it is good she is helping to gotv. MTV was always good about that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since I’m curious google agrees with the it is about childhood folks. I find it sad that she believes a kid should not be encouraged to be curious.

She is not telling a kid not to be curious but is talking about losing that childlike sense of wonder when you become an adult or in this case, learn the secret that was being withheld from them. Could be that the child has a terminal illness, someone died, the parents are divorcing, or something else that will dramatically change the child’s life.

She is not always literal with her lyrics. I remember someone on this site criticizing her use of “tea time” in anti-hero because they thought she was referring to drinking tea together, like British high tea.

Sorry, you will probably implode but this is being done to the kid.
Not really that many ways to take this one:
“But now we'll curtail your curiosity"

Holden caulfield did it better with the golden ring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Long may you reign
You're an animal
You are bloodthirsty
Out window panes talking utter nonsense
You have no idea
Strings tied to levers,
slowed down clocks tethered,
all this showmanship
To keep it, for you,
In sweetness
Way to go tiger
Higher and higher
Wilder and lighter
For you
Long may you roar
At your dinosaurs
You're a just ruler
Covered in mud, you look ridiculous
And you have no idea
Buried down deep and out of your reach, the secret we all vowed to keep it, from you,
In sweetness
Way to go tiger
Higher and higher
Wilder and lighter
For you
You got the dragonflies above your bed
You have a favorite spot on the swing set
You have no room in your dreams for regrets
You have no idea
The time will arrive for the cruel and the mean
You'll learn to bounce back just like your trampoline
But now we'll curtail your curiosity
In sweetness
Way to go, Tiger
Higher and higher
Wilder and lighter
For you

What’s your point?

The time will arrive for the cruel and the mean
You'll learn to bounce back just like your trampoline
But now we'll curtail your curiosity
In sweetness

DP. Because you are beyond dense, let me explain. The song is about keeping the “cruel and the mean” at bay for as long as possible in order to give this child all the sweetness that childhood has to offer. Eventually, the harsh realities of life catch up with all of us, but the song is about protecting this child and keeping him from finding out about cruelty. “Curtailing his curiosity” is simply referring to that - not about curiosity in general.

Now please find another thread on which to troll.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since I’m curious google agrees with the it is about childhood folks. I find it sad that she believes a kid should not be encouraged to be curious.

She is not telling a kid not to be curious but is talking about losing that childlike sense of wonder when you become an adult or in this case, learn the secret that was being withheld from them. Could be that the child has a terminal illness, someone died, the parents are divorcing, or something else that will dramatically change the child’s life.

She is not always literal with her lyrics. I remember someone on this site criticizing her use of “tea time” in anti-hero because they thought she was referring to drinking tea together, like British high tea.

Sorry, you will probably implode but this is being done to the kid.
Not really that many ways to take this one:
“But now we'll curtail your curiosity"

Holden caulfield did it better with the golden ring.

Thanks for making it clear why you’re not a fan! Taylor loves a double meaning, turn of phrase, poetic kind of lyric. You want something straightforward with only one interpretation. Taylor is not the artist for you.