Taylor Swift calls out sexist joke in latest Netflix series

Taylor’s career has been plagued by an absurd media obsession for her dating life. Seven or so years ago she was routinely described as a ‘crazy girlfriend’, ‘obsessive ex’, and ‘serial dater’, terms you’d seldom associate with a male performer who was similarly open about their life experiences.

In response, Swift has used her artistry to take ownership of her media persona several times. 2014’s ‘Blank Space’ was a deliberate, self-aware mockery of her public image, while 2017’s ‘Reputation’ actively fought against the slander she received from other high-profile celebrities, namely Kanye West and Kim Kardashian.

Taylor has had to actively resist the pressures of mainstream media in ways that are unique to the female experience. While this one single joke in a Netflix show may seem insignificant, it actively dismisses and ignores all of the efforts Swift has taken to dismantle the patriarchal hypocrisy of the industry.

Is she an isolated case?

Anyone keeping up with music news will tell you that, unfortunately, this is not exclusive to Swift. Media outlets continue to find novel ways to vilify female musicians and celebrities.

Britney Spears has faced scrutiny recently with her sorority case, with streaming platforms predictably jumping at the opportunity to create entertainment and documentaries based on her situation. What’s most telling is the one voice that actually matters is left out – Spears herself.

Other top musicians and stars such as Kesha have faced legal disputes over workplace abuse and Billie Eilish has created video pieces outlining her own experiences with sexism and slut-shaming. Female pop stars continue to receive heavy amounts of patriarchal comments and nonsense, even in 2021.

We’ll have to see if Netflix responds. It may end up censoring and removing the joke entirely, as the platform often reworks its shows post-release.

Either way, let’s hope for less lazy jokes like these in future, no matter how seemingly small. If the industry wants to truly change it needs to be accountable for all sexist moments such as these – not just the big, grand gestures and public court cases.