So, The New York Times stirred up a lot of drama by publishing this massive article trying to guess Taylor Swift sexual preference. This opinion piece by editor Anna Marks, titled “Look What We Made Taylor Swift Do,” went on for 5,000 words. It talked about hints in Swift’s music that maybe, just maybe, she’s secretly part of the LGBTQ+ community.
Taylor Swift: The Big Backlash
But oh boy, did this article cause a stir! Not just with the regular readers of The Times, but apparently even some pals of Taylor Swift. They says people close to Swift slammed the article, saying it wouldn’t fly if it were about a guy singer like Shawn Mendes, whose love life fans also speculate about.
Taylor Swift: Mad Outcry and Ethical Stuff
Someone from Swift’s team, speaking undercover, called out the article, saying it was way out of line and just plain wrong. They went on about how this kind of gossip, disguised as an ‘opinion piece,’ crosses the line big time.
Chris Willman, who’s big in the music critic scene at Variety, didn’t hold back on Twitter. He straight-up said this op-ed was the worst he’d ever seen The NYT run, especially since the same writer did a similar thing with Harry Styles in 2022.
Reactions from People Involved
Chely Wright, a country singer mentioned in the piece, didn’t hold back either. She called it awful and upsetting, not because of her own story but because publicly discussing someone’s sexuality is just not cool.
The Article’s Argument
The writer, Marks, defended her speculations, saying Swift has been dropping hints in her music that she might be LGBTQ+ for a while now. She thinks Swift’s been signaling this even before it was trendy in mainstream culture.
What Taylor’s Said and Done
Now, Taylor Swift’s been supportive of the LGBTQ+ community for sure. She’s made her concerts a safe space and spoken out for LGBTQ+ rights. But she’s never said she’s part of that community herself. In fact, in her recent album’s prologue, she talked about how she hung out with female friends to dodge the media’s prying into her love life.
Marks’s Defense and The Times’ Silence
Marks knew this article might rub people the wrong way. She tried to address that in her piece, saying it’s important to talk about these things even if there’s no official confirmation.
The New York Times chose not to say much about the uproar, basically pointing back to what Marks wrote about potential criticism in her article.
To Sum It Up
The New York Times really stirred the pot by speculating about Taylor Swift’s personal life. It’s sparked a debate about boundaries, ethics, and whether it’s okay to dig into a celeb’s private stuff. This whole thing’s shining a light on how sensitive and tricky it can get when talking about famous folks’ personal identities.