Why I Become a Reluctant Fan of Taylor Swift

Photo credit: Ashley Landis/Associated Press

I was always outside of the target demographic to be a “Swiftie.” My kids weren’t particularly into her and I am generally not a fan of pop music, although I’ve liked a few of her songs anyway.

However, she’s gotten my attention — and appreciation and even respect — with the way she’s handled her Eras tour. Here’s what’s changed for me.

The bonuses

By now, anyone who’s remotely keeping up with the news has probably heard that she gave $100K bonuses to each of the 50 truck drivers who transport all the equipment for her shows across the country. Considering the size and scope of her tour, their work is absolutely essential in making sure the concerts even happen.

She also gave bonuses to much of the crew working hard to support her, such as caterers, lighting directors, dancers, and backup musicians.

Sure, she’s one of the richest women in the country, based on how much money people have spent on concert tickets to see her shows (not to mention all the merch they bought at them.)

You might be inclined to say, that’s nice, but not really a big deal, considering how much money she’s still raking in. You might even mention the fact that she’ll get a sizable tax write-off for doing so.

However, when you consider all the other major touring artists who are also employing truckers and support crews and who don’t even think about sharing a bit of their wealth, it looks a whole lot more impressive to me.

Truckers generally make around $50,000 a year; their average annual wage is just $48,310, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. To get a bonus that’s more than double their annual wage is life-changing money to them, possibly allowing them to get a mortgage (or make a significant dent in paying theirs off.)

It’s really hard to say anything negative about that.

The feminist aspect

Taylor Swift has gotten a lot of bad press over the years that claim that her feminism is a particular brand of “white feminism,” that promotes white women getting ahead while excluding all women. To that, I can say that it appears to be a valid criticism.