tbh the Taylor Swift doc is good
A long, hard weekend of dragging my comforter to and from the couch gave me the chance to watch the Taylor Swift documentary on Netflix, Miss Americana, and honestly, it totally broke my heart a little?
A lot of the reviews around it have pointed out that well yes, a doc about Taylor released by Taylor isn’t going to be remotely objective, and that the resulting effect can come off as a bit calculating (cc: criticism of her entire career). I also found the pacing to be predictable — it’s not so much the play-by-play of her 15-year-career as it is a highlight reel of the most public moments leading to her political/adult awakening.
Overall, there’s valid critique that Swift’s narrative in the doc is all just a little too Woke Lite, which is why I don’t think it will be to absolutely everyone’s personal taste. But to that, I would posit that Swift’s perspective on coming up in the last ~15 years of rapidly changing gender politics is inherently valuable. And I’d even say that, as important (and fun) as it is to skewer “basic white girl” / corporatized feminism for all of its shortcomings, it’s worth considering a degree of patience for the specific audiences for whom a film about Swift’s complicated relationship with power will be revelatory.
So if you’re looking for a (v. glossy but also v. catchy) story of modern female ambition or just want to watch something that’ll make you consider the taste-making machines we are all a part of — and the narratives we allow to reach critical mass — Miss Americana is your girl.
Also, it was a lot cheaper than buying tickets for her Europe tour, so.
Deez Links is a dailyish media newsletter from Delia Cai, who is usually more of an Arianator than a Swiftie. As always, you can support the newsletter by hitting up the merch shop!