For any long-time fan of Taylor Swift, it is unfortunately unsurprising to see her name wrongfully snubbed amidst a crowd of men. Swift herself has spoken out numerous times about how young, successful women in the music industry have their talent undermined. From the ‘feud’ with Kanye West and the resultant #TaylorSwiftIsOverParty trend, to the internalised misogyny from women who are disdainful of everything Swift does, from her dating history to her supermodel friends, she has been in the firing line from all angles, and still keeps succeeding. 

Yet, in recent years, general public attitudes seem to have shifted. While many of her fans have been loyal since the beginning, the success of her recent Eras Tour seems to have swayed public opinion. Though it’s arguable that she has always been beloved in the mainstream – rightfully being named one of the artists of our generation – the widespread cruelty towards her, especially in the media, seemed to have died down. 

Her relationship with Chiefs player Travis Kelce has been a big topic in the media for a while, particularly with her appearances in at the NFL teams games in the last year, with some even deeming her to be his good luck charm. The reception here has generally been positive and welcoming. Similarly, Kelce himself has been welcomed with open arms at Swift’s Eras Tour, joining in with dances and spending time with fans in the crowd. This acceptance of Kelce greatly contrasts the reception of Swift at the Super Bowl recently. The camera panned over to her, as it does at basically every event that she attends, and the entire crowd began booing, with particularly male voices dominating this response. 

It doesn’t take a genius to notice the significant gender divide within this comparison. Sporting events for the Chiefs, particularly high-profile events such as the Super Bowl, are stereotypically male-dominated, especially compared to the aggressive stereotyping of Taylor Swift’s fans being young, excited ‘fangirls’. One writer from the Express described the event, stating that ‘Taylor Swift faced an unwelcome response at the Super Bowl, accused of betraying her Philadelphia Eagles by rooting for Travis Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs.’ Though this reasoning makes a small modicum of sense, there is still an undercurrent of criticism throughout this argument, particularly considering who they are speaking about. Swift, being both a powerful woman in the media, and one constantly shrouded in misogynistic criticism, receives such a negative reception compared to the adoration and excitement expressed by her fans towards her boyfriend. The obsession with Swift’s dating life, too, most certainly comes into play within this criticism; they call her traitor, and claim that she is so boy-crazy that she must surely be betraying her home team as she supports her boyfriend at a game against them. And they have the nerve to say Taylor Swift fans are melodramatic? Wild stuff. 

This circumstance not only depicts the massive gender bias when it comes to fan culture – with the sports fans being justified in their emotional reactions, compared to the stereotyping of ‘fangirls’ in the music industry. Similarly, this demonstrates the treatment of male and female celebrities. Fans berated Swift for being a prominent topic at the Super Bowl – attention she never asked for, mind you – and questioned why she would be in attendance, especially to support her boyfriend, while also being a fan of the opposing team. Did you hear about all the Taylor Swift fans who questioned why Travis Kelce, a football player, was at The Eras Tour? Me neither. 

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