After the Superbowl, I've been thinking a lot about how Travis Kelce is currently being received by the media. It feels like the entire world was tuned into the Superbowl, and while everyone saw the Chiefs win, we also saw some interesting behaviour from Travis Kelce. When I thought about it, I realised how differently the media reacts to Taylor Swift's behaviour in any capacity. Before I get into it, let me say that I do not intend to pit Taylor and Travis against each other, but rather use them as an example of how women are treated differently by the media.
The first thing is Travis Kelce's outburst at his coach during the Superbowl. The video of Travis screaming in Andy Reid's face was all over the internet, and everyone had something to say about it. On the posts I saw, many people commented saying things like, 'it's just the sport', 'you people clearly don't watch sports', 'tensions were high'. While it's true that there may be a mutual understanding between player and coach, this reaction from Travis was objectively aggressive.
Now, let's compare that to Taylor Swift's reaction to Jo Koy's Golden Globes joke. Except that... there was no reaction. The only thing she did was sip her drink. No frown, no eye roll, nothing to suggest the joke had truly upset her. But she still got absolutely slammed for it, with people saying things like she has no sense of humour, her reaction was worse than the joke, and that she should 'just smile'.
So, Taylor Swift takes a sip of her drink after a joke made in poor taste, and is attacked for her 'bad reaction'. Travis Kelce yells at his coach, and everyone comes to his defence. Doesn't seem fair, does it?
Next, Travis Kelce screams VIVA LAS LEGAS repeatedly into a microphone after winning the Superbowl. He is celebrated, with the whole thing being turned into a bit of a meme.
Taylor Swift wins a Grammy (continuing to break Grammy records), and announces a new album in celebration, and as a thank-you to her fans. She is called narcissistic, cheap, and has people comparing her album announcement to a proposal at a wedding.
Something else to mention is how Taylor Swift is under fire for her flight emissions, especially after Jack Sweeney tracked her flights. She was not the only person mentioned, yet she is the only person being talked about. Jack Sweeney is also tracking Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerburg, and Jeff Bezos, yet there's hardly been any mention of them.
This happens time and time again. Not just in the music/entertainment industry, but in other areas such as sports and politics. Any woman who is in the public eye will find it difficult to make the right move, as the 'right move' is somehow always the thing the woman didn't do. An example of this is Billie Eilish's fashion choices. She wears baggier clothing for her comfort, and people make fun of it. She wears something a bit more revealing, people are outraged (listen to her interlude, Not My Responsibility).
So what is a woman to do? She can't exist without someone having an opinion about it. Women have come very far, but there is still a way to go. It is my hope that one day, we will be able to take two steps forward, and stay two steps forward.
