Since Taylor Swift touched down in Australia last week, kicking off the final leg of her 1989 world tour, local politicians have furiously competed with each other to show off how in touch they are with the pop music-loving masses.
But are they genuinely caught up in the cultural phenomenon that Swift has become, or is it all a cynical ploy designed to make them appear more human and relatable?
NSW premier Mike Baird and federal treasurer Scott Morrison both shared news of their attendance at Swift’s Sydney concert over the weekend on social media. Not to be outdone, NSW Labor senator Sam Dastyari quoted three separate songs from Swift’s latest album at a press conference this morning, a follow up to his Blank Space recital in the Senate chamber earlier this year.
Other politicians such as federal backbencher Terri Butler and the Northern Territory’s Attorney-General John Elferink have similarly quoted Swift’s work in Parliament.
Maybe there’s nothing untoward about all this. Swift is enormously popular, you might argue, so isn’t it just an example of politicians getting caught up in the whirlwind of her success and innocently expressing their preference for an artist who famously struck a chord across a range of demographics? As tempting as it is to subscribe to this idea, sadly it severely misjudges how adept our most successful politicians are at curating the public image they manufacture of themselves.
On one hand Mike Baird and Scott Morrison might just be big fans. Sure, it’s hard to understand how Swift’s music and lyrics might resonate with conservative, middle-aged men, but her work is famous for cutting through regardless of the listener’s background.
After all, I’m a fan (albeit a late convert) and I can hardly resonate with the complexities of growing up as a young woman in contemporary society. But once you understand the effort politicians go into to create their folksy, uber-relatable image, the cynicism takes hold and refuses to let go.
Baird’s last attempt to demonstrate how tapped into the cultural zeitgeist he was, by live-tweeting an episode of The Bachelor, left us feeling a bit cheated after it was claimed he had paid $30,000 for lessons in how to tweet.
The great lie of social media is the idea that it allows us to get an unfiltered, behind the scenes glimpse of what our politicians are really like. In reality, we get a heavily edited, scripted set-piece that is as stage managed as any television appearance. The fact that the public think they’re getting the “real Scott Morrison” or “real Mike Baird” is exactly what makes it so attractive to politicians trying to remould their public image, in the case of Scott Morrison trying to shed his tough, “stop the boats” image, or create a national profile for themselves, in the case of backbenchers like Sam Dastyari.
Is Taylor Swift actually the preferred artist of these politicians, or is it more likely they know how to convince journalists desperate for fresh stories how to write about them, generating free publicity and a relatable persona?
What Swift offers politicians is the Holy Grail – universal cut through and relatability. Unlike other famous celebrities, she regularly refuses to engage in any discussion about her political beliefs. This is in stark contrast to artists like Jay-Z and Beyonce who are not only vocal with their political beliefs, but have made donations to political parties.
This helps explain the bipartisan political consensus around Swift. Not only is she incredibly popular, but unlike other pop musicians with millions of Australian fans, she is a politically safe choice.
In the current context, our politicians need an artist like Swift through which to filter themselves. Distrust in official politics is at an all time high. The growing disconnection between politicians and voters, reflected in the implementation of unpopular policies (health and education cuts) and refusal to implement popular ones (for example same-sex marriage), means political leaders will rely more and more on cultural touchstones to demonstrate how “with it” they are.
One of the most common criticisms levied against Swift is the accusation that she’s “calculating”. If there’s a career that demands supreme calculation, cunning and the ability to manipulate the public even more than that of a pop-star, it’s politics.
Our politicians have taken a genuine adoration for Swift amongst millions of Australians and turned it into yet another cynical tool designed to try and force us to like them. My plea, on behalf of Swift fans everywhere, is keep your grubby hands off her.
