Taylor Swift and Amy Poehler's feud gets explained. In case you weren't aware that these two superstars were in a fight, they were. It all started back in 2013.
Picture it: The 70th Golden Globe Awards ceremony was being hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. During the show, Poehler told what should have been an innocuous joke about Taylor Swift and her penchant for dating, dumping, and writing songs about her exes. After all, Swift had just called it quits with Conor Kennedy (yes, those Kennedys), so the story was a big headline. Fey joked that given her interest in famous guys, Swift should stay away from Michael J. Fox's son, who was escorting the award winners off the stage during that night's telecast. Poehler disagreed and commented that Swift should go for it, to which Fey retorted, "No, she needs some 'me time' to learn about herself." The banter was a big hit with the audience, but Swift wasn't pleased and let the world know it.
Months later, Taylor Swift gave an interview with Vanity Fair (via Buzzfeed) and spoke candidly about being the butt of the joke:
"For a female to write about her feelings, and then be portrayed as some clingy, insane, desperate girlfriend in need of making you marry her and have kids with her, I think that’s taking something that potentially should be celebrated - a woman writing about her feelings in a confessional way - that’s taking it and turning it and twisting it into something that is frankly a little sexist."
Poehler, upon learning of Swift's feelings about being roasted, used her razor-sharp wit to hand down this comeback: "Aw, I feel bad if she was upset. I am a feminist and she is a young and talented girl. That being said, I do agree I am going to hell. But for other reasons. Mostly boring tax stuff." In that moment, Poehler exposed exactly what makes Taylor Swift tick: protecting and promoting her image at all costs. As a member of Generation X, Poehler used snark as a tool to show her intelligence and connection to pop culture - a benchmark of her generation. However, as a Millennial, Swift saw the moment as a clear affront to everything she holds dear. The singer-songwriter's grudge did not go gently into that good night, either. She held firm to it until finally appearing on stage to present an award with Poehler at the 77th annual Golden Globes ceremony in January 2020.
Considering how "pro-female" Taylor Swift's brand is, she missed a real opportunity to laugh at herself back in 2013. First of all, Fey and Poehler have lampooned a number of celebrities over the years, particularly during their time at Saturday Night Live. Who could forget the ageist/sexist jokes they made at George Clooney's expense during the 2015 Golden Globes? He got the joke, so what's up with Taylor? Since the fallout with Poehler, Swift has called out people like Kanye West for trying to take away her fame. She's criticized Scooter Braun for trying to put her in her place and make her a docile little girl. However, no one can infantilize someone unless they're a willing participant.
Poehler and Fey have one job when they get on stage: Keep the audience entertained. Sometimes, it seems like Swift lives in a perfectly curated bubble where that's exactly the type of exchange she's accustomed to. It will be great if Swift can loosen up a bit and realize that fame, praise, and her image are not the important parts of her gig; it's getting to do what she loves for a living.
Source: Buzzfeed