What Happens When Your Analysis Isn’t Ethical?

On January 4, the New York Times released an Op-Ed piece about Taylor Swift. The piece was highly scrutinized by Taylor, her coworkers, and other country singers mentioned in the article. What went wrong with Anna Mark’s analysis? 


The biggest flaw of their rhetoric is the lack of focus on actual artifacts and texts. The author discusses albums and songs developed by Taylor Swift. It also discusses fan commentary and media perceptions instead of attributing the artifacts and texts to the culture of the LGBTQA+ community. The author utilizes these artifacts and texts to assert their assumptions about Taylor Swift’s identity. 


If we approach the analysis with a symbolic convergence theory perspective and focus on the shared reality and rhetorical vision of the LGBTQA+ community. Taylor Swift has produced plenty of artifacts and texts that have benefited the community. Her song “You Need to Calm Down” is considered a pride anthem. Articles have covered her supportive perceptions of the LGBTQA+ community. Analyzing the impact of her support is beneficial to understanding the community's needs. The culture within the community strives to encourage a safe world where people are safe no matter their identity. It is considered unethical behavior to discuss or “out” individuals who have not yet disclosed their identity. If one is going to assess issues that fit within a certain cultural identity, it is important to respect their values and ethics. 


Additionally, it's worth noting Marks previously published a similar article concerning Harry Styles without correcting their approach. Styles, like Taylor Swift, has not publicly confirmed his identity. This consistency in the author's methodology raises questions about the ethical practices in their analytical approach.


What are your thoughts on the author's repeated behavior and its potential impact on how celebrities manage their identities in the public sphere?


Comments

  1. BrandiJanuary 13, 2024 at 6:26 PM

    In the case of this particular author and of the subject, Taylor Swift, I would assume that the author's repeated behavior could have far-reaching implications for how celebrities navigate their public image. With the rise of social media and the constant scrutiny from the public eye, managing one's identity has become a critical and challenging part of being a celebrity. The author's choices could possibly influence how other celebrities choose to present themselves and interact with their fans. I think that the author bears some accountability for the perceptions that they perpetuate and the impact their words have on the way celebrities navigate their public image.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Neo-Marxism in John Lennon’s Working Class Hero | By Kate Reiner

Image
Photo credit: Pixabay John Lennon statue at Hard Days Night Hotel in Liverpool, U.K. A neo-Marxist perspective in narrative criticism calls to our attention the complexities of class distinction, hegemony, and social struggle that are continuously reinforced or challenged in everyday popular culture (Sellnow, 2018). Popular culture is rich (…pun intended) with texts demonstrating how class distinction is perceived and managed in our culture. Sellnow (2018) describes these texts as sites of struggle that “reinforce or call into question taken-for-granted beliefs about what is normal regarding empowerment” (p. 119). And from a neo-Marxist critical perspective, that struggle typically pertains to materialism or wealth.  John Lennon’s (2016) song “Working Class Hero” is a good example of a site of struggle. Though originally released in 1970, its messages are still relevant today. The song describes the evolution of a working-class person who is born into an underprivileged situation,...
Read more

There Can Never Be Too Many Cats! Algorithms and Consumer Choice | By Kate Reiner

Image
Photo credit:  pikku_rotta Lately my social media feed, and consequently everyone in my household, is a compendium of cat memes, posts, and reels. And you know what? I’m fine with it. There can never be too many cat posts with which to fill a random dull moment of the day (or a meeting that’s just dragged on for too long!). Similarly, my sister recently showed me a message from her daughter, my 13-year-old niece, which read, “Mom, my phone is listening to you. All of my suggested videos are now about sourdough!" Now, one would think that those pesky content engagement algorithms would have caught on by now and we’d both be seeing all sorts of related product ads alongside these entertaining posts, but thankfully no.  However, buy one thing on Amazon and you can expect your social media feed to be instantly overrun by ads for the same thing you’ve just purchased. I often find myself thinking, come on algorithms, keep up! Show me something I don’t know I need yet, not what I jus...
Read more

Popular Music Hits Explained

Image
Pop ular Music Hits Explained MUSICAL AESTHETICS V.S. MUSIC COMMUNICATION Author Deanna D. Sellnow discusses the difference between "musical aesthetics" and "music as communication".  Based on my understanding of what I have read I interpreted "musical aesthetics" as appreciating the art of music objectively by genres, patterns, instruments, and tempo. Examples of this can be seen in something like the Opera of Classical Music. "musical aesthetics can also be someone that listens to music just because they enjoy it but do not analyze it in any way.  While "music as communication" is the basis of how most people listen to music, objectively connecting a type of emotional meaning to the art.  These are my interpretations of the two definitions. However, I believe these two definitions can be a hybrid or dynamic of some sort. For example, someone can critically analyze a song and it could be great but they have a deep connection to the art and ...
Read more