In what may be the worst episode of the new show Law & Order: White Supremacy, lawyers representing Taylor Swift sent a cease and desist letter to a website that insinuates she is a silent supporter of the “alt-right.”
A bitter legal slap fight has emerged between pop singer Taylor Swift and website Popfront. The Dollar Store Beyoncé recently sent a letter to Popfront threatening the site with legal action if it doesn’t issue a retraction to its article claiming that the Becky icon is trying to get the “KKK in formation.”
On Sept. 5, little-known website Popfront posted a story entitled “Swiftly to the Alt-Right.” The story claims that Swift’s hit song “Look What You Made Me Do” is a dog whistle to the white anger invoked among Donald Trump’s base supporters because—after Queen Bey’s unapologetically black “Lemonade” forced the entirety of white womanhood to clutch their QVC discount “today’s special value” pearls—who else were they going to listen to?
The story quotes an article by another white supremacist as saying “it is also an established fact that Taylor Swift is secretly a Nazi and is simply waiting for the time when Donald Trump makes it safe for her to come out and announce her Aryan agenda to the world.” Popfront makes it clear that it has seen no such facts but goes on to point out that Swift has been curiously silent on Trump and the alt-right in the wake of Charlottesville, Va., and other recent racist events.
You know this made Swift big mad. I imagine she threw her pumpkin-spice latte across the room and could barely eat her gluten-free yoga sandwich when she learned of the despicable comparisons to Hitler in the article. The site didn’t actually compare Vegan Rihanna to Hitler, but whenever the name is invoked in reference to anyone, it automatically becomes a “comparison.”
Swift’s lawyers quickly issued a threatening letter to Popfront calling the article “provably false,” “absurd” and “defamatory.” The correspondence added:
Ms. Swift has no obligation to campaign for any particular political candidate or broadcast her political views, and the fact that her political views are not public enough for your taste does not give you the authority to presume what her political opinions may be or that her political views correlate to the support of white supremacy.
And even if Ms. Swift has remained silent on the issue of white supremacy ... silence does not mean support.”
Here’s where Swift’s scare white tactics backfired: Instead of issuing a retraction, Popfront sent the letter (pdf) to the ACLU.
First of all: Who the hell is waiting around to hear political discourse from Taylor Swift?
I’ve read the entire article, and it is apparent that the original writer did not make any statement of facts about Swift, but insinuated that Swift has been silent on the issue of racism because many of her fans are supporters of the alt-right. The post tries to make Swift complicit by proxy through her silence.
On the other hand, Swift’s lawyers make a valid. point: Swift is under no obligation to address any political issue. Part of the privilege of whiteness is having the opportunity to ride the fence because none of it affects you. Swift speaking out about white supremacy is as important as Richard Spencer talking about dancing stiffly to recycled, run-of-the-mill ditties throwing shade at ex-boyfriends.
I personally hope that both parties agree to appear on Judge Judy and let her settle this dispute, because Swift’s mediocre Caucasianness does not mean she is a white supremacist ...
Just white.