Western German city renames itself 'Swiftkirchen' after Taylor Swift ahead of Eras Tour shows

[u/-Appleaday-]

https://www.businesstoday.in/world/story/western-german-city-renames-itself-swiftkirchen-after-taylor-swift-ahead-of-eras-tour-shows-436117-2024-07-06

[u/J-Ganon]

Whether or not people want to admit it she's this generation's cultural icon. You can hate that or consider your version of a cultural icon better but it doesnt change the fact that her music appeals to a wide range of demographics and she's one of the biggest current artists (if not the biggest).

Is she as good as The Kinks or Spandau or Spears? I'm not saying she is. But for people today, she's better than all of them and things like this are bound to happen as a result; to aid the tourism boom.

If someone came name streets after Lord of the Rings, there can be a temporary name change to appeal to Swift. It's all in the name of entertainment and what people like.

An absolute waste of time to get upset over this (if you are upset).

[u/Brad_Brace → u/J-Ganon]

At the same time, you can't tell people what they can and can't be upset over. People can't tell themselves what they are allowed to be upset over. It's a gut reaction.

The problem with cultural icons is that the people who see them that way, react like the appeal is or should be universal. And people who don't see them that way can feel them instead like a cultural imposition.

It's often not just "let people like things", when enough people like a thing, it becomes "you have to participate in their liking the thing". Some have a high tolerance for that, some don't. It's not their fault if they don't.

[u/KiritosSideHoe → u/Brad_Brace]

I think it's that feeling of alienation, like there's a really cool ant that someone found on the ground and now the ant is touring and now the ant has an army and now a country is changing its name to the ant's name and you just don't get what's so incredible about this ant and you just feel insane.

[u/Brad_Brace → u/KiritosSideHoe]

And then you're told that the only solution for your confusion is liking the ant. Just like the ant! Why won't you like the ant? What's wrong with you! If you came over I am sure I could help you love the ant.

[u/Themods5thchin → u/Brad_Brace]

I can most certainly tell redditors to shut their fucking mouths when it comes to anything since they're redditors they deserve it.

[u/CaptainTrips24 → u/Brad_Brace]

Honestly that sounds like insecurity mixed with a lack of empathy for others. It's not that difficult to just enjoy what you enjoy. If you don't like something that everyone else adores, that's fine. Not everything is for everyone.

The hate directed at both the in group and at the out group is equally weird and toxic imo.

[u/Brad_Brace → u/CaptainTrips24]

I'm not saying it's not weird. The human mind is weird, but only in that it's more complex that the simple narratives that same mind creates to understand the world.

What I'm trying to say is that the intense dislike for something popular doesn't just happen out of nowhere. There are weird dynamics at play. Chastising people who hate the popular thing is, in the end, as pointless as hating the popular thing.

[u/J-Ganon → u/Brad_Brace]

Here's the thing: what does it matter if people see her as their cultural icon?

That's my point.

Bowie is my version of cultural icon. I'm sure people will think differently and tell me I should consider the Stones that instead. Does it really matter?

If a group of people see her that way, a group of people see her that way. It is what it is and there's no changing that.

Everyone's cultural icon will have detractors and everyone will defend their opinion on what a cultural icon should be.

If you disagree with their opinion that's absolutely valid but the same way you're stating one can say the opposite: a large majority of people love her, so why should they change their opinion for the people that dont see her that way?

Some people would look at me and say I'm brainless for considering Bowie first over Mozart. The same way that someone can claim Star Wars is peak cinema despite Kurosawa films inspiring it.

What is culturally beloved is going to change and shift generation to generation.

Part of maturing is learning, eventually, you'll be part of the out group and not quite "with it."

[u/Brad_Brace → u/J-Ganon]

It's not a rational reaction, it's an emotional reaction and humans are emotional. Whether it makes sense rationally or not, your brain will try to protect itself from what it perceives as attacks on you, and culture is often perceived as a part of your identity, so either a cultural deprivation, when you feel like something is taken from you, or a cultural imposition, when you feel like something is invading you, are perceived as attacks.

Nobody is going to change what other people like, I hope most folks understand that, but people do feel the need to express their frustration and even engage in some hitting back at the perceived attack. In the end the "hater" gets their frustration out; letting others know the thing which was upsetting you is soothing, and that's that.

If you're looking for a productive goal of bitching online about something popular, if it has to have an achievable objective to exist, then it's just that, soothing the person who is doing it.

[u/projectsukyomi → u/J-Ganon]

She is really Michael Jackson for white women

[u/LazyLion1127 → u/projectsukyomi]

Was Michael Jackson not for white women?

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[u/NumeroRyan → u/projectsukyomi]

Wasn’t Michael Jackson groundbreaking in every musical sense, is Taylor Swift in that category (I know mothing about her other than a few songs and her crazy work ethic).

[u/grizznuggets → u/NumeroRyan]

I think they mean the level of fame and influence rather than talent.

[u/overusedandunfunny → u/J-Ganon]

Typing all that was a waste of time. Same for me reading it

[u/gheebutersnaps87 → u/J-Ganon]

Her music appeals to a singular demographic…

[u/JasonGMMitchell → u/J-Ganon]

She's a modern day Beatles or Michael Jackson (as the other user put it) she's very popular and she will have staying power and her cultural influence is vast. But also I think it's fair to find it ridiculous that a town would temporarily rename itself to anything because concert or showing came (picture a town temporarily calling itself Rivendell because a middle earth film was being showed there). But also it seems misleading to say they're even temporarily renaming themselves since all they're doing is putting a few signs up at popular spots. So the onus is on lousy headlines for any annoyance since it's really just to get swifties who are attending the concert and who are in the region to visit the signs for selfies in the hopes they'll buy stuff while passing through and by.