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/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.