Mommy Moments
Taylor Swift – A Great Role Model for our Daughters
By Krista Martinelli
After listening to many hours of Taylor Swift songs and hearing the words sung by my daughter, I have to say that Taylor Swift is amazing. She writes her own songs and she is original – a refreshing change from the American Idol culture that we’re growing accustomed to (where the main goal is to just sing another person’s song well). In fact, she walked away from a major music recording contract at the age of 14 because she insisted on writing her own songs. This was a bold move and “unheard of” at the time. At the age of 22, she manages her own brand and her own multi-million dollar business. And most importantly, she actually thinks about being a good role model for young girls. Instead of “early success gone wrong” as we have seen with so many other young stars, she seems to be truly a “good girl.”
“She has been in the spotlight without a single public mis-step,” Barbara Finklestein from a 60 Minutes interview with Taylor Swift last year. Check out this video, part one of a longer 60 Minutes interview to learn more about Taylor.
Swift is a great example for young girls because of her confidence and decision making skills in her career. She knew exactly what she wanted to do, ever since she was ten years old (or possibly younger) and never flinched or walked away from her dream.
Last fall my daughter had the chance to see Taylor Swift in concert with her Dad – and a few of her girlfriends. And after hearing about how amazing the show was, so well-orchestrated with powerful choreography, I have to admit I was envious. Next time this Mom is going – for sure! J For the song “Speak Now,” they produced a whole wedding scene, which is interrupted by Taylor singing her resonating lyrics…
I am not the kind of girl
Who should be rudely barging in
On a white veil occasion
But you are not the kind of boy
Who should be marrying the wrong girl…
I remember watching one of the rudest moments in award show history, when Swift won the 2010 Grammy for Album of the Year and Kanye West grabbed the microphone away from her, even before I really knew who Taylor Swift was. Kanye West was booed by the audience for his disrespect of her accomplishment, and Swift graciously ignored his gesture, keeping quiet on TV interviews after the incident. Since then, she’s continued to receive plentiful awards and has been awarded over 100 times to date. Here’s her list of nominations and awards so far.
Swift has also been a champion of anti-bullying, and her song “Mean” has become a theme song for the simple message of being nice – not mean – to others. Although you might assume that the song came from a relationship gone wrong or a bullying incident as a child, the song actually was directed at a harsh music critic. After she sang off key in a performance with Stevie Nicks, one critic wrote that Taylor “had killed her career overnight.” So in response, she wrote “Mean.”
Someday I’ll be living in a big old city
And all you’re ever gonna be is mean
Someday I’ll be big enough so you can’t hit me
And all you’re ever gonna be is mean
Why ya gotta be so mean?
See the “Mean” music video (below). Changing it up, Taylor plays banjo in this song.
In a nutshell, she’s talented and she never seems to do anything embarrassing, even while so many other rising young stars do. As for Taylor, no drug incidents, no sex scandals, and no shop-lifting arrests. She’s just a clean-cut, super-talented girl with a great message to her young fans. In a refreshing change from the norm, she sets an example in her songs, in her business life and in her personal life too. You can visit TaylorSwift.com for more information about her upcoming events and albums.
Krista Martinelli is the mother of two, the editor of AroundWellington.com (the best in local online news), and is also a devoted Taylor Swift fan.