A rising tide lifts all boats.
Can we talk about Taylor Swift’s ‘Bad Blood’ music video for a second? I absolutely love it! It’s definitely more Tarantino than Miller/Rodriguez in my opinion, but equally bamf #girlpower overall and the Kendrick remix is such a nice touch. I love how Taylor Swift has come out swinging in the last few years as a full-blown feminist.
Honestly, I didn’t have an accurate definition of feminism when I was younger. I didn’t quite see all the ways that feminism is vital to growing up in the world we live in. I think that when I used to say, “Oh, feminism’s not really on my radar,” it was because when I was just seen as a kid, I wasn’t as threatening. I didn’t see myself being held back until I was a woman. Or the double standards in headlines, the double standards in the way stories are told, the double standards in the way things are perceived. A man writing about his feelings from a vulnerable place is brave; a woman writing about her feelings from a vulnerable place is oversharing or whining. Misogyny is ingrained in people from the time they are born. So to me, feminism is probably the most important movement that you could embrace, because it’s just basically another word for equality.
And with this new music video, she has shown us the true meaning of #girlpower: lifting each other up instead of tearing each other down. While, yes, I guess the girls in the video are literally tearing each other down Deadly Viper Assassination Squad-style, the most important thing to marvel at is the fact that Taylor Swift was able to wrangle such a huge cast of musicians, actors, and models (all her friends!) who are each killing it in their own industry.
This video is, above all else, a celebration of female friendship between strong and successful women of all ages. It is a refreshing and inspiring example of modern, moderate feminism (aka #modfem) and for that I say: Thank you, TaySwift!!
Paper Clips 
I couldn’t agree with you more; this video is filled with nothing but badass girl power to boot! I honestly can’t get enough of it 😛 Taylor is just killing it right now! XD
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She is killin’ it!! She’s unstoppable 😀
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I agree with you on many things, however…and here it comes nicely…there are still issues in this video that do not exactly encourage “sisterhood” or “girl power” equally among women. I’m talking about the lack of women who weigh more than all the women shown in the video. Also, where are the other race-ethnicities of women? I do think this video is a step in the right direction for giving women confidence, but it still needs tweaking. We can’t forget all women are colored and shaped differently and we need to include everyone if we are going to make a strong and consistent message. Thanks for bringing this up! And I hope you look more into feminism. It is such a great topic for thought and discussion!
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I think feminism and #girlpower are more about who you are and what you’re doing than what you look like. Lena Dunham is more than a just a representative of the average body type – she’s a brilliant writer, actor, author, and director. Jessica Alba is not just Hispanic – she’s a successful entrepreneur, mother, and actor. Serayah and Zendaya are not just Black – they’re fantastic and talented young actors as well. They’re also all friends with Taylor Swift and I’m sure she picked them not because she was trying to check off boxes, but because she is proud to call them friends and wants other people to share in that celebration.
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Thanks for pointing that out. I didn’t realize she was friends with all of these women. It’s pretty amazing seeing all of them come together.
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Actually, I should have said something else, too, before I pressed submit! I’m sorry. I should have clarified that I didn’t mean Taylor and these women aren’t feminists. I know I was reading into it too much based on looks. But you’re right, and many others would not interpret or persevere this as feminism unless they knew who these women are and what they represent. Thanks for discussing 🙂
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There are lots of different ways to be a feminist. I think we’re all fighting the same battle and there will always be room for discussion 🙂
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