By: Kelly Chia, Editor-in-Chief
Content warning: mentions of non-consensual pornography.
21-year-old Jack Sweeney has tracked private jet flights of celebrities since 2022. Sweeney’s list found that from January–July 2022, Taylor Swift’s flights produced an estimated “total flight emissions of 8,293.54 tonnes of carbon.” According to a study done by Yard, this is a whopping 1,184.8 times more than an average person’s emissions. Swifties, I can see you reading this and immediately thinking, “Oh, well, she quite literally boosted the US economy by $4.6 billion with the Eras tour. Of course she flies a lot!” I need you to know I am not, in fact, a hater. I have a Speak Now vinyl, and lord knows how many times I have stared at the wall listening to Evermore. The call is coming from inside the house: yes, Swift is an icon. She is also silent on the things that should matter.
Since July 2022, Swift has continued to use her private jets recklessly to visit Travis Kelce, including flying out from Tokyo to the Superbowl. That’s an estimated output of 200,000 lbs of carbon emissions, according to Gregory Koeleian, co-director of the Center for Sustainable Systems at the University of Michigan. It’s clear Swift is contributing constant and significant damage to the environment, yet, Swifties are content to hate on Sweeney after her team issued a cease and desist, claiming he is stalking her. Be serious: Sweeney tracks many celebrities with his bots, including Swift. He has provided statistics that are public information, showing how celebrities are massively impacting the environment. Why are we going so hard for a 34-year-old billionaire?!?
Did you know Swift’s post announcing her newest album gained 13 million likes in a day? This crushing number would make a significant impact on climate change if she used her platform to speak on it. If it’s unrealistic for Swift to fly commercial, she has the ability to use her massive platform to enact change in other ways, like voicing her support for climate-saving policies in Congress. An Instagram post from Swift prompting followers to vote has caused voter registration to spike by 32,000. That’s how powerful she is, and why we should expect better from her.
Fans are begging artists like Swift and Beyoncé to speak up on Palestine — a simple repost would push fans so far. The official BDS National Committee has asked them to publicly “distance themselves from Israel’s genocide.” They have notably stayed silent on the issue since, despite the government of Israel using their images to fuel propaganda and misinformation. Their voices drive massive political influence. When Swift had AI pornography made of her, the White House spoke out against it, prompting lawmakers to push the Disrupt Explicit Forced Images and Non-Consensual Edits Act, which gives non-consensual deepfake victims legislative protection. I want to be clear: Swift did not deserve to be violated. But it is telling when many other victims have spoken out against AI deepfake technology, only to be ignored.
The most common response from fans when they hear a “controversy” about their idols is to tune it out. I’ve heard every variety of, “Separate the art from the artist,” to “They’re not an activist,” to “They don’t know!” We shouldn’t jump to assume celebrities act in their best interest, which protects their image in our hearts. They’re ignoring controversy until it impacts them, and that’s very worthy of critique. Shutting down any criticism of them just because you like these idols is very petty. Let’s take off these rose-coloured lenses, and expect better from them.
