It's not about who you are
While holed up in a hotel with work over the last few days I have been afforded the chance to read a lot of the publications and websites that I normally wouldn't get a chance to. It's been interesting because something appears to be happening – a rumble has started in the vacuous celebrity blogs – an Emperor's New Clothes moment for Taylor Swift, and her perfectly engineered celebrity studded pop culture confecture laden juggernaut of greed.
There is aBatman quotethat I'm too lazy to look up – where Bruce Wayne is reminded that in the end it's not who you are that counts – it'swhat you do. When Taylor Swift has finished wheeling out her latest celebrity best friends forever for accidentally planned photo opportunities, she would do well to remember it.
Some people achieve fame seemingly by brute force – cough – Miley Cyrus – and then once aplatform has been built, changethe game. Instead of talking about Christmas presents for their favourite fans, they highlight the plight of the homeless. Instead of wheeling out a sports team on stage to make themselves look better, they intentionally strip everything away tostart dismantling society's hang-ups with appearance and sexuality.
I have no horse in this race. I'm a cynical software developer that reads the newspapers now and again along with everybody else. I do have children though, so recognise who I think might be good influences, and who might not. The controlling pop princess that appears to be too good to be true probably istoo good to be true. The abrasive but curiously intelligent loud-mouth that doesn't take any notice of the mayhem going on around her? Perfect.