On June 17th, 2019, Taylor Swift dropped the music video for "You Need to Calm Down."
And if the lyrics didn't tip you off, the video's pro-LGBTQ imagery is equally loud
and proud.
Swift's new rainbow-covered video is a love letter to the community… and it features
a ton of celebrities who identify as LGBTQ, including talk show host Ellen DeGeneres,
pop star Adam Lambert, actor Billy Porter, drag queen RuPaul, choreographer Todrick Hall,
figure skater Adam Rippon, and actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson, to name just a few.
Oh, and hello, Ryan Reynolds…
Nice of you to drop in and show your support.
In case there was any room for misunderstanding, Swift makes her crusade against hatred totally
clear at the end of the video - with an on-screen message that reads:
"Let's show our pride by demanding that, on a national level, our laws truly treat all
our citizens equally.
Please sign my petition for Senate support of the Equality Act on Change.org."
Naturally, the Twitter reactions came hard and swift, with one fan quipping:
"Taylor swift telling us to calm down as she floats in a pool with a jacket on while her
trailer burns in the background is a MOOD."
Another fan called Swift's latest offering
"The gayest video of all time.
Thank you Taylor Swift for supporting us and being such an amazing ally.
Take a second to sign the petition."
Meanwhile, another supporter thanked the video's co-executive producer Todrick Hall, tweeting:
"I am so blown away by this masterpiece of a video.
[...] You have proven yourself a true ally and I am so grateful so many young LGBTQ kids
have you [to] look up to."
Alex Goldschmidt - the man who was lucky enough to have Taylor Swift perform at his engagement
party in February 2019 - tweeted:
"I've seen a lot of criticism of Taylor Swift as an ally.
If giving money to LGBTQ+ charities, showing up to LGBTQ+ celebrations and dedicating a
whole music video to the Equality Act isn't enough, I don't know what is."
As Goldschmidt mentions, a few folks weren't entirely pleased with the video.
Some people didn't buy its portrayal of country protesters.
Others were skeptical about the reunion of Taylor Swift and fellow pop star Katy Perry.
Journalist Lauren Duca tweeted:
"This picture of Katy Perry and Taylor Swift is the perfect symbol of their unabashed attempts
to use feminism as marketing: totally embarrassing and lacking in all nutritional value."
Another critic tweeted:
"The new Taylor Swift video…atrocious.
[...] The fact she really depicted anti-LGBT protestors as hicks?
Girl, many are very privileged people in high places in society.
This issue is too important for caricatures."
And yet another unimpressed viewer wrote:
"Yeah I might be cynical but that Taylor Swift video left me cold.
I try to think that it's purely intended but I can't help but think it's your classic 'let's
crack out a rainbow for pride month' stuff."
But of course plenty of entertainers praised Swift, with comedian Matt Bellassai jokingly
tweeting:
"As a gay who was not invited to be in taylor swift's music video, i have no choice but
to declare homophobia."
To which Adam Rippon replied:
"I stole your invite.
Had to tell everyone I was Matt Bellassai which they didn’t question."
Elsewhere in the Twitterverse, Cardi B succinctly shared her feelings in a two-word tweet:
"Soooo cute."
And on the wordier side of things, comedian Chelsea Handler had this to say about Swift's
latest offering:
"At the current moment there are two reasons you can be fired from the White House: coughing
around Donald Trump, and playing Taylor Swift's new music video around Mike Pence."
And Todrick Hall took to Twitter himself, writing:
"BLASTING 'You Need to Calm Down' next to this guy on the plane with the Trump hat and
several confederate flag pins is making me VERY HAPPY!"
He also took to his YouTube channel to share his feelings:
"I am so excited that I'm a part of this video and that all my friends are a part of the
video and…
I'm talking too much, I'm talking too much, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"
Whatever your thoughts on "You Need to Calm Down," there's no denying Taylor Swift knows
how to dominate a news cycle… and without a doubt, this star-studded spectacular is
certainly a sight to see.
Check out one of our newest videos right here!
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