The End of an Era for Taylor Swift and Her Fans
By Lola Offenback
With heated commentary circulating about Taylor Swift’s newest album, The Life of a Showgirl, the release of her new documentary came as a new wave to detract attention from criticism of the star.
Taylor Swift: The End of an Era was released to Disney+ in three stages through the month of December. Each episode discussed a different aspect of the star’s life during the height of her career.
The documentary delves into the personal and professional, the lives of her crew and backup performers, and the logistics of running the largest tour ever. The documentary pulls on the heartstrings of viewers, detailing the personal struggles of Swift and her crew and creating a down-to-earth watching experience.
It was endearing to see the spotlight shine on Swift’s backup dancers, stagecrew, choreographers, and other crew members throughout the documentary. Hearing the stories of all her dancers and singers and how each person got onto that stage was emotional to watch. The support that the crew expressed shows the time, thought, and consideration that Swift puts into all of her performances and every decision she makes as a performer and boss.
Each decision Swift made with her team, from costume design to staging, to which performers were on stage for each set, shows just how she rose to the fame that she has. The Era’s Tour was truly an experience for the fans, triggering all of their senses in well-thought-out ways.
However, viewers are left with the aftertaste of a publicity stunt. While each moment is real and vulnerable, you can’t help but notice the perfect lighting and the ever-obvious presence of cameras. As one of the biggest stars in the world, Swift is well aware of the need to craft an image and persona that fans will accept, only revealing details when and where it will rule in her favor.
She even states this in the documentary. Her superstardom has changed her relationship dynamic with fans and the entire public. She must cater and craft herself into an image that they will accept.
It's heartening to hear Swift speak about the shift in dynamics and how she fondly misses the intimate moments she used to have with her fans. She speaks on the difficulties of being viewed as a brand rather than a person. This is clearly a challenge for Swift, and she opens up about the pressure to perform and be a picture-perfect image for her fans.
These circumstances speak to the broader sociopolitical climate that we live in, where people polarize and idolize stars to a point that their safety and well-being are jeopardized. This is the sacrifice that larger-than-life stars make.
While this tour was life changing her herself, her crew, and her fans, it also destroyed any lingering crumbs of the down-to-earth teenage girl on the rise to fame. Taylor Swift is a brand, no longer a person in the public eye.
While this documentary was meant to focus on the tour itself, this messaging is what stands out. The loss of authenticity of a person who built their platform on that very principle is interesting to see, and it is clear why many were upset about her latest album.
The world is seeing a shift in authenticity from public figures, and Swift is setting the example. This documentary became just another way to shift the pendulum of commentary about Swift back to the positive.
