If you have kept up with my columns in the past year, it is no surprise that I am writing yet another column about Taylor Swift.
However, if you have not, let me enlighten you. I have been a Taylor Swift fan for as long as I can remember. It’s not only her music that inspires me, but her recent attitude toward speaking her mind and writing her story that has been written for her all these years.
Over the weekend, Swift released her new documentary, “Taylor Swift: Miss Americana.” At first glance, the film seemed like a fun, light-hearted story about Swift and how she became so famous. After watching “Miss Americana,” it is clear that there are two sides to every story being told.
At a young age, Swift was taught to never speak her mind and follow society’s role they made for her: the nice girl. This meant singing songs about boys, looking pretty and never commenting on what was happening in the world around her. Realizing she was close to the age of 30, Swift decided to take action by finally showing the world the battles she has faced and how she plans to grow.
With having the role of the pretty, skinny celebrity, it was no shock that Swift shared her tale of the eating disorder she gained. She reveals that comments others made toward her body made her “just stop eating.”
In the documentary she remarks, “It’s only happened a few times, and I’m not in any way proud of it. A picture of me where I feel like I looked like my tummy was too big, or someone said that I looked pregnant and that’ll just trigger me to just starve a little bit.”
She shares that in the past two years, she has worked hard to overcome this obstacle in her life. Swift stated that she has stopped looking at photographs taken by paparazzi due to the unflattering angles they are taken at.
Another serious issue Swift sheds a light on is sexual assault. In June of 2013, she was groped by David Mueller, a former Colorado DJ, during a meet and greet.
After four years of waiting for a trial date, Mueller was found guilty on Aug. 14, 2017. Swift was awarded a requested sum of $1 and pledged to donate “an unspecified amount” to organizations aimed at helping sexual assault victims. When asked why she did not remain quiet, she said she wanted to be a voice for those who had theirs taken away.
Much later in the film, Swift opened up about her mother’s cancer. In 2015, her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Due to their close relationship, this hit Swift hard, causing her, amongst other issues, to remain out of the spotlight for a long period of time.
Last, but certainly not least, Swift did not hold back on her stance toward today’s politics. During the last round of elections, Swift made it very clear that she was not a fan of GOP Sen. Marsha Blackburn. In the film, she refers to her as “Trump in a wig.”
Despite all the craziness that has gone on in her life over the past decade, Swift has remained classy and made it known that she will never let anyone hold her back again.
As a young female in today’s society, I admire this bravery Swift has shown to all her fans. I hope to one day gain the same amount of confidence she has when haters bring me down.

OLIVIA HAHNER
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