Reminder that on February 1st, Karlie posted a photo of her posing in front of an NYU banner, after she originally posted, then deleted it a few days prior.
Then the very next day on February 2nd, this news came out:
Alright alright I just watched the entire speech and took notes here are my thoughts through my Kaylor/Gaylor colored glasses
* “male model” was absolutely unnecessary but she knew she couldn’t just say model for obvious reasons but she clearly needed to say model to secret shout out Boo thang
* “writing is my compass” —so the words she writes are what guide her life. The words. Very revealing
* “we are all literary chameleons deciding who to be and when”
* “years of unsolicited advice” from age 15, “constantly issued warnings” that “if I didn’t make any mistakes, all the children of America would grow up to be perfect angels” If that isn’t a full out admission to being forcefully closeted I don’t know what else it
* she got real emotional when she said “centered around the idea that mistakes equal failure and ultimately the loss of any chance at a happy or rewarding life” remember she just told us she was constantly warned about mistakes that would impact Americas children….hello anyone is this thing on? More very blatant closeting disclosure IMO
* “my mistakes (being gay) led to the best things in my life” (another Karlie shout out)
* “protect my private life fiercely” seemed like another way to say my REAL life because we’ve all been spoonfed the very private narrative for 5 years and so it seems unnecessary to bring it up again
* “throw out the old schools of thought in the name of progress and reform ” and “sit and listen to the wisdom of those who have gone before us” (all I could think of was Chely Wright)
Overall home girl did a great job. Her closing about being a doctor was chefs kiss. I do see this speech as being an undercover kind of acknowledgment to those paying attention but at the same time she always has that tinge of indignation to her words that is like fuck you I’m justified in my choices, which to me is like, whatever you need to tell yourself, Boo? We are all still waiting in the wings for the actual Letting It Go! LIFE IS TOO SHORT GIDDY UP
I said to you earlier that I don’t ever offer advice unless someone asks me for it, and now I’ll tell you why. As a person who started my very public career at the age of 15, it came with a price. And that price was years of unsolicited advice. Being the youngest person in every room for over a decade meant that I was constantly being issued warnings from older members of the music industry, the media, interviewers, executives. This advice often presented itself as thinly veiled warnings.
See, I was a teenager in the public eye at a time when our society was absolutely obsessed with the idea of having perfect young female role models. It felt like every interview I did included slight barbs by the interviewer about me one day ‘running off the rails’. That meant a different thing to everyone person said it me. So I became a young adult while being fed the message that if I didn’t make any mistakes, all the children of America would grow up to be perfect angels. However, if I did slip up, the entire earth would fall off its axis and it would be entirely my fault and I would go to pop star jail forever and ever.
It was all centered around the idea that mistakes equal failure and ultimately, the loss of any chance at a happy or rewarding life. This has not been my experience. My experience has been that my mistakes led to the best things in my life.
And being embarrassed when you mess up is part of the human experience. Getting back up, dusting yourself off and seeing who still wants to hang out with you afterward and laugh about it? That’s a gift.
The times I was told no or wasn’t included, wasn’t chosen, didn’t win, didn’t make the cut…looking back, it really feels like those moments were as important, if not more crucial, than the moments I was told ‘yes’.
—Taylor Swift in her commencement address for NYU’s graduating Class of 2022 (May 18, 2022)
“Taylor Swift, blazing singer-songwriter, producer, director, actress, pioneering and influential advocate for artists’ rights and philanthropist. You have brought joy and resolve to your hundreds of millions of fans throughout the world. One of the best-selling music artists in history, you have crossed genres, demographics, age groups, and borders of all kinds to touch lives around the globe. With nine original studio albums, two re-recorded studio albums, five extended plays, three live albums, and fourteen compilations, you have sold well over 100 million album units, earning awards and honors in every category. You have used the remarkable platform you earned to galvanize support for the Equality Act, to prevent discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, and you have spoken out and you have supported initiatives to protect woman and girls from harassment and sexual assault. You have donated significantly to victims of floods and tornadoes, for cancer research, literary programs for children and public education. You have fearlessly challenged the exploitation of music artists and successfully championed their right to be compensated for their work. Taylor Swift, you are a role model across the world for your unprecedented talent and accomplishment, your fierce advocacy for protection of those facing discrimination, and your commitment to speaking out forcefully, eloquently, and effectively on behalf of all artists. By virtue of the authority vested in me, I am pleased to confer upon you the degree of Doctor of Fine Arts, Honoris Causa.”
— Taylor Swift being conferred her honorary doctorate from New York University
