Unapologetically BlakTo Swiftie or Not to Swiftie: That is the question
Tune in to the latest episode of Unapologetically Blak as we dive into unexpected fandom and role model reflections! In Episode 7, Mara unveils her newfound love for Taylor Swift, sparking a lively discussion on what defines a good role model. Join Ginny, Will, and Mara as they explore the complexities of idolisation, the impact of representation, and the qualities that make someone worthy of admiration. From cultural influences to personal values, we're delving deep into what shapes our perceptions of role models.
Unapologetically Blak is brought to you by the BlakCast Network and is produced by Clint Curtis.
Unapologetically Black would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands where this podcast is being hurt or watched across this great island continent now known as Australia and across the world. We would also like to pay our respects to elders past and present and acknowledge that this always was and always will be Averaginal Lands.
Welcome to Unapologetically Black with Jinny, Mara and Will.
Hello, everyone, welcome to another episode of Unapologetically Black. I'm your host Ginny and I'm joined by my beautiful co hosts.
Mara and Will Or Will and Mara.
Well Mara which one Hi, Mara, will leget Mara Awena?
No, I did go to Marowena. So thank Here we go.
Thanks Jenny for the introduction. You're welcome as always, It's an absolute pleasure to be in the company of you and Will.
I look forward to this.
I do, and I think our listeners also look forward to this because this is an opportunity for us to just have an amazing you and have a good laugh.
I'll be honest, it's like fucking herding cats though trying to get.
Us right, entrepreneurs, we got cats were lives but we make time for each other.
So yeah, thank you, Jinny.
You're welcome.
Some of us have busier lives, like used to your schedules are.
On another level.
Like it was almost lightning striking to get you mob in the same Oh, there.
Was a consolidated effort to get us here because, like Mara said, I love doing this. Gives me a laugh, a bit of a champagne.
Anyway, it's been a minute since we actually all caught up, because I think the last time we were all together in person was last year.
Hey was it last year?
Yeah? Christmas soft?
So yes are I think it's important to note this is random. I didn't know if I was going to bring this up, but here we are. Mara and I actually we went to sextor after we caught up, and there's some footage.
Maybe we'll put that footage up on Instagram.
Wait, you went to a sex shop after last time we recorded here.
Yeah, well we had a few dreams at the invite, clearly, because remember after filming, You're like, I'm going for a walk, and I was.
Like, we spent literally maybe five hours in this room recording.
Yeah, we go birds some energy.
So I get it that you didn't want to spend any more time to realize.
You were going to a sex shop.
Hey, look out, So we should have told him.
We did.
We went to a sex shop and we learnt a lot and the guy that worked there was so lovely and I took a bunch of videos.
So maybe we'll post that on Instagram for people to see.
Wait wait, wait, wait, so did you buy anything from the sex shop?
Yes, that's for after dark. Well, let's talk about that after dark.
What are we doing the after dark? I wanted to be dark. I needed to be dark already. I want to talk about.
The dark we did.
We did get a few I got a few things. Margaret Well, I got one thing, Mara got.
A few such.
I was buying things to gift people stuff, but that I'm gonna I'm always looking for presents to gift people.
I love gifting.
Do you know I got gifted a lug once.
A butler butt plug from who our friend?
There was this time that you did like secret Santa. Instead of doing like a normal gift, we got each other like a sex toy.
And everyone got the brief that is, we're going to gift each other sex.
That's the whole point of it was this a friend thing or a work.
No, a friend thing. I was gonna stay with a butt plot.
Say that.
Oh here the CEO, who's a Buttluguh?
Wow, I love that?
But yeah, we did.
We did have We had.
Fun and we learned a lot about different things. Mara, of course, was her eyes were like this.
Just what is this?
What is this?
What is this?
And can they do? Like do you know how you like to wine tasting? Can they like sex toy? He's tasting? Like you test it out? Like who was testing?
Do you want to test a fucking something after someone else is used?
Well not, We're not going to go use like a pre used I could get a fresh one.
Who like, so you're paying for the so you.
Know they get this. They have manufactured toys. They get kids to go test and the see if they were fun. Do you reckon? They get women and men out there using these toys before they release it to market.
Like, that's an interesting conversation.
We'll leave that to after dark.
Apparently that's an after dark conversation.
He was saying, we caught up and we after that last time we went for a walk. Ginny definitely opened my eyes to a world that I have not really been. I'm clearly living in this world, but I've just never been that adventurous. Is it called adventure?
We've spent a while in that or a little bit just.
Kind of I don't know. I was like, this is too much. It was a bit much, but it was good. It was good fun, good memories, and thank you very much, Ginny. I'll never forget it.
So change a topic.
We're going to do it again.
In my eyes? What recently opened my eyes? How much I have a distaste for Taylor Swift?
Oh no, I became a swifty last night.
I saw all of a sudden, a swiftly overnight.
Okay, can I tell you whatteenth of December?
Boo fucking hoo? Do you know how much she's wow? How much hotel prices were because of this woman was in town? Can I take it? Was ridiculous?
She's won thirteen Grammys in thirteen years. She started off as a country singer and ended up being literally the first person in history to have one billion streams on Spotify?
Is that fact? Though?
Google it anyway.
I'm sure like Doo Lipa has the most stream songs ever with four billion and something have a look.
Have a look at Tita.
Not only that we've got nicknames now, she must be a real.
Fans also been on the billboards for the longest time.
Still is right? So why why did I become a swifty and why do I love tATu? I'll tell you a couple of things.
Since yesterday everybody day.
Literally, I've got a seven year old daughter who I knew like Taylor Swift, but I didn't realize how much until recently. Her friends are over and they were doing these dances and I'm like, oh, they know the words of these songs. That's when I started kind of watching Tiger Lily and her two girlfriends. When I started listening to some of the lyrics and I started googling and started looking a lot of the things on social media, I realized that she was sending out such positive messages to young girls.
Ful lyrics.
Are you reading, listen to me?
Listen to me.
So for young girls to be comfortable in their own skin is one thing, right, because the pressure of society and social media. Then I've got a seven year old at the moment who goes into the room before school wants to make up on and I'm.
Like tiger Lily, You're beautiful. You don't need to do that. So I think we need more actual.
Positive role models in our young girls, especially young girls' lives, and I see Taylor Swift as a positive role model for my daughter. Second thing.
Is she's on one.
She was just she was at a concert, done a photo shoot and a DJ of a radio station started to get a photo with her and he thought he might grope her and grab her ass under her skirt, so she basically.
You know, he denied it.
She then went through a civil lawsuit she won, and she said, I do not want you to become bankrupt, so you can pay one dollar in damages. It was the principal that I, as a young female in this industry, I'm not letting that shit slide anymore. I'm going to speak up, and I want other women to do so, especially young women in that industry. That's why I became a swiftye. That's enough for me to begut to go. I love her. I don't care if she drove the prices up of hotels. She gave so much money away last year. Google how much philanthropy that she gave away of her own money last year that nobody's ever spoken about.
Do you want to take the flaw a lot to say?
I'm trying to be neutral, but I will just say, we are still talking about someone who is white, yes, and also did not is generationally wealthy?
Is the other thing? So I don't, I don't listen.
I like her music, it's catchy, but I also am like, this isn't a coincidence that she became who she is?
Like, this is gentrification at its well.
How many country music stars have been able to pivot into a whole different genre and bring the whole world along with them as a country music singer. There's not many people in our history. You're going to look at the bigger picture. She's rich, okay, But is she somebody that I want my daughter to look up to.
Whether she's white, I don't care.
But she sends really good messages to the younger generation of young women to be staunched, to be independent, to stand up for themselves and don't take anybody's ship.
I love that, love that, but I love her.
You know what, All the more power to your swifty doll. I think it's like the best news for you.
But to go and buy the beads and meantime, I'm going to get them.
You watch next time, I'm going to have Swifty Tate.
I have a tattoo Tellers Swift ad Her.
I just want more people to know that there's a lot that the media don't tell us about people.
But I just think it's interesting as well.
I understand and the whole pivoting from country to pop or whatever she chooses to do.
She can do that because.
Tell me, black artist has the privilege of doing well.
I was just going to say, look at how much shit Beyonce.
Got for releasing one song for Texas.
Hold she got.
Trying to be a country music singer now.
And she has always been a country girl.
Beyonce is like country breed. Her whole family is from the South. Yes, I don't give it. Sat on the Taylor and Beyonce saga because.
And I don't like.
Kanye and see I loved bless him Kane.
Well, I love bits of cont I just want to say, I get your point, Mara, But the reality is Taylor Swift is a very very very influential white woman is influential?
Word, Yes, it is, isn't it? Who is? I do appreciate that she does have a positive message. But by god, if you're a mailing you cross her your next album is about you. Happened on Mayor John May went on one date with her, then all of a sudden there was three songs released about it, and the little swifters went out and dragged this man because he broke Taylor's heart. Blessed Harry Stick. To be fair, he's a scumback he allegedly Look we're not allegedly.
Well, you know what, she didn't just get on bloody TikTok and become an influencer. She's been in the industry since she was fourteen. You know, give us some credibility.
That she's worked her way to get to where she is in good honor.
Yeah, but let me just say, if there was a black woman who took a DJ to court and won the court, she would be canceled within a heartbeat. Look what happened with Zalia Banks. Of course, all of a sudden she stood up for all of her beliefs, and the next minute she's ex from the music industry. So it's great to be Taylor. It's great to have a positive message a platform to do it. But when you're Taylor Swift because you're white and your privilege and you're rich, it makes sense why you're able to sue someone and say, oh, I'm just going to take a dollar off you though, because where you go bankrupt. But then you know, black actresses and people industry who aren't her don't get that same privilege, like what was that? What's the actress's name with the color purple? The yeah like that.
Oh, now you're just complaining as soon as some dumb it's like, oh well what were you wearing?
You know?
Yeah?
So I just, I mean, I get both sides.
So wait the questions, do we like Taylor Swift though?
Mars?
I just I want more people to do their own research and to look into people's lies before they judged, because I actually didn't know all of this until Tiger Lily was listening to her music and dancing with the friends and all I kept seeing on online. Right, when you think about it, it's white men who control our media rooms and media in general, and all of this hate coming towards a young female has also led us into how we think and think about her. So I think the media have got some something to do with how much hate we have because I was one of them that thought, oh, here we go again. The people were saying that, you know, they couldn't get a room.
She drove Frances up and this traffic was this and I just hold a minute. How much money is.
She bringing into Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne. The economy is benefiting everywhere she goes. The economy benefits because of her. Just do not name one of our islands after.
Her, because that's not her.
Hey, no, no, that's not her though, that's our Queensland government.
Who's name after something that They were trying to name an island after her.
Yeah, they're going to name it they Tay Tay. It's called vak is it Vak Island up in the wed Sundays.
They're going to name it it dislike fault exactly.
She has an arks for it.
But they're thinking if we named an island after her, then she's going to come back here because of that and bring more people back into Queensland and we'll make more money into the local economy.
That's not to me.
You They should have engaged with her people before they went straight out there and said we're going to do this, and it's a big campaign at the moment, and I think we're going down a rabbit hole because they haven't engaged with any local mob to ak them first, which is normal with government.
I don't even have to respond that we'll be back right after this break.
I just wish I went to a concert now, can we just take Let's talk about the crowd that she pulled though, ninety five thousand people.
It's the largest concert in Australia.
Yeah, a young white girl, that's country music.
Let's talk about the fact that Jesse would know, the largest concert ever attended in the world. How many people attended that it was a free concert. It was a free concert three point six million people. And guess what country was Brazil? Yes, they know how to fucking party, the Brazilians. Have you seen Carnival and how they go on over there with oh we should go.
Well, Carnival is definitely on peace and eyes.
It's just so expensive is to get there? No, so you obviously no, it cloes Brazilian, right, So every time the Carnival comes up, we start watching it. And I didn't realize that the actual carnival parade there's only fifteen floats and it goes for fifteen hours, So these poor fifteen hours, but these poor performers are up there marching on this little shape I understand, shaken it around like it's no one's business for a full hour, and there's fifteen floats and it's like it's like a marathon of this carnival festive season.
That's so who can who can shake their eys? Is the longest?
Did you also know that there's one hour there's literally like one person one like usually it's a female performer who becomes like the grand darm of the carnival thing like it's it's it's like a religion over there. It's insane.
Yeah, I could see a lot of money goes into the kind of art. Does a lot of money go back to the I know?
But you look at the money they spent on these conferences, all these concerts, and about three point five million people to this concept.
That's pretty crazy.
Well, they are saying if they could find the right place they could hold that many people anywhere in the world, where would it be? And would Taylor Swift do a free concert? She holds the Guinness Book of Records.
Did you know that for what record?
She holds the Guinness Book of Records. Google it. Google it for mc clint.
It.
I swear my mom, she holds a world record in the Guinness Book.
She does not marraget telling our producer Google clint.
Yeah, So on that note, I am literally a swifty I will defend her till the cows come home, because she is a positive female and a positive role model to young women, and we need more of it. Whether they're black, white, yellow, poor, rich, I.
Don't care, all right, so we clearly know that.
Can I get an interview with you? I literally want to interview.
Some gin who's your right to die? Then it's clearly Taylor's mars right to die around But how do you feel about her?
Because Will just can't stand.
No, I can't stand her. I just I just think she she epitomizes what I don't necessarily like about Western culture, the idolization of people like her. And it's not her fault. I don't think she's a bad person, and I think she's done pretty amazing things for this year. But it also like I'm like, could you imagine? And again, I'm a Beyonce fan, that's my right or die. But Beyonce's never one album of the year, and yet Renaissance was one of the best albums ever released in the fucking world, and yet she's never once she got beat by Harry Style. I don't like, how is that even fair? But it speaks to the whole issue. But anyway, who's your right or die? Gen? Like I want to tell you, like, I want this moment where I want to hear that my ride to die is probably Scissar?
So wait, can we just see that Parks? Is it Caesar or is it Scissor Sissa?
So you love this Scissor African American artist who just won or has won a few Grammys, and she's coming to Australia and we are going to see her.
We are We're all going. I'm so excited.
All right, just let's go back really quickly.
Oh fuck it, okay, Tyler.
She has earned one point zero four billion to date, so she has officially she's the highest grossing grossing music to ever, becoming the first to surpass one billion.
Dollars Google her. She's got a lot there to be kind of proud of. Come on, girl power, just like Spice Girls to me.
But this is not Spice Girls. Spy s Girls were a fucking game changer. Taylor Swith was built into privilege with a silver spin in the mouth, and she's capitalized on it all the more to your sists. But I'm bored, Taylor. I'm so over you. You need to.
Be really careful well because they Hey, listen, I'm going to directly speak to you, Swifter.
You do what you can, even swift right out of my way because I ain't interested you. I'm not hating. If you say haters gonna hate, I'm going to call you the new South Wales commissioner because that for me is just too much. It's too it's not even a thing.
Okay, So you're right to die now, Taylor, I am a swiftie. Put it on my Facebook yesterday.
Girl, give me, give me the name. Two of her songs, shake it Off.
Another one it's the love song Story.
What's one of the albums called What's.
Okay?
What's one of her albums called Look?
I haven't digged into that side.
Of but Bobby, you've gone down that dar out you know her.
I told you why. I thought this young girl needs to be young girl. She is thirty, she's old as me.
I think young.
She looks young.
Is she really thirty five?
Yeah, nineteen eighty nine.
That's one of her albums.
That's one of her albums.
Well, I do know that she was born on December thirteen.
You know why.
I had to learn that so I can join her fan group on Facebook.
You have not done that.
I have.
Look, it doesn't surprise me. Mara as good at establishing groups. What was that group?
She's country fucking the Country Western Club? He had three hundred Country Club member.
Mara is going to start the Black Black the Black Swifters group. You should do that. I've got a friend of mine who loves Taylors Blackfellow. She'll be there, right there with you.
I grew up in a country music household, black fellows and country. We know here in Australia we've we've grown up with country.
Music, Rightney. I can't stand it. I know, I remember that.
I've already talked about it. I couldn't.
Well, we know Mara is a fan of anything country, so it's no surprise that you now. I had no choice.
I know, but I've only turned into swifty because of more of the girl power positive role models for my young daughters.
She looked to you Maa and and all the other elders. He's not Taylor Swift, Honey. Taylor's look good for you, sissy, But I would not want my kids taken any notes from you, ma because.
For me.
So we go to and you tell the jobs get that and get helped get locked up.
I'm sorry.
Okay, So this isfully Taylor comes and we are well, we've.
Had such a good yarn about it. I could not wait to have this yarn about Taylor Swift. She has taken up a lot of our time and I'm okay with that.
So wait, are we going to ask you to come on the show? Then just ask.
Email?
Is it like, is it like a Swift hot line that we can call him?
Like, hey, hey, where Swift is from Sydney or Brisbane?
Well we have a swiftye Oh we don't need anymore.
I'm it. I'm representing the whole Swift nation.
I would just suggest maybe learn two or three of our albums, maybe four before you go reached out to a team.
Well, her boyfriend plays NFL. Okay, and what's his name? He's a chief redskin chief.
No Kansas Chiefs, Kansas City chiefs.
Yeah, yeah, what's his name. It's an American name. It's a very, it's a very like easy white. It's a white name, and nothing wrong with names. Hey, he's got a podcast, just got a podcast.
We should get him on there.
And do you know what him on?
They have like literally, Taylor Swift has brought a whole new audience and following to NFL and in particular his team, So they should be thankful for her too.
I think they are.
I think they're very like, let's talk about that for one second, because you are right, good on for bringing an audience to the bloody what do you.
Call it NFL?
Whatever, But let's look at the plane that she flew over. So what happened with that plane? Gin? She got dragged for that plane, right, So doing God's work with all the young people. But God, she's not doing much for the environment, is she. Let's talk about that.
No, yeah, there's a lot, I mean carbon footprint and admissions the jet. Well, I understand, like Taylor Swift, she can't just fly commercial.
Because it's gonna Taylor Swift, it's going.
To cause an issue. But Travis Kelcey, Oh so.
That's his name, markge did you have.
Told you it was like an American name Travis Kelsey.
Her man flew to Australia for like what forty eight hours maybe I think it was forty eight.
Sent her jet back to the US to pick him up.
Yeah, so she sent the jets. She sent the jet to pick him up.
He came back, then he dropped, then she dropped him back in Vegas.
She jumped in the plane, flew him back, then come.
Back and then.
Yeah, so.
Like, no one knows who Travis Kelsey is. He wasn't gonna if he could.
NFL, they would have known it was him. But like he could have flown commercial because he's not like he's.
He's gonna be Taylor. They had a police escort and everything.
Okay, well that's I'm not okay with that.
Well do you draw the line there.
I'm still swifty, but not enough to go. She's literally not worth us yarning about. I think we still should let people know that she does some good things.
Of course, we're not all perfect.
Well, you know, we do our best. Some of us do better than others, obviously, obviously. Okay, So look, Pink, you said Pink.
I think Pink. I think Pink is a much better example of female empowerment, proper authenticity, her story she grew up in like a trailer park, because it's a very different scenario to Taylor, and both incredible in their own right. But if I was looking to idolize or model my child, or have a role model for my young female, I think Pink would be more my option.
Just like one role model for something like Tagler, we need hundreds of role models for younger And I'm just saying when young girls get online, they go on TikTok, they go on YouTube.
I'm not on there, and a lot of.
Us Sorry, sorry, are you actually choking?
What the hell? Sorry? Lord? Sorry, you keep that.
For later.
Sorry saying I just.
Said she's a good role My daughter's online, she's consuming content, and I'm happy that she's a swiftye.
I love you, and if you love Taylor, then I love you.
It's not going to change our relationships.
I love the music and listen, I I'll drive my Yesterday I took my nieces out for the afternoon and we played a lot of Taylor Swift.
They love.
We've watched the Errors Tour movie or whatever, twenty.
Five dollars for thirty days, which is wild, but anyway, we love Taylor in the house, but I yeah, I kind of agree with I think they are.
Probably I prefer them to look up someone.
Like you care or you know.
Then what I will say, Taylor's very good at a good one liner. So whenever I'm having a bad day, might just have a Taylor Swift moment and shake it off. Oh that's cute, So let's shake this episode off.
Let's be dumb. Taylor's Mara loves Taylor.
Well, what about Taylor listeners?
Like?
I would love to know from our listeners.
And it doesn't matter whether you're you know, a black, fil white fella, queen fellow, who cares how you identify. But do you like Taylor Swift?
And why?
Why? And if you don't like her?
And that's okay as well, but it'd be good to hear from some of our listeners. Now, what's your thoughts about Taylor Swift? And do you know enough for you to make that judgment or that do you have an informed opinion? Are you just going by what the media is presenting to us, which is not the full picture. I really think she's been given a hard time.
Look, we've covered this. This horse is dead dull. We're beating that stick. Taylor. We love you some more than others.
I guess all right, we'll BEYONCEY.
Be careful, no, I will cut.
No listen. I must say.
Watching Beyonce's daughter step into her you know, young womanhood up on stage with her dad recently the Grammys, he said, come up, and she could see how shy she was and it was going to be a big moment for her. She probably knew how big the moment is because she's been all of the concerts, but this is the Grammys and her dad's going upstage and she gets to stand there with him. I just thought what he said in front of his daughter and to the rest of the world and to his wife and watching beyond cry she.
Should have one album of the year, that she should have that album for me.
So is this Yanna a little bit touch?
Yes? We love Beyonce.
I'm a big Beyonce fan, don't you get me wrong. And I love the fact now that she's breaking records as the first black woman to be on the billboards in country number one, first black woman, and.
I think it's I think she is the only black artist to be pop like pop Billboard and Country Billboard because Tracy Chapman just was the first black woman I think who was who's one of grummy for country music.
And the only reason why she won it bless is that this recently because that white guy brought the song back out Luke Holmes.
Yeah, yeah, that white So let's close this episode out. Thanks everyone for listening to this episode. And if you're an awkward exit, and if you did.
Send me videos and photos.
I want to see many videos send.
It to me. I'm jealous. I wish I would have went, and I wish it would have taken Tiger Lily.
I will say it did look like a pretty fun experience, just to say you've been all concert with ninety thousand people. Austral doesn't pull those type of crowds. But Taylor's done it, so I will pay, but fun. I'm not paying this process to watch.
It looks incredible, not as good as our product, you know, Hey, clan.
So I'm going to end with this three and a half hours, forty four songs, ten sets, girl and.
Look she wasn't like like Lauren Hill.
Wash she let's not talking about Laurence Hill. Hey, I'm going to start listening to music. I'll make sure Tiger video Volume Mom.
Love you, Lisa, Thanks for listening to Unapologetically Black.
Brought to you by Black Cast Unite Our Voices and produced by Cliff Curtis
