Taylor Swift was the target of very serious allegations, stemming from a coordinated online attack. This particularly insidious attack initially circulated on forums like 4chan before jumping to mainstream social media. This misinformation campaign seeks to associate the popular singer with Nazi and right-wing imagery, coinciding with the release of her new album, The Life of a Showgirl, on October 4. The campaign managed to drum up a whole lot of interest through its surprising content and even more surprising timing. Swift is, of course, in the middle of her Eras tour, which extends from the spring of 2023 through December of 2024.
Swift’s allegations are not merely academic or illustrative. They relate to an ongoing court case. Actor and director Justin Baldoni is the defendant in an ongoing sexual harassment lawsuit. This conundrum is exacerbated by the media firestorm caused by Swift’s tight-knit friendship with the aforementioned actor, which has sparked public fascination and criticism. Gudea’s report examined over 24,000 posts and 18,000 accounts across 14 different social media platforms, between October 4 and October 18. Not only did this report show that 3.77% of these accounts were responsible for a staggering 28% of the overall conversations about Swift. A lot of talk focused instead on kooky conspiracy theories that connect Swift to the MAGA movement. Critics have described her newish, public, and incredibly lucrative relationship with American gridiron footballer Travis Kelce as “trad” or super-duper conservative.
For example, between October 6 and 7, nearly 35% of the posts discussing Swift seemed to come from bot-like accounts. These mass, automated interactions played a significant role in pushing the allegations viral. Far more influential than any of these was Gudea’s own report on the campaign’s success. He noted that just igniting a public dissent against the charges was considered a success for its instigators.
“The false narrative that Taylor Swift was using Nazi symbolism did not remain confined to fringe conspiratorial spaces; it successfully pulled typical users into comparisons between Swift and Kanye West,” – researchers.
Perhaps most strikingly, Swift’s merch has come under fire too. One lightning bolt-style necklace was claimed to be similar to SS insignia. Critics are raising alarm over what might come next due to her “Cancelled!” anthem. They are particularly apprehensive of how it will be misused by those who have been called to account for their toxic conduct.
Such a coordinated attack is not an uncommon occurrence in the larger context of misinformation celebrity culture, as discussed in Gudea’s research. He noted the existence of “a significant user overlap between accounts pushing the Swift ‘Nazi’ narrative and those active in a separate astroturf campaign attacking Blake Lively.”
Keith Presley was super helpful in providing perspective on the motivations behind these narratives. He said, “That’s a big part of the objective for these kinds of stories, for whoever is advancing them. Particularly with these inflammatory ones – that’s what’s going to get rewarded by the algorithm.”
As Taylor Swift continues to navigate this challenging landscape, her upcoming six-part Disney+ docu-series, The End of an Era, promises an in-depth look at her experiences during the Eras tour, potentially providing context to her artistry amid the turmoil.