On Wednesday, I woke up to the news of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s engagement and like millions, instinctively scrolled through my feed.
I paused at every photo and thought: Whoa she’s finally getting her fairytale ending.
I am not a hardcore Swiftie, but her catchy heartbreak anthems were songs we grew up with. And as a writer, I often envy the way she knows exactly how to put feelings into words.
So for the millions of fans who listened to her albums, seeing her engaged felt almost like watching a friend take a major life step. The excitement was understandable.
Further into the day, I continued scrolling. Post after post, headline after headline, Tay and Trav dominated it, or as Taylor would say, your English teacher and gym teacher.
But then my thumb froze mid-scroll. A video appeared: Israel had targeted one of Gaza’s main hospitals with a missile and as journalists and rescue workers rushed in, another strike followed.
That post pulled me back to the harsh reality that a genocide is happening right now. I couldn’t help but compare how celebrity engagements could easily dominate headlines while genocide struggles to register. Do we not care enough?
This is not to say that celebrating Taylor and Travis is wrong. Love is universal and a fairy-tale engagement gives us a moment of escape in a chaotic world.
But that’s kind of the problem, isn’t it? We’ll throw all our attention at glittery happiness, but tend to look away when things get complex or serious.
I guess that’s just the way it is. Love is easy to celebrate. You like it, comment on it, maybe share it with a friend. Genocide, on the other hand, just leaves you with a helpless thought: What can I even do?
Fans themselves are asking the same question. “I really do not give one singular sh*t about Taylor Swift getting engaged. I care that a hospital in Gaza was just double-tapped… and apparently people are fine with such atrocities.” (@sicksadlit via Threads)
Another wrote, “Taylor Swift ended an era, and now is starting a new era, still hasn’t said a single word about the genocide in Gaza… Silence is complicity.” (@landpalestine via Threads)
But another wrote: “TS is not required to make a single statement. Neither is she required to pick sides. You should grow.” (@dettmeranne via Threads)
While fans continue to celebrate her engagement, still bask in the magic of her Eras Tour and buzz with anticipation for her new album, many have also questioned her silence on the genocide.
The reality for Swift is that her power lies in more than her music charts. She has the rare ability to make people feel. A single lyric from her can echo in millions of hearts. When she writes about betrayal, we relive our own. When she writes about heartbreak, we relate it to our own.
Now even if you’re not a true Swiftie, you’d know that almost every PR move is calculated.
From Easter eggs tucked into her lyrics to cryptic hints before an album drop, every move is carefully planned.
This makes her silence on Gaza all the more striking. Is it a calculated choice, or a deliberate decision to stay out of it?
You may correct me if I am wrong here, but there are no public records or reports that confirm she has made donations to Gaza or expressed any sort of public support.
The only glimmer of hope we had was when she was seen attending a comedy event in Brooklyn hosted by Ramy Youssef, where proceeds were pledged to American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA), which channels humanitarian relief to Gaza. Stars like Selena Gomez, Cara Delevingne, Anya Taylor-Joy and Zoe Kravitz were also in attendance.
Taylor Swift is a billionaire, a global influencer whose every move sparks trends and conversations. So maybe, just as her album title suggests, she should Speak Now.