In response to pop star Taylor Swift bashing her in the documentary “Miss Americana,” which chronicles the singer’s ascent into political activism, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) took the high road by praising Swift for the issues they have in common — namely, protecting artists from censorship and theft.
“Having apparently gotten wind of her unflattering appearance in the film, Blackburn took time out from the president’s impeachment trial to issue a conciliatory statement Thursday, suggesting that she and Swift could find some common ground despite their monumental differences on social issues,” reports Variety.
Referring to Swift as an “exceptionally gifted artist,” Blackburn hailed Taylor Swift for helping to influence legislation that protects artists from “censorship, copyright theft, and profiteering.”
“Taylor is an exceptionally gifted artist and songwriter, and Nashville is fortunate to be the center of her creative universe,” said Blackburn’s statement. “While there are policy issues on which we may always disagree, we do agree on the need to throw the entertainment community’s collective influence behind legislation protecting songwriters, musicians, and artists from censorship, copyright theft, and profiteering. The Music Modernization Act was a huge win for creators, and the BOTS Act for fans. Growing support behind the AM-FM Act will close loopholes blocking compensation for radio play. I welcome any further opportunities to work with Tennessee’s and the nation’s creative communities to protect intellectual property and ensure appropriate compensation for their creations. On that note, I wish Taylor the best — she’s earned it.”
In many ways, Marsha Blackburn’s run for the Senate prompted Taylor Swift’s political activism after she remained silent during the 2016 election, angering leftists everywhere at the time. The documentary chronicles her eventual decision to start endorsing Democratic candidates for office — specifically, over the GOP’s support of what she referred to as the “slate of hate bills” in her home state, which would, among other things, allow religious adoption agencies to prefer children go to married heterosexual couples over same-sex couples.
“Companion bills HB 1151 and SB 1297 expand the state’s indecent exposure law to apply ‘in a restroom, locker room, dressing room, or shower, any of which are designated for single-sex, multi-person use, and the person is a member of the opposite sex than the sex designated for use,’” reported NBC News in 2019. “Advocates say that since transgender Tennesseans cannot legally change their sex on legal documents, this bill unfairly targets them for criminal prosecution.”
Speaking with Variety, Swift said she was “really upset” with the way Tennessee was going regarding social issues and wanted to use her influence to shift its direction. In an Instagram post way back in 2018, Swift characterized Marsha Blackburn as an enemy of “human rights” while speaking of the “systemic racism” that people of color experience in this country.
“In the past I’ve been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now,” she wrote. “I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country. I believe in the fight for LGBTQ rights, and that any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender is WRONG. I believe that the systemic racism we still see in this country towards people of color is terrifying, sickening and prevalent. I cannot vote for someone who will not be willing to fight for dignity for ALL Americans, no matter their skin color, gender or who they love.”