Taylor Swift Chickened Out of Sticking It to ‘The Man’ at the Grammys
Taylor Swift's performance of "The Man" was obviously canceled by the Grammys over the Deborah Dugan scandal. So much for political courage.
Taylor Swift is branding herself as a political activist, but she hasn't changed one bit. | Source: REUTERS / Mike Blake
- Taylor Swift no-showed at the Grammys. Rumor has it she backed down from “an awkward moment” amid the Grammys sexism scandal.
- But Swift says she’s no longer “polite at all costs.” Why did she retreat from a golden opportunity to sing her anti-sexism anthem?
- Hopeful fans were let down. They were anticipating an unofficial “surprise” performance of “The Man,” Swift’s latest single from “Lover.”
Taylor Swift received three Grammy nominations for her latest album, “Lover.” But she just sat out her fourth Grammy Awards in a row.
Swift hasn’t attended the awards show since 2016. She felt the Recording Academy snubbed “Reputation” in 2017, and she may feel the same way about “Lover.”
But this year was different.
The country and pop music icon was slated (unofficially) for a “TBA” performing slot. But she dipped out at the last minute. Her fans were looking forward to Taylor Swift performing “The Man.” It would have been a righteous moment for women in the music industry.
Deborah Dugan Blows the Whistle on Grammys
“The Man” will be Taylor Swift’s fourth single off her “Lover” album. The feminist hit would have made waves on Grammys night. It would have been perfect for the Recording Academy scandal overshadowing the awards show this year.
The Recording Academy Board of Trustees placed CEO Deborah Dugan on leave just days before the Grammys. The Academy alleged in a statement that Dugan was “abusive and bullying” to an assistant.
But Dugan says the ouster was retaliation for uncovering sexual harassment and corruption at the highest levels of the Academy. She responded by filing a discrimination charge with the Los Angeles office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Her lawyers made a statement comparing the Grammys’ treatment of her to Harvey Weinstein‘s intimidation tactics:
The complaint that we filed today against the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (the Grammys) highlights tactics reminiscent of those deployed by individuals defending Harvey Weinstein.
Deborah Dugan was the first-ever female CEO of the Recording Academy that hosts the Grammy Awards. She had only been CEO for eight months at the time she was removed.
After taking over, she discovered what she’s described as a corrupt “boys club” at the Academy:
Dugan alleged she was forced out of the position for raising complaints about sexual harassment, improper voting conduct (she said the voting process was “ripe with corruption”)…
Fans and the media pointed out Taylor Swift’s scrapped performance of “The Man” would have been awkward. Uh yeah– it would have been gloriously awkward. And exactly what Taylor Swift says she stands for now. But she obviously doesn’t.
Taylor Swift Didn’t Rock The Grammys Boat
No explanation was offered for the canceled performance. But the optics of “The Man” and an embattled Recording Academy are impossible to ignore. After what Dugan has alleged, how awesome would it have been to hear Swift sing:
I’m so sick of running
As fast as I can
Wondering if I’d get there quicker
If I was a man
Obviously, the Academy wasn’t going to let Taylor Swift do that.
And she went quietly.
What happened to the fearless, politically active Taylor Swift we were promised to see in the upcoming Netflix documentary “Miss Americana?”
This is one more example to prove Swift is merely branding herself as a political warrior. She hasn’t changed one bit.
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