The Media Politics Complex
5 Minute Read
Taylor Swift with Travis Kelce after the Kansas City Chief’s 2024 Super Bowl Victory in Las Vegas, NV
If you are anything like me, you rolled your eyes once, twice, or a million times during the NFL season as the cameras zoomed toward Taylor Swift in the luxury box cheering on the Kansas City Chiefs and her boyfriend, tight end Travis Kelce. The perfect storm erupted this year as the Chiefs and Mr. Kelce returned to the Super Bowl. Taylor Swift was witnessed by the largest TV audience in history, with her famous friends eagerly cheering for her boyfriend’s team to score the winning touchdown in overtime over the San Fransisco 49ers on the CBS broadcast.
No one had a better year than Taylor Swift and the NFL. Both identities expanded their brand through each other. However, many view the Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce romance as a shrewd marketing ploy to profit and politically influence a sway of voters in an election year. Some decided this relationship warranted endless analysis and debate on the merit of genuineness.
Whatever the reason for the love affair, society has become addicted to “pseudo-events,” which are events that did not arise spontaneously, out of the natural flow of events in the world, but were created by a public-relations agent. These pseudo-events become distractions from substantive issues in the real world as candy for the masses starving for freshness.
I do not care why Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are dating. They seem to have a genuine relationship while navigating the stresses of fame. The world is littered with serious political issues, and experts and journalists should have thoughtful debates and provide serious analyses. So, the public may consume and construct an educated belief about problems that actually affect lives.
I am unsure of many things, but I can be confident that the romantic relationship between Swift and Kelce will not affect the 2024 election. Perspectives on immigration and security on the border, diplomatic policies with China, aid to Ukraine, and inflation by candidates will primarily decide the outcome in November.
Let us not be dragged into silly, media-crafted news stories intended to satisfy our need for offbeat novelties. Rather, be proactive in reading and listening well to the arguments of studious people on the important issues confronting us.
I would encourage you to get a subscription to World Magazine or listen to the podcast Daily Briefing by Al Moher. These resources provide informative explanations of the political and cultural affairs you require.
We all need a healthy diet of information about news and events. However, segment after segment about a potential political conspiracy brewed by a piddling celebrity courtship seems to be the literal definition of a pseudo-event.
