(C) Tennessee Lookout
This story was originally published by Tennessee Lookout and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .



Commentary: The Tennessean who rocks our world – Tennessee Lookout [1]

['More From Author', 'February', 'Saralee Terry Woods']

Date: 2024-02-07

It’s the annual time when we learn all about the players of the remaining two National Football League teams set to play in the Super Bowl. As a sports fan, I enjoy the news stories about the coaches and the players, especially if they are heartwarming and uplifting. I confess I escape from the news by watching and listening to sports programs and with the exception of a good book, sports is my go to when I need to tune out the reality of political news.

Ya’ll, there is always some drama in the sports world and as I cannot change anything about it, I can only be entertained, get out my popcorn and watch the show. There is more drama this year than usual leading up to the Super Bowl because a bunch of extremists are threatened that a football star has the audacity to date superstar Taylor Swift. This Angry Grandmother does not know whether to say “Well Bless Their Hearts,” or “Aw-c’mon man!”

Swift is dating Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce, whose team will face off against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. Kelce has broken all kinds of records, he is one of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’s go-to receivers and so much fun to watch.

Whatever the attraction between Kelce and Swift is their business but they seem happy and in love and secure with each other. I am a fan of hers and her songs are on my playlist. I like her music, her videos, and I admire the way she takes ownership of her songs and manages what she creates.

As I’ve listened to her speak out on social issues and the need to register to vote, Swift has moved to one of my favorite categories: “Shero.”

My dear friend and mentor, the late, great former Metro Council Member Betty Nixon explained to me that a woman is “uppity,”when she speaks out and as a result makes the establishment uncomfortable. Why are people afraid of a strong woman who wants people to register to vote and who wants equal rights for the LGBT community? Swift grew up in Tennessee and most recently gave $1 million to victims of December’s catastrophic tornadoes.

Shero: A woman is considered “uppity” when she speaks out and makes the establishment uncomfortable. No wonder the right wing is triggered to such strong dislike of Taylor Swift.

Who is driving these attacks on her and who has something to gain by silencing her? Don’t these people want the women in their family to be strong and successful? Why is this happening during the year of a presidential election? Who wants to stop people from registering to vote? Think about it.

Could it be the extremists who are followers of the candidate known for having an “orange”skin tone? I am not referring to members of the VolNation who paint themselves Tennessee Orange for games, but to the candidate known for putting down the looks and brains of any woman who intimidates him?

Back in the day when the bookstore my husband and I owned, BookManBookWoman, was open in Nashville’s Hillsboro Village, it was not unusual for entertainers to drop in and visit. We tried to make them feel welcome and to be able to relax with our books while not pestering them to death.

One day Taylor Swift came in and asked about our history section. I asked her, like we asked most of our customers, if she wanted books to look good, to decorate her shelves or if she wanted to learn something. She gave the right answer and I pulled copies of some of my American history favorites and left her to browse the thousands of books in our history section.

As she was making her way to pay for her books, some fans asked for photos and Swift could not have been kinder to them. She was patient, gracious and personal and waited her turn to pay. As she was leaving I told her I was a fan of her music. I also asked her if her cute flat shoes were comfortable, as those of us who have worked in retail or any of the service industry jobs know that if your feet hurt, you hurt all over.

I wish I had attended Swift’s last concert in Nashville as seeing her perform is on my bucket list. I also admire her because it takes courage to wear bright red lipstick. That color is one of my “go-tos” when I need to feel special or give myself a lift. It is hard to wear red lipstick, even if you have it applied by a professional. It takes a confident woman to wear bright red lipstick which can smear on our teeth, and just about every area of our face but on lips. If Swift reads this commentary, I say to her what I say everytime she is on the news: “Keep it up, you go girl!”

[END]
---
[1] Url: https://tennesseelookout.com/2024/02/07/commentary-the-tennessean-who-rocks-our-world/

Published and (C) by Tennessee Lookout
Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons BY-ND 4.0.

via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/tennesseelookout/