Not Everyone Is Happy About Taylor Swift's Inclusion as a 'TIME' Magazine "Silence Breaker"

Much to Trump's dismay, TIME's annual "Person of the Year" designation was handed to "the Silence Breakers" — a group of people who spoke out against sexual misconduct via the viral #MeToo movement. Aside from the grammatical gymnastics required for a group of people to qualify as "Person of the Year," the magazine is drawing plenty of criticism for including Taylor Swift in the group.

In the defence of TIME and Swift, the pop star did manage to successfully sue a radio DJ who groped her, winning the sexual assault case, along with a $1 payout. It was a symbolic gesture that undoubtedly sent a strong message that women won't stand for sexual misconduct any longer.

Still, Swift's complicated relationship with the public has meant that a great deal of critics have come out of the woodwork to dismiss her inclusion. Critiques include statements that Kesha should have been included instead (along with Terry Crews and Rose McGowan, who actually are included in the magazine's fold-out cover) and, more notably, the fact that Swift refuses to publicly denounce the alt-right.

While Swift has yet to address the criticism, her inclusion on the cover has resulted in a massive online culture war. Read some tweets about the matter below.
 

actually TIME putting Taylor Swift on the cover and not mentioning Kesha at all really annoys me tbh, Kesha risked her whole career and has suffered for 5 years because she spoke out and was ignored 🤨

— Jack (@J4CKWALSH) December 6, 2017

 

I understand her inclusion, but after all that's happened this year, it REALLY rankles me that Time would put Taylor Swift on this cover over literally anyone else https://t.co/sS0I5Kdnqu

— Tyler McCall (@eiffeltyler) December 6, 2017

 

So Taylor Swift made the cover of Time's Person of the Year for the #metoo movement but its creator Tatiana Burke, Rose McGowan, Terry Crews, Anthony Rapp and Asia Argento are missing from the cover? #TimePOTY pic.twitter.com/nN2XrGh49b

— Alexis McLaren (@alexismclaren) December 6, 2017

 

Should Megyn Kelly and Taylor Swift be considered "silence breakers?" Absolutely not. Can white women hold TIME accountable for that purposeful misstep? Absolutely.

— Evette Dionne 🤔 (@freeblackgirl) December 6, 2017

 

I'm sorry Taylor Swift getting person of the year for being a "silence breaker" after Kesha has been publicly fighting for years for her right to be freed from her assaulter is truely a disgrace on TIME's part.

— Kelsie Wysong (@kels_wysong) December 6, 2017

 

"I am so disappointed you would ask why Taylor is on the cover of TIME."

Well *I* am disappointed that Taylor is being positioned as voice of a movement b/c she won a lawsuit and lost nothing when others have lost everything when they break silence, but don't get visibility.

— Awesomely Luvvie (@Luvvie) December 6, 2017

 

Taylor Swift has BEEN silent about white supremacy and still made the cover of TIME as a "silence breaker" pic.twitter.com/XPXkX8jb4z

— amy wood (@amy_wood) December 6, 2017

Order Taylor Swift's new album, Reputation, on CD and double picture disc vinyl via Umusic.