Social media users called out the New York Post after the conservative-leaning publication published an article criticizing pop star Taylor Swift for not thanking her boyfriend, football player Travis Kelce, in her acceptance speeches at the Grammy Awards on Sunday.
After her acclaimed album Midnights won Best Pop Vocal Album, Swift went on to achieve a historic milestone by becoming the first musical artist to win Album of the Year four times for her work on Midnights.
During her two acceptance speeches, Swift opted to extend thanks to her musical collaborators. This included recognition for producer Jack Antonoff as well as Lana Del Rey, who played a role in vocals and songwriting for one of the tracks on Midnights. Swift also made a surprise announcement for an upcoming album titled The Tortured Poets Department.
Shortly afterward, an article by Post staff member Jaclyn Hendricks titled "Taylor Swift doesn’t thank Chiefs boyfriend Travis Kelce in Grammys 2024 win speeches" noted that Swift "did not mention the Chiefs tight end, who is preparing to face the 49ers in Super Bowl 2024 next Sunday in Las Vegas."
The publication was almost immediately criticized for suggesting Swift—perhaps the most famous and recognizable woman in the world—owes her success to her boyfriend.
Swift has been targeted by the far-right in recent months because of her efforts to register young voters.
Last month, Fox News personality Jesse Watters was criticized for suggesting Swift could be a covert government operative.
During his show Jesse Watters Primetime, Watters presented a clip falsely attributed to a Pentagon official, claiming that Swift was considered by the Pentagon's psychological operations unit as an asset to combat online misinformation.
Andrea Hailey, the CEO of Vote.org, quickly dismissed Watters' conspiracy theory, noting that Swift's partnership with the organization "is helping all Americans make their voices heard at the ballot box." She added that Swift is aiding "the biggest nonpartisan platform in America helping young people register [and] cast their vote."
Swift was previously hesitant to discuss her political views; her management, particularly her father, had advised her not to alienate her fanbase. However, she first broke her silence in 2018 after writing a post critical of Tennessee Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn.
At the time, Swift said she would never vote for Blackburn despite a desire to see more women in political office because Blackburn would "not be willing to fight for dignity for ALL Americans, no matter their skin color, gender or who they love."
Since then, Swift has used her massive profile to encourage young voters to participate in the electoral process, efforts that have been recognized by political scientists as having a significant impact on key races. Swifties have acknowledged that a Swift endorsement could potentially sway their votes.
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