Cast your minds back to a whole week ago. It was the Grammys, and Taylor Swift had just made history as the only person to ever win four Album of the Year awards, beating out Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon and Frank Sinatra. So of course that’s all anyone could talk about!
Just kidding, nobody talked about that. Instead, the internet raged at Taylor for being too much. She was rude to Celine Dion! She didn’t pose the right way with Boygenius and she danced while they performed (or something)! HOW DARE SHE?
It was ridiculous and sexist, and another example of how a woman having the most astonishingly successful year of her life on both the professional and apparently the personal levels still must be criticized and cut down by society. I feel like I will be linking to America Ferrera’s Barbie monologue forever–a woman can do 99 things perfectly, but if she gets it wrong once, that’s what will be noticed. The truth of the matter is, however, that Taylor was off on Grammys night, and she did get it wrong. Taylor Swift on her A-game does not forget to thank Celine Dion.
Then last night, Taylor attended the Super Bowl to watch her boyfriend play football. The entire world breathlessly tracked her travel back from Japan, hoping she’d get there on time. It would be the 13th game she attended, and that’s Taylor’s lucky number! It was a big deal, y’all! All eyes were on her, and therefore on Travis Kelce too. Even more than usual, the pressure was on the Kansas City Chiefs’ starting tight end. Not only did he have to perform well on the field, he had to be the perfect boyfriend to the world’s most famous girlfriend.
Travis started off strong, buying a $1m VIP box for his family to share with Swift’s. But it all went wrong from there. The game itself was a mess. Spoiler: The Chiefs won. But wow, did they make it look hard. Kelce had a good game, don’t get me wrong. But the game was won by the KC defense and the fact that Patrick Mahomes comes through in the clutch. Kelce made waves online not for his play but for his behavior–he couldn’t contain his emotions.
Andy Reid is a phenomenal head coach and a 65-year-old man. By all accounts he and Kelce have a good relationship. But during the not-good-at-all first half, Kelce got angry and bumped Reid while screaming at him. It wasn’t cool, and it probably crossed the line even for football behavior–you’re not supposed to physically come at your coach. But testosterone runs high in giant men doing poorly at the most overhyped sporting event of the year, and minor violence is par for the course. The internet was split between pearl-clutching about Taylor’s boyfriend showing too many red flags to continue being Taylor’s boyfriend…and just turning him into a meme.
After the game, which was won by Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs gathered on the field for their celebration. The trophy was passed around, and there were speeches, and for no apparent reason Travis Kelce was standing up on the platform with Reid and Mahomes and Mahomes’ entire family. Why was he there? Sometimes he’s the reason the Chiefs won the game, but last night he wasn’t, particularly. So he was up there because he’s famous. Which…fair enough. But then the microphone happened to pass in his direction, though it was unclear if it was being given to him, and he grabbed it. And he, well, he bellowed into it. And then he kind of sang? Or yelled? He caterwauled “Viva Las Vegas” in some fashion.
Look, it was embarrassing. The camera cut to Taylor Swift in the crowd watching, and she was embarrassed. It was funny, because we’ve all been there, lady! She’s relatable. And in that moment, it hit me: They’re the same! He made a fool of himself at the Big Game just like she made a fool of herself at her Big Night. He couldn’t handle the pressure of the Super Bowl, she couldn’t take it at the Grammys. They’re both so good at their professions, but they slip under the glare of the hottest spotlight. Not enough to matter, not to the point that it impacts their ability to do the actual job, but just enough that people on social media make fun of them.
Honestly, I’ve never felt so sure of it before. Taylor and Travis 4eva.
