All you need to do to be her friend is like her. An editorial.

Before I begin, I think I have to do a bit of a warning/disclaimer here. I get very wordy when I write editorials. If you’re just looking for the latest news, feel free to skip this entry.

If you know something about blogs, you probably can’t make sense of me claiming this entry as an editorial. After all, in a regular blog every single entry is actually the author’s opinion. My blog is usually written as a celebrity news bulletin, however I make no attempts to hide the fact that I have always been partial to Miss Swift. All my opinions are biased, which is not to say they are unreasonable.

The subject today is fanhood. Namely, the aspect of status. Fans hold other fans to a certain criteria to separate the “real” fans from the “fake” ones. And even then the “hardcore” fans from the “casual” ones. Most of these are in the spirit of fun, but sometimes they go over the top when they try to be exclusive. I don’t like that word. It feels elitist. Yet it exists, and it’s used often.

But in the Taylor Nation, I don’t believe it should ever exist. Taylor herself once defined how to consider yourself a friend of hers:

All you need to do to be my friend is like me.

– Taylor Swift

That’s it. Doesn’t take a zillion items from the merch store. Doesn’t take winning every contest. You are free to call yourself a fan, a Swiftie or any name you like. I once came up with the name Taylorgeek (it’s on the Inside Speak Now article for Tokyo) to name fans that like to collect trivia about the Outspoken One (specially since some of us don’t have an easy access to merch). I don’t want that criteria to become exclusive either. Feel free to use the term if you want regardless if you know a little or a lot about Taylor.

I’m not trying to take anything away from anybody here. There are fans that have known Taylor since she played small town festivals, there are fans who seem to know every rare song out there, and there are fans who just became fans. It is a source of pride for people to say they’ve been fans for a long time, and I respect that. However, if one of your friends who had no interested in the Sparkly Dressed suddenly becomes a supporter, please welcome her/him with open arms.

Also, Taylor herself listens to every kind of music. Just because you’re a fan of Taylor doesn’t mean you can’t listen to other music. As a matter fact, I believe you should do exactly that. Taylor herself is a good team player. She will always throw the spotlight on other people that make music she loves.

I believe that among celeb- let’s not use that word- among artists, Taylor is setting an example of being a decent, nice and down-to-earth human being. I also believe it is everyone’s calling to be decent, nice and down-to-earth, specially if you count yourself as a fan of the Blond With The Sparkly Guitar.

But it’s just my opinion 🙂

Coming up in the Calendar!

• April 15: General ticket sales for Bossier City, Glendale, San Antonio and Houston on Ticketmaster.com.
• April 22: CBS airs the Academy of Country Music special Girls’ Night Out: Superstar Women of Country.
• April 30: Grant Mickelson‘s Birthday.
• May 27:Elizabeth Huett‘s Birthday.
• May 27: Speak Now tour in Omaha, Nebraska at Qwest Center. Sold Out.

(Source: The Swift Agency)