Swifties, But Make It Cultish

So, my best friend has been a Swiftie since 2013, while I only got into Taylor Swift around 2020. At the start of 2024, I started seeing things differently and realized I didn’t really align with Taylor anymore—I felt she had a victim mentality, wasn’t the feminist she claimed to be, and that her fanbase could be really toxic.

A couple of months ago, I casually asked my friend why she still liked Taylor and pointed out a few things I had issues with. She got furious and snapped at me, saying things like, “Go protest against her or write her a letter if you care so much.” Her tone was really rude, so I decided to distance myself.

Today, after not talking for a while, we were chatting again, and I asked her what her biggest red flag was. She immediately said, “When someone shades Taylor Swift,” and then went on a rant about how, as a woman, I shouldn’t criticize Taylor—all while claiming she only listens to Taylor for the music and doesn’t idolize her.

The way Swifties perform mental gymnastics for a mediocre billionaire white woman baffles me. I used to joke about this fandom being a cult—now, I genuinely think it is one.

At this point, I’m wondering—was I wrong to distance myself over this? Also, do any of you have (or had) crazy parasocial Swiftie friends? If so, how do you deal with them? Because this whole situation feels unreal.