By Kulsum Shabbir
Taylor Swift’s behaviour at the Grammys has been a massive point of contention online over the past couple of weeks. Some have found it tasteless for Swift to take the opportunity on stage after winning Album of the Year to announce her new album, The Tortured Poets Department, whilst others have chalked these kinds of comments up to misogyny, claiming that Swift is a victim of constant scrutiny because she is a successful female artist.
Public opinion surrounding Swift has become even more polarising since she began dating NFL footballer, Travis Kelce, a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs. American football fans have been booing Swift when she shows up on the big screen during games, while Swifties at home watch eagerly in the hopes of catching a glimpse of their hero: (spoiler: they are not watching for Kelce).
Upon realising that the Chiefs would be playing at the Super Bowl, many fans did the maths and realised Swift would have to fly straight from Tokyo back to Las Vegas in order to make it in time for the game.
On 11th February, the majority of America’s eyes were glued to the screen, watching Swift cheer on Kelce as the Kansas City Chiefs took home the Super Bowl victory.
On 11th February, the Israeli army carried out over 40 airstrikes over Rafah, a supposed safe place where around 1.3 million Palestinian refugees had been told to flee.
On the 11th of February, the Israeli raids pushed the death toll of Palestinians to 28,340, and the number of those injured to 67,984.
It should not be news to us that this is no coincidence – the never-ending fascination surrounding celebrity news has become a tool of Western propaganda. As viewers, we are purposefully distracted with new award shows, opportunities to discuss celebrity outfits, or contests over who was “snubbed” or “robbed” at the Grammys. We are fed new tidbits and controversies surrounding our favourite artists and their dating lives, and the dissonance between this “news” and the horrific events taking place in the Middle East is becoming more and more sickening.
America is actively funding the ethnic cleansing of Palestine. America is celebrating this year’s best artists and musicians at the 2024 Grammys. America has given Israel more military aid than any other country since World War II. America has released this year’s list of Oscar nominees. America is celebrating a star-studded Super Bowl, with appearances from Justin Bieber to Blake Lively.
Tell me, which of these have taken up the majority of your screen lately?
This isn’t about Taylor Swift, or Travis Kelce, or the Grammys, or the Oscars. This is about the purposely timed distractions employed by the Israeli and American governments that allow them to blatantly commit war crimes while the majority of the West has their eyes turned on whatever new, shiny thing has been dangled in front of us.
Given the Israeli government’s history of timing their attacks to coincide with major world events, it becomes almost impossible to believe that the attack on Rafah during the Super Bowl was not strategic. In a horrifyingly jarring moment of irony, Israel launched a campaign during the Super Bowl, with the tagline “Bring Them Home” in reference to the Israeli hostages being held by Hamas. The idea that the Israeli government launched this campaign mere hours before the massacre in Rafah highlights the sickening double standard of how these events are being portrayed to the media.
Pro-Palestinian creators on social media have urged people to be critical of the content they are consuming. They also draw attention to the fact that Palestinian journalists in Gaza have been systematically targeted by the Israeli army in an attempt to stifle Palestinian voices. Around 100 Palestinian journalists have been killed since the attacks on October 7th.
Our screens are flooded daily with asinine discussions surrounding celebrity news and drama. It’s time we practise disillusionment. It is time we realise that our interests are being weaponized to distract us from the genocide of innocent Palestinians.
Here are some accounts to follow on Instagram to stay informed:
Creative Editor
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