Opinion I got hooked by Taylor Swift TikTok theories and I' m glad Think HEAD TOPICS

Opinion I got hooked by Taylor Swift TikTok theories and I' m glad

10/22/2022 10:21:00 PM

Solving puzzles can be just as fun as listening to music or watching a movie Swift s discography is like an escape room

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Casey Fiesler: For the past two months, the Taylor Swift fandom on TikTok has felt like a giant, global line party leading up to Friday’s release of her new album, “Midnights.” - NBCNewsTHINK Solving puzzles can be just as fun as listening to music or watching a movie Swift s discography is like an escape room ”Some people might find it strange to build fan theories around a real person in the same way that we do for fictional characters, but I think that as long as the interaction isn’t invasive or disrespectful, people should be allowed to enjoy it. After all, solving puzzles can be just as fun as listening to music or watching a film. Swift’s discography is like an escape room — and it’s largely one she’s constructed. I study fandom and online communities, especially communities that form around fan fiction, and have seen up close that fan theories bring joy to those who engage in making them. This is what fans do: We talk about the things we love and speculate about what might happen next, whether that’s a song release or a film plot or the outcome of a football game. Considering the way that the internet brings people together around media consumption, it isn’t surprising — or problematic — that people who love Taylor Swift might collectively look for clues or meaning (about her music or about her) in the same way that “Star Wars” fans do. Read more:
NBC News » Taylor Swift Drinks With Her Double and Holds Her Own Funeral in ‘Anti-Hero’ Music Video Taylor Swift's Old Chai Cookie Recipe Is Going Viral On TikTok, So I Tried It, And I Am In Love Cinematographer Rina Yang Talks ‘Euphoria’, ’Nanny,' and Working with FKA Twigs Taylor Swift Dazzles in a Sparkly Bra and Sheer Minidress in 'Midnights' Visuals

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President Joe Biden said Friday that while he has not made a formal decision about running for reelection in 2024, it is his 'intention' to do so. Read more >> Taylor Swift Drinks With Her Double and Holds Her Own Funeral in ‘Anti-Hero’ Music VideoTaylor Swift meets the anti-hero version of Taylor Swift in the official music video for “Anti-Hero,” the first lead single off the Grammy winner’s new album, “Midnights.&8… Taylor Swift's Old Chai Cookie Recipe Is Going Viral On TikTok, So I Tried It, And I Am In LoveThe only proper way to celebrate a new Taylor Swift album is with chai cookies. Cinematographer Rina Yang Talks ‘Euphoria’, ’Nanny,' and Working with FKA TwigsGet to know The_RinaYang, the cinematographer behind TaylorSwift’s Alice in Wonderland-like visuals in AntiHero. Taylor Swift Dazzles in a Sparkly Bra and Sheer Minidress in 'Midnights' VisualsShop TaylorSwift13's Midnights outfits — from wardrobe basics to gowns TSmidnighTS Paris Hilton gets sweaty and more star snapsParis Hilton promotes a fragrance, Taylor Swift snaps a silly selfie and more... Spotify crashes as Taylor Swift’s hotly-anticipated ‘Midnights’ album launchesSpotify crashes as Taylor Swift's hotly-anticipated 'Midnights' album launches More non news trained them [her fans] to be that way.Midnights .too.here . ” Some people might find it strange to build fan theories around a real person in the same way that we do for fictional characters, but I think that as long as the interaction isn’t invasive or disrespectful, people should be allowed to enjoy it. After all, solving puzzles can be just as fun as listening to music or watching a film. The “Anti-Hero” music video was directed by Swift herself, hardly a surprise given that she’s been directing all of her music videos as of late, from “The Man” to her “All Too Well” short film. Swift’s discography is like an escape room — and it’s largely one she’s constructed." Amy Sussman / Getty Images There's also an optional icing you can add to the recipe! I decided to make the cookies from scratch — while listening to my Taylor playlist, of course. I study fandom and online communities , especially communities that form around fan fiction, and have seen up close that fan theories bring joy to those who engage in making them.” Swift’s two kids are played by comedians John Early and Mike Birbiglia. This is what fans do: We talk about the things we love and speculate about what might happen next, whether that’s a song release or a film plot or the outcome of a football game.’s lockdown]. Considering the way that the internet brings people together around media consumption, it isn’t surprising — or problematic — that people who love Taylor Swift might collectively look for clues or meaning (about her music or about her) in the same way that “Star Wars” fans do. The funeral descends into chaos. To bake from scratch, you'll need: butter, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, an egg, vanilla extract, chai tea leaves (or you can make your own chai mix with a few spices!), flour, baking soda, and salt. This kind of speculation keeps interest alive in between installments as it helps to build that fan community. The excitement created by water cooler discussions (where Reddit and TikTok are some of the new water coolers) is also one reason that streaming services have moved from bingeable full season episode drops back to once-a-week delivery for many shows. Despite these new songs, Swift wrote on social media that the original 13 songs on the main album represent her definitive vision for “Midnights. Though some fans lament the wait between installments, others feel we’ve gotten back a collective experience that had been lost. I couldn't find eggnog at my store, so I just used almond milk, which worked fine! ALRIGHT. This experience was (ironically, given the name) encapsulated by the fan culture I participated in around the TV program “Lost.” As always, Swift took to Instagram to debut some behind-the-scenes pictures from the “Anti-Hero” music video shoot. Just before working on , you wrapped Nanny , an independent film directed by Nikyatu Jusu that received a Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. ” I avidly awaited each episode on my own when it aired each week. Then one day I wondered if people were talking about it online, so I searched for a fan forum — and suddenly looked at the show in a brand new way.” Watch the “Anti-Hero” music video below. Then, stir in the vegetable oil, both the granulated and powdered sugar, egg, and vanilla extract. The things people noticed! The intricate theories about time lines and purgatory and polar bears! It made me want to watch the entire show over from the beginning to see what I’d missed. But it also made me sure to check out the forum after every new episode so that I could experience the collective excitement of dissecting new clues. So when TikTok thrust me onto SwiftTok in August by showing videos with Taylor Swift fans theorizing about “Midnights” on my For You Page (the personalized feed of videos created by TikTok’s recommendation algorithm), I felt like I was once again stumbling into those “Lost” forums or the “Game of Thrones” subreddit or, as I wrote about in 2014, the subreddit dedicated to discussion of the “Serial” podcast . Kelly Martinez / BuzzFeed Now add the flour, baking soda, and salt.” She seems like a true original. The excitement that I saw building around Swift’s album made me way more interested in it than I otherwise would have been. It was like I had only planned on going to see the movie during its opening week like most people, but I just happened to be on the midnight line party and the discussion was so interesting I stuck around. There can be a downside to fan theories created around celebrities, of course. I'm impatient, so I chose the latter option. I do worry about fans who are so invested that they become upset if their theories don’t pan out, in the same way that someone may be upset if their favorite TV show character turns out differently than they hoped. (I still feel bad for “Game of Thrones” fans who named their children Daenerys before seeing the last season. I can’t imagine what she’s going to do next. ) But for now, my For You Page has been full of excited videos from fans just enjoying Swift’s music. This part is pretty simple: In a separate bowl, just whisk the powdered sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and eggnog/milk together. I imagine the Easter egg hunts will soon begin anew with so much fresh content to examine. In the meantime, it’s just great to see fans being fans … together. Casey Fiesler Casey Fiesler, Ph. “If you’re really feeling like living on the edge, you can go ahead and add a few drops of food coloring to the icing to make it festive.D. I had a friend who lived in London in high school who introduced me to a lot of new things. , J.D. They should be slightly thick! Kelly Martinez / BuzzFeed I messed up here and made mine too big — they still turned out delicious, but I had to add some extra baking time to the oven., is an assistant professor in the department of information science at University of Colorado Boulder. She researches and teaches in the area of online communities and technology ethics. You can also find her talking about this topics on TikTok at @professorcasey. When the timer is up, carefully remove and sprinkle a little bit of granulated sugar over the cookies. She noticed I liked drawing and making comics, so she sent me to painting class. .